Conversations With Cady

I am an overachiever. I have always been this way. Growing up, I played three sports, I was Senior Class President, I sought two degrees, I worked while in college, interned, and still managed to get good grades. I graduated with two degrees in three years, I finished law school in two. I did it all and boy, was I impressive. People said, "look at all she's done at such a young age! She's a boss!" "Overachiever" was a positive word in my mind. Something to seek and be.  In law, I did the same. I took on all the cases, all the appointments, all the leadership roles. Again, I did it all and boy, I was still impressive. Then in 2020, during a worldwide pandemic, things slowed down. I couldn't be everywhere for everyone all the time. While I had the leadership roles, those roles had no meaning. We couldn't gather. I couldn't focus on continued upward mobility and impressing. The world hit pause on my overachieving.  And guess what? My career didn...

Integrity is defined by Merriam Webster as " the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness". In my coaching classes we believe people have integrity when their words align with their actions. The dictionary definition is more subjective while our coaching definition is objective.  My definition is a combination of both. People live with integrity when their words match their actions but those words and actions are rooted in strong moral principles. Consistency is key. If a person identifies a value or a life purpose, I expect that person to live in alignment with that value or purpose, daily. It does not require big actions but small acts on a regular basis. As Joe Sabini noted in his Ted Talk on integrity and humility, "how we do anything is how we do everything."  A prime example is my goal to live with patience. Patience is something I value and in order to live with integrity, I need to practice patience in all interactions, ...

This week, I have been considering my life purpose and mission statement. It is a topic my classmates and I are discussing within our coaching training courses. Some people have been thinking about their purpose for years and can condense it into a five-word tagline. Others, like myself, feel that a "life purpose" changes and grows with you. Here are my May 2021 thoughts on my life purpose (subject to change literally daily).  My life purpose: To lead others to growth and self-discovery. To teach about happiness, balance, presence, and fulfillment. To explore new places, learn from different cultures, and grow as an individual. To serve others by listening, encouraging, motivating, and empowering. To advocate for positive change and understanding of mental health and wellness. To impact society by cultivating happy and compassionate individuals. To be free from expectations, rigidity, and the influence of others. To live the life of my design with consideration to the improve...