Good news – and tough on the heart-strings too… I’m moving to New York!
On the one hand, I want to scream from the rooftops that I am about to fulfill a lifetime dream!! … And on the other, I feel like I’m cheating on my City – Cleveland. They say that home is where the heart is. If that’s true, then Cleveland is my HOME. The tree-lined streets are woven into my soul, the Westside Market my playground, and Clevelanders are my family.
You can imagine, then, how difficult it is to say that I'm moving to New York. But the truth is, I never intended for Cleveland to become home. When I moved there in 2003,it was to be a short stop on the way to NYC… But I fell in love with Cleveland – with its people, its food, its culture, its amenities. It was just too good to ever leave.
And then a year ago, I decided to pursue a lifetime dream of getting my Masters Degree, teaching, and starting my own motivational consulting, coaching and speaking business,CLeaR. I went to the University of Pennsylvania last year to get my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology with full intention on returning this month to Cleveland to bring my learning back home.
Ready to return home, the “father” of Positive Psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman, asked me to be one of his assistant instructors this fall – a huge honor for which I’m immensely grateful. I knew that this was the universe telling me to pursue that New York dream.
I'll be honest – I'm scared! And I'm sad to prolong my trip home… and yet, I know that this is something that I must do. I went into Positive Psychology to inspire people to fulfill their dreams. I now have to do the same. I tell my clients that to know if we really need something, we must look ahead to our 80-year-old selves and ask that person, “If I DON’T do this, will I regret it forever?” When the answer is “yes”, move forward. No matter how scary or how sad you are to close a chapter, you must move forward. We must feel it all and move ahead! And so I am 🙂
Fortunately, I'll still be working a lot in Cleveland. With SOMO Leadership Labs, we're teaching positive psychology to enhance Clevelanders' lives, with my consulting work, I'm speaking to groups like the GAR Foundation's EIG (educator initiative) and with my coaching work, I'm helping Clevelanders pursue their dreams. And this really helps me live MY dream because I can live and work in all the places I love.
My intention in New York is to soak it all in and live it all fully. To experience every small street, each cozy coffee shop, each grungy subway station and to meet the city’s gritty and eclectic people. And then I plan to share all of these experiences – all of the fear, excitement and lessons with people around the world.
Here's to LIVING our dreams!