Keep on Dreaming

The benefit of long-haul flights is that you have plenty of time to reflect and think. Homeward bound from a two-week trip to China as a guest lecturer, I was brimming with gratitude and awe at the path my career's taken over the past 12 months. As a 6-year-old, I wanted to be a teacher. As a college freshman, my ambition turned toward a being consultant who got to travel far and wide. Practical considerations for a steady income took over after graduation, but more than 20 years later, I found myself on a plane, pondering if it was luck or fate that allowed me to be living out my childhood dreams.

Did I plan things this way? Nope. I'm definitely lucky. As I look back on my path, there have been so many people who opened doors for me and several who have pulled me through doors I wouldn't have considered for myself. I think one reason luck keeps visiting me in the form of these mentors, sponsors, and connections is that I've always put my all into the things I was doing, and I openly shared with others the things I wanted to learn or do. I didn't have a grand plan mapped out for myself, but I always knew what I wanted to try next, and I was willing to take those opportunities when they popped up. It wasn't that I knew where the next step was leading to ultimately, so in that regard, I feel lucky things have worked out. It also feels fateful to have gone full circle with my 6-year-old self and confirmed my calling through the trial and error of experience. In either case, I am here today through the power and generosity of my network.

Thank you for shaping me, believing in me, and giving me that shot when I needed it. I hope that you too, can continue to dream. I encourage you to share your hoped-for "nexts" with me and others around you, and that you'll be in a position to say "yes" when your time comes.