I remember sitting at Tidballs (a reference for you WKU alum) around 2002 talking to some big-wigs from the waste management business about making a difference in the world. I was studying agriculture with the goal of working in the alternative fuel industry one day. I made the vow that I wouldn’t let money drive the work I did, so my endless search for the right job proved to serve the environment and nearly starve me.
Since then, I’ve faced one challenge (or opportunity) after another in my career path. When leaving that first job out of college, I was in my office on my way out telling a friend who thought I was crazy to leave without anything lined up that sometimes one door has to close in order for the right one to open.
Ignorant, or unknowingly wise, I’ve always followed my heart.
Later, working for a big agriculture company and making a lot of money, I had the fortune of running into a local food business's marketing coordinator at a networking event. When I told her what I did for a living, she scoffed at me and said, “I couldn’t imagine doing anything that wasn’t truly in line with my values”. I remember noticing the size of the diamond on her wedding ring and thinking it must be easy to live that way with an engagement of that measure.
Judgmental and naive as I was, her words hit hard. Shortly after, I took our middle child for an ear tube consult. The doctor told me that women’s rights were the cause for antibiotic resistance and drove his work. No shit, he said that. I’d spent the last 10 years in agriculture managing products that worked with the gut to reverse antibiotic resistance in livestock and here this guy was telling me I was the cause. While I left seeing red, I gained a greater appreciation for family values and made a commitment to figure out a better way to balance work/life. Sometimes those that move you to extreme discomfort provide you a great service.
One thing that has remained consistent has been my ability to recognize and act when something isn’t in line with my divine purpose. I am working toward trusting myself sooner so that I can bring more grace to major decisions.
So in the spirit of spirituality and the upcoming Festival of Faiths, I wanted to share my story about gut/heart based decision making. Last month we featured nutrition, and how it can impact the mind and body, but there is so much of this that is related to our spirit.
In Gut: The Inside Story of our Body’s Most Underrated Organ, Dr. Giulia Enders discusses why these gut feelings might be more than just digestive upset. As our most metabolically active organ, it is comparable to the function of the brain. We carry the book at the Cave if you’re interested.
My favorite subject is when science meets spirituality. Recently, John told me that when science confirms spirituality, faith in God is no longer needed. That really makes me put the brakes on my drive behind justifying my beliefs with science, despite a societal demand for evidence. Maybe faith is sometimes delivered in the form of a wrenched gut or broken heart.
I pulled this fortune recently and thought it was a fine fit for this month’s blog. I hope you too enjoy the little gifts of each day.
“Most spend their lives reading the menu instead of enjoying the banquet”
Since then, I’ve faced one challenge (or opportunity) after another in my career path. When leaving that first job out of college, I was in my office on my way out telling a friend who thought I was crazy to leave without anything lined up that sometimes one door has to close in order for the right one to open.
Ignorant, or unknowingly wise, I’ve always followed my heart.
Later, working for a big agriculture company and making a lot of money, I had the fortune of running into a local food business's marketing coordinator at a networking event. When I told her what I did for a living, she scoffed at me and said, “I couldn’t imagine doing anything that wasn’t truly in line with my values”. I remember noticing the size of the diamond on her wedding ring and thinking it must be easy to live that way with an engagement of that measure.
Judgmental and naive as I was, her words hit hard. Shortly after, I took our middle child for an ear tube consult. The doctor told me that women’s rights were the cause for antibiotic resistance and drove his work. No shit, he said that. I’d spent the last 10 years in agriculture managing products that worked with the gut to reverse antibiotic resistance in livestock and here this guy was telling me I was the cause. While I left seeing red, I gained a greater appreciation for family values and made a commitment to figure out a better way to balance work/life. Sometimes those that move you to extreme discomfort provide you a great service.
One thing that has remained consistent has been my ability to recognize and act when something isn’t in line with my divine purpose. I am working toward trusting myself sooner so that I can bring more grace to major decisions.
So in the spirit of spirituality and the upcoming Festival of Faiths, I wanted to share my story about gut/heart based decision making. Last month we featured nutrition, and how it can impact the mind and body, but there is so much of this that is related to our spirit.
In Gut: The Inside Story of our Body’s Most Underrated Organ, Dr. Giulia Enders discusses why these gut feelings might be more than just digestive upset. As our most metabolically active organ, it is comparable to the function of the brain. We carry the book at the Cave if you’re interested.
My favorite subject is when science meets spirituality. Recently, John told me that when science confirms spirituality, faith in God is no longer needed. That really makes me put the brakes on my drive behind justifying my beliefs with science, despite a societal demand for evidence. Maybe faith is sometimes delivered in the form of a wrenched gut or broken heart.
I pulled this fortune recently and thought it was a fine fit for this month’s blog. I hope you too enjoy the little gifts of each day.
“Most spend their lives reading the menu instead of enjoying the banquet”
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