What Drives You?
Thirty- eight years ago a very brave six-year-old girl passed with a brain stem tumour.
The second of three children, Angela had been diagnosed fourteen months earlier and had undergone several hospital stays undergoing radiation therapy. In the end Angela lost the ability to walk, talk, eat solid food and feed herself. So why am I talking about Angela and her cancer journey and why is this related to business? Well, Angela is my younger sister and is one of my greatest motivators and teachers. Being the sibling of a child who lived through cancer has driven me both personally and professionally. It is largely thanks to Angela that I made the decision to develop two career paths. I spent a few years working in various community roles including Child Care, Youth Work, Case Work, Emergency Service Work and my greatest love, Community Development. In parallel I started training as a Massage Therapist in my mid-twenties. Shortly after moving to Tasmania, I made the decision to update my qualifications completing a Certificate IV in Massage Therapy. Two years on I am now enrolled to complete the Diploma of Remedial Massage with plans to then train as an Oncology Massage Therapist working mainly with young people and their families experiencing cancer.
As I progressed through life, I realised that every life experience/lived experience, conversation, travels-physically and in my mind, every song, poem, book or movie that has resonated with me has helped shaped the person I am today, including my career choices. There are hints in all of these life experiences that have pointed to the paths I have chosen to travel with my work. Have you ever listened to a conversation about a topic or subject and realised that it piqued your interest? That you wanted to explore further? Have you ever been inspired by a song or a book that has directed you onto a particular path of thought or action? That without it you would not have dreamt or endeavoured to even go there?
What motivates you to follow a particular path? It is no accident that I decided to move into community services and Massage Therapy and then to eventually decide to start my own massage business. What made you decide to become involved in the business/career you are currently in? What is driving you to move your career/business in a certain direction in the future. Look back on all the influences and experiences you have had. The people you have drawn to you. Therein may lie the clues to what you are passionate about. Recently, I attended my first Women’s Network Australia event in Hobart and one member shared with me her story of how she finally found her niche later in her career and that she could not have reached that point without all the other jobs that she held in the past. Those past roles brought her to the dream job. My take home from this is that all of your roles drive you to reach your ultimate goal. That the sum of all your experiences, propels you to get there. What drives you?
