Several months ago, towards the beginning of my studies in Integrative Nutrition, I opened up my workbook to find the following quote by Bill Copeland:

The problem with not having a goal is that you can spend your
whole life running up and down the field and never score

But even before I read it, (unbeknownst to me), I had already started the process that was necessary for me to fully realize its significance. In August 2011, inspired by my oldest and youngest daughters, I joined Day Zero Project, an international online community of people dedicated to making (and sharing) lists of goals, big and small: self-motivated challenges that would ultimately translate into making positive changes in their lives. I admit that at first I enjoyed perusing others’ lists, and even took some of their goals as my own, but when I actually set out making my own list of “101 Things,” really taking the time to consider which things I could do that would enrich my life-things I had either been putting off or just had never allowed myself to dream about at all-the process became transformative. From it, I learned a most valuable life lesson: that by defining and setting goals that resonate with my core values, regardless of the size or complexity, prioritizing and finding the necessary support to implement them, amazing things can, (and will), happen. And while the process wasn’t always easy, in each and every instance, without exception, the rewards were well with the effort.

At the beginning of my journey I was an attorney who hadn’t practiced my craft for many years.
I had merely set out to take an online course in a subject that interested me. A lifelong obsession with food, interest in an integrative approach to healing stemming from years of headaches, skin allergies and major digestive issues, and the simple desire to create a healthier, more balanced lifestyle for myself led me to IIN. A year later, I had become a journal-writing, yoga-practicing, Shabbat-observing certified health coach with hundreds of new, “Clean” healthy whole food recipes in my repertoire and a newfound understanding, based in science, of why eliminating gluten and corn from my diet 13 years ago had changed my life in ways that I hadn’t even been aware of. I had cleaned up both my closets, and my gut, and had finally sought out medical providers whose philosophy and approach were aligned with my own (even though I had been taking my 14 year-old Border collie mix for Chinese medicine and acupuncture treatments for years, it wasn’t until recently that I discovered the many benefits for myself)!

I started really paying attention to what was going on with “Big Pharma,” agribusiness and factory faming, and became increasingly disheartened as I began realizing the disastrous consequences of our ”profit seeking culture,” which has led to the biggest health crisis this country has ever seen (not to mention the devastating destruction of natural resources). This inspired me to begin seeking out projects I could become involved in relating to both food policy and the legal and ethical treatment of animals.

In the interim, I also handled my first pro bono case in family law, submitted 2 pieces of my artwork in a student exhibition, stood up to the “beast” that is social media (at least for most people in MY generation), fulfilled long-held desires to see the Grand Old Opry and a major bluegrass festival, discovered the power of setting intentions, became attuned to, and embraced the incredible phenomenon of synchronicity, and so much more.

Along the way I was incredibly blessed to reconnect with old friends and  to collect many new friends from around the country, and (in a few cases), the world. I gained new confidence in my talents and capabilities. Best of all, I became a better listener, hopefully to those around me, and definitely to myself. The number of things I learned about myself could easily fill a book, but instead, I’ve decided to blog about them, with the hope that, by reading it, even one person finds inspiration to make even the smallest change that will impact their health, and ultimately their life, in a positive way. And all because, as my wise daughter Betsy would say, “…It was on my list”!