[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] tell your daughter to marry a doctor or
tell your daughter to marry a doctor or
tell your daughter to marry a doctor or lawyer tell her to be one that was the
lawyer tell her to be one that was the
lawyer tell her to be one that was the plaque above my bed when I grew up
although this plaque was a mantra of
although this plaque was a mantra of strength and confidence as a woman it
strength and confidence as a woman it
strength and confidence as a woman it also sent some messages to me that took
also sent some messages to me that took
also sent some messages to me that took me a while to overcome I didn’t become a
me a while to overcome I didn’t become a
me a while to overcome I didn’t become a doctor a lawyer but I did become a CPA I
doctor a lawyer but I did become a CPA I
doctor a lawyer but I did become a CPA I grew up with stories of my grandfather’s
grew up with stories of my grandfather’s
grew up with stories of my grandfather’s success as a CPA and my mom’s
success as a CPA and my mom’s
success as a CPA and my mom’s disappointment that she had not
disappointment that she had not
disappointment that she had not fulfilled dreams of one day taking over
fulfilled dreams of one day taking over
fulfilled dreams of one day taking over his accounting practice so I decided at
his accounting practice so I decided at
his accounting practice so I decided at 12 years old to become a CPA and one day
12 years old to become a CPA and one day
12 years old to become a CPA and one day fulfill the legacy throughout our lives
fulfill the legacy throughout our lives
fulfill the legacy throughout our lives it’s not uncommon to believe that we
it’s not uncommon to believe that we
it’s not uncommon to believe that we want something that maybe is not what
want something that maybe is not what
want something that maybe is not what inspires us or what we truly value
inspires us or what we truly value
inspires us or what we truly value instead many of us ignore what’s deep
instead many of us ignore what’s deep
instead many of us ignore what’s deep inside and never connect with our
inside and never connect with our
inside and never connect with our Authentics we all have defining moments
Authentics we all have defining moments
Authentics we all have defining moments in our life and my moment was when I was
in our life and my moment was when I was
in our life and my moment was when I was 32 years old that was when I was
32 years old that was when I was
32 years old that was when I was promoted to being a partner in a CPA
promoted to being a partner in a CPA
promoted to being a partner in a CPA firm I had worked so hard for that day I
firm I had worked so hard for that day I
firm I had worked so hard for that day I kept driving my thumb and never ever
kept driving my thumb and never ever
kept driving my thumb and never ever questioned whether it was right for me
questioned whether it was right for me
questioned whether it was right for me that day my managing partner came into
that day my managing partner came into
that day my managing partner came into my office to congratulate me but it was
my office to congratulate me but it was
my office to congratulate me but it was his next line that changed everything he
his next line that changed everything he
his next line that changed everything he said I just love like who I’m gonna
said I just love like who I’m gonna
said I just love like who I’m gonna retire with one day I was 32 years old
retire with one day I was 32 years old
retire with one day I was 32 years old this sent me into a tailspin what do you
this sent me into a tailspin what do you
this sent me into a tailspin what do you mean there’s nothing else to work toward
mean there’s nothing else to work toward
mean there’s nothing else to work toward I have no more goals I’m stuck here for
I have no more goals I’m stuck here for
I have no more goals I’m stuck here for thirty more years so instead of being
thirty more years so instead of being
thirty more years so instead of being overwhelmed with excitement I was
overwhelmed with excitement I was
overwhelmed with excitement I was actually really unhappy
actually really unhappy
actually really unhappy so rather than celebrating that night
so rather than celebrating that night
so rather than celebrating that night with my husband and my children I called
with my husband and my children I called
with my husband and my children I called my therapist and we uncovered that I
my therapist and we uncovered that I
my therapist and we uncovered that I wasn’t on I wasn’t happy because I was
wasn’t on I wasn’t happy because I was
wasn’t on I wasn’t happy because I was living somebody else’s dreams and not my
living somebody else’s dreams and not my
living somebody else’s dreams and not my own but where did that leave me I had
own but where did that leave me I had
own but where did that leave me I had worked years being a CPA thinking about
worked years being a CPA thinking about
worked years being a CPA thinking about being a CPA it’s not that I didn’t love
being a CPA it’s not that I didn’t love
being a CPA it’s not that I didn’t love my job or love working with my clients
my job or love working with my clients
my job or love working with my clients but something in my life was leaving me
but something in my life was leaving me
but something in my life was leaving me unfulfilled and I needed to understand
unfulfilled and I needed to understand
unfulfilled and I needed to understand why did I really want to quit what I was
why did I really want to quit what I was
why did I really want to quit what I was doing and all the time I didn’t invest
doing and all the time I didn’t invest
doing and all the time I didn’t invest in it and start over I didn’t know the
in it and start over I didn’t know the
in it and start over I didn’t know the answer but what I did do was stop and
answer but what I did do was stop and
answer but what I did do was stop and disconnect from the pressures around me
disconnect from the pressures around me
disconnect from the pressures around me and go on a journey to see if I could
and go on a journey to see if I could
and go on a journey to see if I could create better work-life harmony and I
create better work-life harmony and I
create better work-life harmony and I did it in three ways first step was to
did it in three ways first step was to
did it in three ways first step was to go to try something new that I had fear
go to try something new that I had fear
go to try something new that I had fear to do before and for me that was yoga I
to do before and for me that was yoga I
to do before and for me that was yoga I had tried yoga in the past and I had
had tried yoga in the past and I had
had tried yoga in the past and I had chalked it off – it’s not really for
chalked it off – it’s not really for
chalked it off – it’s not really for someone with a type-a personality like
someone with a type-a personality like
someone with a type-a personality like me but in hindsight I think I had fear
me but in hindsight I think I had fear
me but in hindsight I think I had fear of it for one I always thought I had to
of it for one I always thought I had to
of it for one I always thought I had to be the best at something in order to do
be the best at something in order to do
be the best at something in order to do it and when I began yoga I was clearly
it and when I began yoga I was clearly
it and when I began yoga I was clearly not a natural also I was racing around
not a natural also I was racing around
not a natural also I was racing around all the time driving toward my goals
all the time driving toward my goals
all the time driving toward my goals that I never allowed myself space to
that I never allowed myself space to
that I never allowed myself space to actually think and clear my mind and
actually think and clear my mind and
actually think and clear my mind and what I soon found with yoga is you can’t
what I soon found with yoga is you can’t
what I soon found with yoga is you can’t escape from yourself during a yoga
escape from yourself during a yoga
escape from yourself during a yoga practice you have to be completely
practice you have to be completely
practice you have to be completely present in your
present in your
present in your mints your thoughts and your mind and it
mints your thoughts and your mind and it
mints your thoughts and your mind and it took an incredible amount of courage to
took an incredible amount of courage to
took an incredible amount of courage to stick it out but Yoga created a
stick it out but Yoga created a
stick it out but Yoga created a connection to my true self that I had
connection to my true self that I had
connection to my true self that I had never allowed myself to have before the
never allowed myself to have before the
never allowed myself to have before the second thing that I did was think about
second thing that I did was think about
second thing that I did was think about when I was a child what made me really
when I was a child what made me really
when I was a child what made me really happy that I gave up when I started my
happy that I gave up when I started my
happy that I gave up when I started my career and that was music I had played
career and that was music I had played
career and that was music I had played viola in the Cincinnati Youth Symphony
viola in the Cincinnati Youth Symphony
viola in the Cincinnati Youth Symphony Orchestra and although I don’t play
Orchestra and although I don’t play
Orchestra and although I don’t play anymore
anymore
anymore I wanted to rheic splutter music so my
I wanted to rheic splutter music so my
I wanted to rheic splutter music so my son at the time was starting electric
son at the time was starting electric
son at the time was starting electric guitar so I thought why can’t I learn a
guitar so I thought why can’t I learn a
guitar so I thought why can’t I learn a new instrument and play with him so I
new instrument and play with him so I
new instrument and play with him so I signed up for bass guitar lessons and
signed up for bass guitar lessons and
signed up for bass guitar lessons and played in a band with other adult
played in a band with other adult
played in a band with other adult beginners and today my family plays
beginners and today my family plays
beginners and today my family plays together as the vet inators the third
together as the vet inators the third
together as the vet inators the third step was creating a community that would
step was creating a community that would
step was creating a community that would support me and my journey of
support me and my journey of
support me and my journey of self-discovery I went to my husband and
self-discovery I went to my husband and
self-discovery I went to my husband and my children to discuss with them things
my children to discuss with them things
my children to discuss with them things that I wanted to try and whether we
that I wanted to try and whether we
that I wanted to try and whether we could adjust our lives to accommodate it
could adjust our lives to accommodate it
could adjust our lives to accommodate it and everything was not a guess however
and everything was not a guess however
and everything was not a guess however as I became happier and it affected the
as I became happier and it affected the
as I became happier and it affected the family in a positive way it was easier
family in a positive way it was easier
family in a positive way it was easier to make those adjustments if I had not
to make those adjustments if I had not
to make those adjustments if I had not gotten their support I could not have
gotten their support I could not have
gotten their support I could not have gone on this journey I did end up
gone on this journey I did end up
gone on this journey I did end up leaving the CPA firm however I decided
leaving the CPA firm however I decided
leaving the CPA firm however I decided to pivot my career and use the CPA
to pivot my career and use the CPA
to pivot my career and use the CPA skills I hadn’t invested in in another
skills I hadn’t invested in in another
skills I hadn’t invested in in another way by working with small so in
way by working with small so in
way by working with small so in accounting practices nationally and
accounting practices nationally and
accounting practices nationally and internationally I also became a yoga
internationally I also became a yoga
internationally I also became a yoga instructor and open my own yoga studio I
instructor and open my own yoga studio I
instructor and open my own yoga studio I did this as a way to give back to a
did this as a way to give back to a
did this as a way to give back to a practice that had transformed me so that
practice that had transformed me so that
practice that had transformed me so that other people could access it
other people could access it
other people could access it when I received my teacher training
when I received my teacher training
when I received my teacher training certificate someone close to me said
certificate someone close to me said
certificate someone close to me said you’re not gonna tell anyone about this
you’re not gonna tell anyone about this
you’re not gonna tell anyone about this argue and at that moment I step and
argue and at that moment I step and
argue and at that moment I step and realized this was the first thing I had
realized this was the first thing I had
realized this was the first thing I had ever done out of my own personal desire
ever done out of my own personal desire
ever done out of my own personal desire that no one told me to do so rather than
that no one told me to do so rather than
that no one told me to do so rather than hiding it I put it up right with my CPA
hiding it I put it up right with my CPA
hiding it I put it up right with my CPA license it was just as much of a
license it was just as much of a
license it was just as much of a personal accomplishment because it
personal accomplishment because it
personal accomplishment because it transformed my life to create better
transformed my life to create better
transformed my life to create better work-life harmony so tonight we all have
work-life harmony so tonight we all have
work-life harmony so tonight we all have moments that are defining for us but
moments that are defining for us but
moments that are defining for us but what I’d like you to think about are
what I’d like you to think about are
what I’d like you to think about are what was that moment for you and whether
what was that moment for you and whether
what was that moment for you and whether you took action on it and if you put a
you took action on it and if you put a
you took action on it and if you put a plaque up above your bed
plaque up above your bed
plaque up above your bed or your child’s bed let it read have the
or your child’s bed let it read have the
or your child’s bed let it read have the courage of a life true to yourself and
courage of a life true to yourself and
courage of a life true to yourself and not what others expect of you thank you
not what others expect of you thank you
not what others expect of you thank you you
”
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