When people ask me
what I do for a living, I usually hem and haw for a bit. 'Do I give
them the bit about my "illustrious" television production career, and
share the sometimes funny, but always interesting behind-the-scenes
stories of working with MTV, CBS, the NFL and so on? Or do I go on
about the 15-plus years individuals and businesses alike have somehow
tracked me down, and enlisted my assistance in developing their overall
image, brand or marketing plan, professionally and personally? Or, do I talk about the voice-over career I started, and how
that led to becoming a copywriter for radio and television stations...
which then led to my television news and producing stints? Then,
how do I mention the fact that my personal journey has led me to the
daily practice of Yoga, and that I am now also an instructor in this
incredible practice, art and exercise?' Oh, the list goes on and on... But
now, here I am, sharing my story with complete strangers!
I grew up in a very sheltered, yet
fun-loving environment. My dad was raised Baptist, but never
practiced, and my mom was (still is) a devout Catholic. Needless
to say, we were raised Catholic, attended Catholic schools and went
through all the rituals. I was a member of a very large family (11
kids from the same two parents), and we grew up feeling as though we
owned that town (we certainly knew it well). We grew up along with the
town, so as new businesses opened, we knew about them. As new
roads and areas of town were developed, we were among the first to
explore. I felt very much a part of that community, and never had
an inkling that I might be even remotely isolated from the rest of the world.
I first realized the level of
isolation my life had risen to, while living in Aspen, Colorado.
I'd lived there for about a year, and had met loads of people. I
was very social and felt that I was athletic (practicing yoga
regularly). I was working in marketing and PR, and met people from
different walks of life regularly, but somehow I had a hunch there was
this whole other class or circle of people walking the streets of Aspen
that I was just not meeting. I was not satisfied with this.
I was about to give up on Aspen, having come directly from Los Angeles
and the entertainment industry, I was growing weary of how difficult
daily life there could be (try finding gas for your car that doesn't
cost your entire pay check, for instance). Instead, I went out on a limb
and decided to take a chance. I logged onto an online service
looking to actually "expand my circle of friends." I surprised
myself, by not only meeting who is now my life's partner, but I was opened up to an entirely new world that I may
never have realized, had I not taken that one little chance. (And in
Aspen, everyone knows when someone has "been online," so it was not actually
such a little chance!) I also realized how unaware of my own
surroundings and un-in touch I was! There were countless circles
of human beings living, breathing and walking the streets of Aspen that
I had never met. I still may never meet them, and that is
okay, but I know I am open and aware and able to bridge the gap between
circles.
I guess the main thing that I can
say about my own experience with extending beyond my boundaries, is that I have
never let fear stop me. Even in this instance, I was very afraid.
I had gone out on a limb already just to MOVE to Aspen with my young
son. I'd left everyone I cared for in LA behind, and now I was
actually thinking I'd made a horrible mistake. I found Aspen to be
wonderful, but I was suddenly starkly aware of my complete isolation.
I was there, but I was alone. My son and I were alone. No amount of friends within my circle could make that feeling go away.
I'd already decided early on in my life that I wanted to live life fully, and
completely... experiencing all things possible, and relishing every moment
as I go. I'd also always questioned most things I was
taught growing up - not out of rebellion or disrespect, but simply so I could make
my own qualified decisions about things. I had an insatiable
thirst for life that was only quenched when I was actively pursuing new
interests and meeting people who lived very different lives from me.
I am convinced this thirst for
life and adventurer's spirit has enhanced my life experience more so
than any other thing. I would encourage all who long to be aware of life
on a grand scale to continually reach out, branch out, take chances and
extend your circle! The more people begin to reach out and take
these chances, the more our world will become a more enlightened,
awakened place.
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New circles are articles offering others a glimpse into your own private
world. They are submissions by readers from around the world, friends of
Extended Circles and colleagues.
If you would like to
share your back-story - your own personal circle - with other people from
different backgrounds and walks of life, please do! Make it interesting,
short and concise, and be sure to include how you have worked in your life to
extend your circle. If you are new to extended circles, let us know your
plan for awakening your spirit to the world around you!
Click here
to submit your story.
Please keep it to about 500 words, and be advised that all submissions may be
edited for content or relevancy. If we publish your story, we may request
a photo and/or contact/link information to add to the page. If we do
not publish your story, we will do our best to inform you in a timely manner,
and offer tips / hints for further submissions. We look forward to broadening
our horizons by getting to know you! Thanks for submitting!
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