Beginning a new chapter...and options

I haven't taken the time to discuss a recent decision that I have made that will mean a new chapter in my life, but today is the day!

Starting on the 16th of July, I will be starting a year long certificate program through The Institute of Integrative Nutrition (INN). I couldn't be more excited about what the future may hold for me.

The most exciting part is that my journey will continue. For about two years I have been on a quest for knowledge regarding health and wellness. I have been trying to better myself and be a better mother to my children and wife to my husband. Learning on your own can be lonely, slow going, and frustrating. I look forward to becoming a part of a learning community that will speed up the process of acquiring knowledge for me.

This is a big turn for me in many ways since I have been teaching college courses for about 15 years now. TIME FLIES! I love teaching and I do think I will do that forever, but what I teach I think will change or become less limited. How did this change of course happen? FAST!

I have been feeling off for some time now. For over a year that I can recall, I have been feeling tired and unhappy to some degree. I have been noticing differences in the students I teach and enjoying my work less and less. I am good at what I do and I do have highlights and good days, but they are less frequent than they used to be. I have been wondering where life would take me, and open to change, but very unsure of which way I would end up being pulled.

I have read books and watched documentaries over the past two years during my search for more knowledge regarding health and have felt passionate about what I am learning. I have tried to become healthier and more active and feel good about what I am trying to live and learn. I knew this was something I cared about but knew I probably would never want to be a personal trainer. I often thought, "Someone needs to teach classes on this stuff!" There was so much to learn but it is all spread around from many sources and sifting through it all takes a lot of time and dedication. I also have felt someone needs to bring all this information to young people who can benefit from it the most.

Then there was an unexpected development.

A few weeks ago, after watching an installment of HBO's Weight of a Nation (on demand), I noticed the various people speaking who are playing a role in trying to make changes in our communities. I wondered what I could do to help and to teach people. I thought about how much I care about these issues and how much I want to contribute to finding solutions to the problems we are facing with America's declining health.


The next morning, I googled "health coach" and to my surprise, there were a number of results! I started a two-day research-a-thon, learning more about what this title meant and reading about what they do and where people were trained. I read about what was studied and looked at programs. I found there were nutritionists, holistic health practitioners and many others who were contributing to helping people to learn more about treating themselves well. There were people dedicating their lives to helping people help themselves. They helped them overcome illness, fight disease, lose weight, improve their quality of life, reverse diagnoses, and helped them feel better.

People who studied in these areas went into many different fields, actually. Some continued their educations and some did go on to be health coaches. I went to websites to see what people are doing now. Some are food company owners, authors, teachers, or in other areas where they are spreading "the word" (of health and wellness). The options seem to be many. Then were were some people who just learned for the love of knowledge and to better themselves.

I don't know which of these paths I will eventually follow, but my guess is that my love of teaching will somehow be paired with this new found passion for health. I will find a way to teach what I am learning and living. I think it is a natural fit with the journey I have been on with Weight Watchers, too. I have learned a lot and want to share so much with others. I am hopeful that my path will become apparent in the next year while I am learning at INN.

So in a couple of weeks I start again as a student. It will be interesting, juggling the kiddos out for summer, my teaching, and finding time to read and do what I need to for classes, but it will be worthwhile. With any luck, this all ends with me in a new career, happy and successful. That is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario would be that I learn a whole lot more and am enriched and able to serve my family better with what I learn.

How's that for a win-win? :)