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Posts tagged leaving corporate life

Fueling Longevity, Pt. I: The Philosophy of Intentional Nutrition

Fueling Longevity, Pt. I: The Philosophy of Intentional Nutrition

Chances are you've spent decades being quietly conditioned to see food through a lens of quantification. Calories, portions or a number on a scale that represents an arbitrary ideal from thirty years ago. It's time to retire that paradigm.

As we step into our second and third chapters, nutrition is about protecting our independence, preventing chronic illness and maximizing the quality of every day we're given. Food isn't something to be managed. It's the raw material for the life you're building. And it requires a completely different relationship with your plate.

Training for Life, Pt. II: How Functional Movement Protects Your Longevity

Training for Life, Pt. II: How Functional Movement Protects Your Longevity

In the last article, we looked at how my dad maintained his independence to age 101 by holding fast to an identity of movement. But maintaining that identity requires a practical toolkit.

To keep your physical freedom intact, you don't need to train as intensely as a competitive athlete. You simply need to keep your body's natural capabilities in good working order to support the life you want to live.

Training for Life, Pt. I: How Functional Movement Protects Your Longevity

Training for Life, Pt. I: How Functional Movement Protects Your Longevity

To build an enduring identity of movement, we first have to strip away the noise around what exercise is supposed to look like. We aren't training for aesthetics, and we aren't training to excel at a single machine in a gym. We’re training for life.

In the CrossFit philosophy, fitness is summarized in a famous 100-word definition with this underlying principle: True physical capability is general, broad, and inclusive.

Stripped down to its essence, training for longevity includes…

Wellness is the Baseline

Wellness is the Baseline

When we enter midlife, we're subtly conditioned to accept a baseline of neutrality. We're taught that if our blood pressure is normal, our bone density isn't a crisis yet and nothing actively hurts, we're doing great. As a result, wellness is viewed as a safe harbor, a place to arrive and rest.

But aging is a constant, downward pressure. If your physical capability is sitting right at neutral, you have zero margin for error. You're one patch of ice, one severe bout of illness or just a few years of natural muscle loss away from sliding backward into dependency.

The steady state isn't safe. It just feels that way.

Becoming the Steward of a Well-Tended Life

Becoming the Steward of a Well-Tended Life

When I sit with those navigating major midlife transitions, we often find ourselves talking about how to care for our remaining life chapters. These conversations have changed how I view longevity. Our lives are impermanent. We’re gifted a physical vessel, but we’re granted limited time with it and how we care for it is up to us.

That leaves us with a powerful choice: What type of steward do you want to be? Will you let the soil grow hardened and neglected, or will you show up with a practice of consistent, impeccable action to see how abundant your crop can truly become?

Turning a Fitness Plateau Into a Path Forward

Turning a Fitness Plateau Into a Path Forward

For years, I had a training plan that worked. I ran consistently, tracked my times and measured my progress with discipline. Then, somewhere around 60, the plan stopped working.

Looking back, I can see that what I was experiencing wasn’t failure. It was a threshold – an invitation to rethink my approach.

The Unlived Life is the Loudest Silence of All

The Unlived Life is the Loudest Silence of All

There is a sacred, quiet presence in a room where a life is coming to a close. To sit in that space and truly witness and support someone in their final moments is a profound privilege.

The transition at the end of life is inevitable, but the landscape we create before we get there is entirely up to us. It’s the difference between leaving a legacy of genuine substance, or leaving behind what I think of as the loudest silence of all: an unlived life.

The Mess is the Medicine

The Mess is the Medicine

When a caterpillar enters its cocoon, something remarkable happens. It doesn't simply grow wings. It dissolves. The caterpillar's body breaks down almost entirely into liquid – a formless, unrecognizable state that contains neither what it was nor what it's becoming. The old structure must be released completely before the new one can form.

This is the goo. And it's not a malfunction. It's the mechanism of transformation itself.

What you're experiencing in the messy middle of your own transition is a version of this process. The old identity – all the ways of being that defined you for decades – is dissolving. Not because something went wrong. Because something is going right.

The Feeling is the Clue: How to Decode Your Inner Sage's Signals

The Feeling is the Clue: How to Decode Your Inner Sage's Signals

Before the world tells us who to be, there’s a part of us who already knows. Children are naturally drawn to what feeds their soul. They don't yet have the filters of practicality, proficiency or other people's expectations. They simply follow what lights them up – and in doing so, they reveal something essential about who they are.

But here's what happens to most of us: the signals get buried. We learn, slowly and often without realizing it, to dismiss our deepest desires as impractical, indulgent or simply unrealistic. The signals don't disappear, though. They burrow underground. And they hibernate.

Here’s how to unearth them…

Finding Your Still Point When the World Won't Stop Spinning

Finding Your Still Point When the World Won't Stop Spinning

You know the moment. You’re in a meeting, scrolling through the news or mid-conversation and suddenly the weight of everything crashes down all at once – the world, your work, your own unanswered questions. The overwhelm isn’t gradual. It arrives all at once.

In those moments, the last thing that seems useful is taking time for yourself. When the external is clamoring for attention, turning inward feels counterintuitive, perhaps even irresponsible.

And yet, those are the perfect moments for a brief wellness break. Not as a cure or an escape, but as an empowered action you can take when life feels uncertain.

The Wisdom You Desire is Already Within: Introducing Walking with the Sage

The Wisdom You Desire is Already Within: Introducing Walking with the Sage

We are living in uncertain times. The pace of change is relentless. The noise is deafening. It seems like every day brings new headlines, new disruptions and new reasons to feel unsteady.

And if you're navigating a major life transition on top of it all, such as leaving a longtime career, reimagining your next chapter or trying to find solid ground in the middle of profound personal change, the external world can feel like it's working against you.

In times like these, where do you turn?

From Warrior to Sage: The Shift That Changes Everything

From Warrior to Sage: The Shift That Changes Everything

I thought I had it all figured out.

After leaving my corporate career, I had a solid plan. I was going to publish a book, build a wellness business and create the life I'd been dreaming of for years. I had goals, spreadsheets and strategies. I was ready to make it happen.

But a few months in, something felt off. The feeling was familiar in a way that made me uneasy. Was I just building a new treadmill?

When You Can’t Find the Answer, Take It to the Trails

When You Can’t Find the Answer, Take It to the Trails

I stood at the edge of the river, looking across the bridge that leads to my favorite hiking trail. It was a Friday morning, and I’d been wrestling with a question I couldn’t answer sitting in my office.

I'd been working on the manuscript for my second book, Walking with the Sage, which focuses on the practice of accessing your inner wisdom through intentional time in nature. But staring at the computer screen, I was stuck on “the hows.” How do I share this? How do I guide others through this practice? What does that even look like?

So I did what the book itself teaches. I headed into nature.

The Gift of Starting Again: Wisdom from Your Future Self

The Gift of Starting Again: Wisdom from Your Future Self

I had a plan.

After deciding to leave my corporate career, I knew exactly what was next: start my own business, publish my first book, step into the life I'd been preparing for during all those years of night classes and weekend explorations. The path forward was clear.

So why did I feel so off?

What I Learned from 23 Rounds of ProLon

What I Learned from 23 Rounds of ProLon

I’ve often said that I feel better at 60 than I did at 35. The main reason is I take better care of myself. I eat lots of fruit and veg, exercise and get solid sleep – most nights. Am I perfect at this? – far from it. And when I feel I need a boost – I order a ProLon Meal Kit.

ProLon is a five-day meal program that’s fast mimicking. That means, the food combination was designed so the body’s cells believe they’re not being fed, shifting the body into fasting mode so you reap the benefits of a water fast while still eating a limited amount of food. This allows for cellular repair and regeneration throughout the program. I’ve also experienced decreased joint inflammation and increased fat loss, especially visceral fat in the belly area.

Click to read Kathy’s experiences and nine suggestions should you want to give it a try. There’s also a link for a ProLon discount and a free PDF fasting journal.

Preparing for Your Next Life Chapter – Advice I Wish I Had

Preparing for Your Next Life Chapter – Advice I Wish I Had

Around this time last year, I flipped through the calendar and saw it. The number 60. It was a very round number – and it was attached to my birthday! The experience stayed with me and I started the new year with a feeling that was foreign to me – dread. I was getting old. And there was nothing I could do about it except count down the months to my next milestone.

Here’s the good news. As I write this, I’m about five months into my new decade, and I feel like I have a new lease on life. What changed? A lot of reflection and a shift in perspective.

I also realized that my insights would have been helpful when I entered my second career chapter, leaving my corporate career for the entrepreneurial path. Whatever life transition you’re facing, here are the five things I wish someone shared with me as prepared for my next life phase...

Finding Your Center – An Approach to Well-being

Finding Your Center – An Approach to Well-being

As we navigate life’s twists and turns, it’s easy to forget the importance of self-care. But it’s during the stress of life transitions when we need it most. This article will focus on exploring practical ways to help you stay grounded, resilient and well in times of turmoil, including my favorite self-care practice you can do in five minutes.

Transitions are often stressful due to a variety of reasons. The biggest factor is uncertainty. When life gets upended, it can seem full of unknowns, which can lead to feelings of anxiety and fear of what lies ahead. During these times, there can be a focus on what is lost, how much there is to do, a looming fear of failure, external pressure, and internal doubt.

All of these feelings are normal. And when you have a better understanding of the reasons behind this stress, you can design effective strategies to navigate life changes more effectively.

Life Beyond the Ladder, Part V - A Calling

Life Beyond the Ladder, Part V - A Calling

The Life Beyond the Ladder article series was written to support you as you step into a new chapter of your life and consider how self-discovery can reshape your understanding of the world and your place in it.

This transformative journey can offer profound insights, emotional exploration, and a sense of connection to something larger than yourself. Whether you’re exploring new belief systems, deepening your existing faith, or simply seeking a greater sense of meaning, this deep-rooted questioning can lead you to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

It’s not unusual to explore existential questions during times of significant life changes beyond leaving a long-term profession. Midlife can bring divorce, the death of a loved one, a health crisis, or even successfully reaching a long-held goal, only to experience the emptiness and wonder what comes next – all wrapped up in thoughts of our own mortality. This can lead to overwhelm and confusion. But a way to work through it all...

Life Beyond the Ladder, Part IV - Welcoming Growth

Life Beyond the Ladder, Part IV - Welcoming Growth

As professionals transition out of long-term careers, they often find themselves grappling with a complex interplay of challenges and opportunities. At the core of this experience lies the universal challenge of change, which involves working through self-doubt, the fear of the unknown, and stepping outside of a well-established comfort zone. And that intensity is further amplified for those in midlife who may also confront issues such as ageism, identity crisis, and social isolation.

But among these challenges are numerous opportunities for significant growth and personal development. By approaching change as a chance to explore new possibilities, learn new skills, and redefine the self, a professional transition can transmute into a positive experience. This requires a mindset shift – a mentality that’s eager to live a more fulfilling life, embraces the unknown with curiosity and openness, and welcomes growth.

Life Beyond the Ladder, Part III - Understanding Fear

Life Beyond the Ladder, Part III - Understanding Fear

The decision to explore life beyond the professional ladder and pursue a new midlife path can be exhilarating. The potential of aligning your lifestyle to your passions and values is alluring. But as you consider this shift, especially in quiet moments, you may also feel waves of paralyzing fear.

It’s natural to experience some level of fear when contemplating a significant life change. Fear is the body’s alarm system that’s designed to protect us from perceived threats. While it’s crucial for survival, this response can be triggered by less severe psychological stressors, leading to anxiety and fear.

In the context of career transition, fear can manifest as anxiety about the unknown, doubts about your abilities and concerns about financial stability. Understanding where this fear stems from is the first step toward overcoming it.