Not long after starting my first professional role in Indianapolis I was introduced to Levo, a network for millennials that provides tools to develop talents, build connections, and identify your passions as a new professional. While technically on the cusp of the millennial generation, I have found great value in the tools and resources Levo provides. They also provide members with the opportunity to create profiles through which they can share their accomplishments and interests. It was through my profile on Levo that I became connected to a young man named Blake Soulet and his podcast Fulfilling Life's Yearnings. 

Blake reached out at the beginning of this year and invited me to share my story on his podcast. I'll admit I was a little apprehensive at first - I have never been asked by a new acquaintance to share anything about my personal or professional life with such a wide audience.  But, for some reason, my gut told me to agree to his invitation and we recorded a podcast episode together last month! 

Spending time talking and sharing with Blake was so much fun - I was able to share my college and graduate school experiences and some of the opportunities that led to my chosen career path. We also discussed how I was able to engineer a fulfilling life through connecting my values of learning, personal growth, loyalty, and a passion for providing women with opportunities to better themselves.

Talking with Blake gave me the chance to reflect on the trajectory my career has taken. When I began college I had every intention of becoming a professional pianist who taught at the collegiate level. But arm injuries coupled with a surprising interest in campus organizations and experiences took me in a different direction. What I love about my path is that I'm still educating college-aged individuals, which was always my goal. It's not within the purview of piano performance but is still focused on providing women with educational opportunities and development through membership in a sorority. 

"Fulfilling life's yearnings is being comfortable with where you are and not wasting time on things that you do not have."

One of my favorite parts of the conversation with Blake was sharing my commitment to subjective perfection and to this blog. Since I began this journey at the end of January I have really focused on valuing who I am while striving to make regular improvements. It's helped me fine tune my attitude at work, at home, and in this space as well. I see myself making small changes everyday that, without a focus on subjective perfection, I wouldn't normally find important. I'm planning to dive into this topic more intentionally next month and will be providing a free tool to help you figure out how subjective perfection can impact your own life, so look forward to that! 

The final question Blake asks all of his guests is, "What does fulfilling life's yearnings mean to you." As I responded to that question I was able to share that, to me, fulfilling life's yearnings is being comfortable with where I am and not wasting time thinking about things I do not have. I feel like I'm in this season of my life where my friends are two steps ahead. They have been married for a couple of years, have bought houses, and are pregnant or are taking steps to become pregnant. These are all things that Kurt and I want and are working toward but just haven't achieved because of other facets of our lives. A couple of months ago I thought about what my friends had that I didn't, feeling like I was losing "the race" of life. Which is silly, really. It's only since I've taken the time to refocus my thoughts and goals to celebrate subjective perfection that I've realized the importance of focusing on what I have presently and not wasting time wishing for what is to come eventually. 

If you'd like to listen to my full podcast interview with Blake, you can do so here. I hope you enjoy and can find something to take away from our conversation that positively impacts your own life!