Taking the time to be thankful- written blog

Passion in life can't get you everywhere, but it can open doors. Throughout my life, I have consistantly rose to the challenge. From a teenager averaging over 20 points a game, through the difficult lessons I learned in college, all the way through my Wnba tryout with the Minnesota Lynx, I have always rose to the occasion because of diligence and passion. Life isn't about wins and losses, it's about being the best version of yourself. I like to say that I am always a work in progress. I seek out knowlege, I crave human interaction and the ability to impact as many lives as possible. At my core, I am a compassionate person with a charasmatic personality. I am deeply empathetic, and believe in treating people with the respect that is owed. I didn't take the easiest path towards my career, I faced challenges for a period of my life, but with faith and persistance I overcame the obstacles and find myself here today. I'm self made, but many people helped me get here. I recorded a blog called Who am I thankful for. Looking back, I have so many fond memories of many different people. My teachers, Mrs. Pohl and Mrs. Masters, who gently guided us from our parents homes to Randall Grade School. They showed us love and patience, and I'm blessed to still call them friends. My grade school basketball coach Miss Nailor, who inspired me to believe in what I didn't know was possible. I coached grade school basketball with her, a dream come true and I'm equally as blessed to call her a friend. My high school coaches Mrs. Steinke, Mr. Robers, Mr. Schleusner and Mr. Perry, who believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. You helped mold and guide me as a basketball player. My parents who were my entire world. You loved us every single day of our lives regardless of successes or failures. My siblings, my partner and extended family, God couldn't have handpicked better partners in life. It's so important to me to share my appreciation for those special people.  

With God, all things are possible. That doesn't mean that our successes will happen overnight. It doesn't mean they will happen on our timetable. I stuggled through a period of adversity, one where I didn't believe I could become who I am today. I had limited myself, and was afraid to step outside who I felt I was. I took a leap of faith though, and I became a leasing agent for a property in Mansfield. On day one I felt unsure of what was an unknown. By weeks end, I wanted to run the office. 5 months later I received that chance and I haven't looked back. My confidence grew, and I saw my new job as a way to help impact my tenant's lives. Each day brings so many possibilities. I think that all too often, we can become jaded and complacent, we blame other's for our failures, and in doing so, we miss the opportunity to grow. I remain thankful for the opportunities I've been given, and incredibly thankful for my start in property management. I was asked today, what do I see myself doing in 5 or 10 years. I can't with full faith, say that I will always be in property management. As a young adult, I worked with developmentally disabled adults, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I would love to do fundraising or become an outreach coordinator to help benefit that population of people. Property management is the field that I do have the most experience in, so in 5 years from now, I can see myself working as a manager in Columbus, Ohio. I would also love to become a motivational speaker. One thing's for sure- whatever I'm doing I want service to be at the heart of it. People can teach you the skills, but you can't be taught true passion. I continue to strive to be the best version of myself, while seeking out knowledge to help further my career. One thing is for sure, I will never forget those people who helped me along the way.