“Align what you do with who you are and you will become what you need to be.” – Jonathan Fields

It starts with Alignment:

Several months ago, I started Live Your Ideals Project with one question. “What would happen if I lived what I truly believed and aligned my life with my core ideals?”

That question became a quest to figure out how to be myself, be truly authentic in this world and has set me on a completely new path.

You know my story.

I am a Renaissance woman. A woman of eclectic talents, varied interests and skills. This has been a source of judgment and angst for me. I often admired and envied people who knew the one thing they were good at and stuck with it.

But doing this blog has set me on a path of self-acceptance, new experiences, deepened faith, a clearer worldview and the  courage to pursue long-held, even discarded and buried dreams.

I discovered that I had been living in compartments. I wrote about this in Integrity – Bringing all of who you are in service to the world.  Yes, I was authentic in each compartment, but I was fragmented. I showed up as different parts of me, depending on where I was.

Earlier this year, I found myself yelling at God, very frustrated because I didn’t know how I was going to integrate all the seemingly contradictory parts of my life. I was tired of fragmenting. I wanted God to send me my people instead of constantly finding myself marginalized because I didn’t fit in.  I needed to do something.

So I did a FLIP.  A Full Life Integration Project.

Belonging and doing a FLIP at Camp GLP:

A few weeks ago, I attended camp GLP (Good Life Project) hosted by Jonathan Fields, whose work has deeply impacted my life.  This was  “a summer camp for makers, entrepreneurs and  world-shakers.” Considering the fact that I had been away from medicine and public health for a few years and my path seemed to headed in a different direction, I needed new tools, strategies and skills to help me thrive in this new world. So, I was excited.

In addition to workshops and career frameworks  from acclaimed experts, the camp ad promised connection, a safe space for authenticity and vulnerability and fun. Right up my alley!

I showed up with one goal – Be myself… Fully, authentically, all of me.

Brene Brown talks about fitting in versus belonging. Fitting in requires changing who you are to be accepted. Belonging means being accepted the way you are. Being at camp GLP was one of the few times in my life I felt like I truly belonged. I didn’t have to fit in.

The perfect place for a FLIP.

Camp GLP was the testing ground for my FLIP.  I came with one question. “What would happen if I showed up fully, as myself?” ALL of me. Not Fragments. Not composites . No edits.

Have you thought about this? What would happen if you brought  all the parts you had fragmented? What would happen if you showed  up fully as yourself? Own your  story? All of it, instead of telling acceptable fragments?

What ensued at camp GLP changed me.

During encounters, workshops and presentations,  I heard my beliefs, my values, my worldviews articulated and echoed over and over. I routinely heard ideas I held dear but had never heard verbalized.

I knew I had found my tribe.

People shared ideas such as living aligned with virtues (you know my take on that!), making time for what’s important,  and mind blowing quotes such as “when you align the essence of who you are,  with deliberate action, with what you believe, you become a beacon, you radiate, people are drawn to you. Deeply embrace who you are.” (Jonathan Fields).

I even heard the term “full life integration”! (Kristopher Carter)

I felt magnetic and electrified. I was surrounded by the most incredibly wise, loving, and fun people… our hearts were open and we connected quite easily in  deep soul-stirring ways. I was bowled over by the belonging and connection I experienced.

I got to connect with people whose work I had followed for a very long time… Jonathan Fields. Jadah Sellner and Jen Hansard of Simple Green Smoothies. I got to personally thank Scott Dinsmore (and his wife, Chelsea), someone I deeply admire and whose Live your Legend blog reconnected me with the positive, fun, idealistic and friendly part of me I had discarded during my medical training.  I also found new experts I loved – Kristopher Carter, Cynthia Morris, John Lee Dumas, Rachel Gogos, Dr. Chris…

I was a member of the Green Team (Go Green!) for the color wars and we were a fierce group of wholehearted warriors who tore apart the competition (at least as I remember it!) with games, tugs-of-war, hula hooping and races.

Authenticity, Wholeness  and Full life integration:

I experienced the full life integration I had been seeking. In all the parts of myself that were disjointed and had to be kept separate, I showed up fully. And I experienced connection and belonging as I authentically showed up and integrated each part. Such as:

Musician: I had spent most of my life running from music. At camp GLP, I ran to the music. I ran to a group of strangers playing music on a porch, immediately became the percussionist and found myself in a new band, Scotty and the Porchettes (Debbie, Greg, Scotty and David, Sherill and Jeffery). We collaborated and over 4 fun challenging hours wrote lyrics to “Camp GLP” to the tune of “Country Roads” which we performed at the talent show.  I also overcame paralyzing fear and played a cover of “Times Like These”.  I also spent a fantastic afternoon jamming in a fun garage band (with Eric, Greg, Jen, Ganesh, Jason, David, Phil, Jason and many others) led by a kindred soul, time bender and meditation maestro,  Kristopher Carter.

Global Citizen – I had deep  Conversations with fellow Third Culture friends such as Carolon and Marsha Shandur about life and belonging, travel and identity. We had bonded over similar experiences including growing up in cultures different from our parents and carving out our own unique identities.

Physician and Public health Advocate – During one of the sessions, I got to share my concern about high Physician suicide rates and  my passion for helping health professionals thrive. I have made it my mission to bring positive psychology coaching and daring way facilitation to physicians and other helping professionals who are either in crisis, or burning out or completely out of alignment with their ideals and living unsustainable lives. Camp GLP was the first time I said this mission publicly.

Positive Psychology Coach – Emiliya was one of my inspirations for getting trained as coach in positive psychology, so seeing her at camp GLP was an unexpected treat! I had fun walking in the rain, listening to Marsha review her storytelling piece in preparation for the talent show and being a safe, positive space for art.   On the ride home with Bill  who was headed to Baltimore,  I got to do what I love most. Bill and I had a terrific time coming up with solutions through my strategic coaching and Daring Way teaching.

Daring Way Facilitator : I am a huge Brene Brown Fan  and I bonded with several people who had read her books and taken her ecourses. I am a certified Daring Way Facilitator and it was wonderful to be around people who believe in this work on vulnerability, connection, wholeheartedness and shame resilience. At the talent show, some of us hung out at the back of the room doing power poses and  writing permission slips.

Humanitarian – I am passionate about service – a core ideal for me.  I spent a fun afternoon Making dream boxes for underprivileged children,  packing gifts and supplies into a shoe box (I decorated it myself!) to be shipped to a child in Chicago.

Jesus Devotee – I really enjoyed connecting with new friends discussions about faith – Carolon, Amy Yvonne, Matt Hilton… As a passionate Christian who dances, meditates, loves laughter yoga and really enjoys connecting with people of diverse religious backgrounds, I felt especially at home at camp GLP.

Working Mother: I really enjoyed talking about balancing work and motherhood with Stephanie Fields and Jamie Johnson.

Friend: Deep Soul connections with Lisa, Ann, Zen, Sherrill, Michel, Greg, Jeffrey, Susan, Marsha…

Your strength is in your FLIP alignment

These experiences are not listed as an exercise in Humble-brag. I have really struggled with reconciling my crunchy granola bohemian, nerdy scientist, truth telling activist, devoted worshiper, hard rocker, international, progressive yet conservative, non-conformist yet community-loving identities and interests.

I listed those experiences as an exercise in Gratitude.

Yes, I have many roles. It has been tough to keep them separate. I have no idea where I will end up.

I have no idea.

I have made a lot of mistakes, and I faced a lot of consequences as a result. Debt. Failure. Pain. Suffering.

But One thing I know – Nothing is wasted. I am very grateful for all of my experiences and I learn from them.

I am not going to pretend to be something I am not. I don’t have all the answers. But I trust that all will be well and I intend keep moving forward.

I choose to be fully aligned with who I am. And I truly believe that because life has purpose,  if I stay aligned with my ideals and fully integrate all that I am with what I do, everything will fall into place.

The other day, as I was writing this post at the local library,  I met a man named Theo. When he heard about this blog post topic, he offered his perspective. He described the different talents, skills and facets of our lives as strands which have to be woven together.

I wholeheartedly agree.

I really believe that bringing all that you are, and fully integrating these roles, gifts, talents and interests by weaving them together makes your life one strong braid.

You can bring the musician, the traveler, the accountant, the physician, the public health worker, the writer, the poet, the global citizen, the mother, the wife, the friend, the activist, the bleeding heart, the gardener, the sculptor, the attorney to one place.

You can weave these strands together to form a good, fulfilling and impactful life.

If you wonder whether there is a place for you, ask yourself if you are bringing all of you. Chances are, you won’t know where you truly belong unless you bring all of you…

So,  this is where I am.  Where are you?

We are on this journey together. So, how do we find our way in this world?

By doing FLIPs.  By living fuller, more integrated lives and as Jonathan Fields says, “by using being ‘lit-up’ as a metric of success.”

So, what are you waiting for? Go on, do a FLIP!

 Cultivating Alignment

1. What parts of yourself are you hiding? How are you playing small?

2. What are you afraid of? What is keeping you fragmented?

3. What do you need? Really? How can you live a more integrated life?

4. Whom can you enlist for a FLIP support?

5. Who needs your support in living a more integrated life? Can you help them?

6. What is remaining fragmented and out of alignment costing you?

7. What action can you take right now to get into alignment with your values? With who you truly are?

WE are strongest when the many strands of our lives are woven together. Instead of using only certain gifts, why not use all? The world needs your light. Shining your light illuminates others and gives them permission to shine theirs. Shine on!

Leave your comments below. See you next week!