As a person who, from birth, has been pretty much wired to seek efficiency in all things I’ve had to hold myself back from jumping in to ‘fix’ situations I felt were in need of order. I was that person who was literally biting her tongue while navigating a wayward checkout line to keep from jumping in to ‘correct’ it. I remember it taking tremendous restraint on my part. I managed to keep my impulses at bay but could never shake the feeling that there was usually a better way to do much of what I saw being done around me.

Not surprisingly, my career found its groove in efficiency-centered work. Get paid to fix things?! It was a no brainer. When I began exploring my interests in urban agriculture and health coaching I thought I was making a huge departure from my previous career. In many ways, it was accurate. On the surface, the two worlds could not be more different. Outside/Inside. Pushing paper/hauling beets. I changed my life!

Well, sort of. In both worlds I serve as a cultivator. In doing so, I work to make ‘it’ better, whether it is a 3 x 40 foot bed of tomatoes or a project plan for a virtual summit. As a cultivator I seek to foster the growth and development of a thing. Recognizing the link between these seemingly disparate talents and passions has been a game changer. I maximize the tools at my disposal by interchanging the knowledge I’ve acquired from both. But larger still, I’ve come to realize my purpose; the goal and mission of my life (corny and yet, aren’t we all trying to figure this out?). And it turns out it is not just about taming chaos, though I excel at it. My purpose is to see through the germination of a seed and/or an idea. There is a quote from Plato, which goes something like this: “Though the land be good, You cannot have an abundant crop without cultivation.” I could not agree more. All the best farms and corner offices need a team with the knowledge, patience, and skills to see it all through. It’s deeply empowering to make these connections. The art it takes to see a thing through. It makes it all grander. Don’t you agree?