INGRID'S STORY

I believe something shifts for adults as we reach our 40s and 50s. We’ve all heard the term “midlife crisis”, but it’s not a crisis at all - it’s a huge opportunity! A chance to take all of that lived experience and transform it into the next version of ourselves. For some, that means a renewed focus on external activities such as travel, sports, or hobbies. For others, it manifests as a deep dive into our inner world.

 

As you may have guessed, I dove into the inner world.

 

Back in my 20s and 30s, I enjoyed a successful career as a CPA, working in Geneva, London and Vancouver. I’d been an entrepreneur and I even got to walk the red carpet at Cannes. I’d travelled much of the world and felt the full freedom and potential of a young, bright, privileged woman. 

 

However, while I loved my career, from time to time I had this feeling there was another purpose to fulfill in my life. It happened during little moments, like considering a switch in university from the Commerce program to Education. Or almost ditching my finance career to become a Divemaster while backpacking through Australia. I’d see people doing cool stuff, and I’d think, “I want to do that!”

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Yet I continued along my finance careerpath and ignored those thoughts. 

 

However, a fast sequence of traumatic events in 2006 changed my trajectory. I learned the hard way that we can be blindsided by events beyond our control. My world blew up. I’ll spare you the details, but it was not fun.

 

As we all do when gripped by fear, I began to play it safe in every aspect of life. The thing about playing it safe is that you stop growing. At least I did, for a while.