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 My
original career goal was to "Feed the World."
I first heard about the Green Revolution when I was in college,
and was appalled that it was not taught in every high school
curriculum in the country. This combination of fertilizers,
herbicides, and pesticides, coupled with advances in agricultural
genetics, had dramatically increased food production in
some developing countries and held great promise of being
able to end starvation and malnutrition within the foreseeable
future. Why wasn't everyone talking about it, I wondered.
I was afire with enthusiasm. I decided to become a plant
breeder because I believed this was the most environmentally
wise way to make further progress.
After nearly 10 years in the field, including earning my
doctorate in plant breeding, I realized that I needed to
put some focus on my personal development. One day, I prayed
to become a truly compassionate person, and in a dramatic
moment of inspiration I said I was willing to give up anything
that stood in the way of that goal. Within the year, I had
left my career because of increasing allergies to the plants
I was working with and moved to the East Coast -- not knowing
what the future held.
Over the next 14 years, I did a number of things, but mainly
academic administration. In my new life, I was able to devote
a great deal of time to my own growth. I was exposed for
the first time to life-changing ideas: "My beliefs create
my reality." "We are One." "Anything is possible." I focused
on experimenting with following my intuition more boldly.
I saw that "feeding the world" could have both literal and
figurative meanings.
Two years ago, I realized that coaching would allow the
perfect blending of my desire to be of service with my analytical
and intuitive abilities. Everything I learned through training
as a scientist, and various employment and personal growth
opportunities, is brought to bear in helping my clients
integrate their left and right brains; their practicality
and their vision.
One of my favorite quotes is from Rumi. "Let the beauty
we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel
and kiss the ground." I see that there are likewise hundreds
of ways to feed the world. Coaching is my way.
Contact Jane at gerloff@breakthroughcoaching.com,
or visit her website at www.breakthroughcoaching.com.
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