10 careers to find my passion

Good morning world!

It’s 7am and I just completed day two of my 30-day manifestation challenge. I like to give myself small challenges when things are getting too difficult or I’m overwhelmed with tasks. Meditation, yoga and exercise have always helped me naturally tame my anxiety.

I even recently picked up a dog walking job. Not only am I helping out a client, I’m getting extra walks in. After cooking a meal for my husband, I presented the plate saying, “here is your dinner from Chef Angel, the personal trainer/dog walker/entrepreneur.”

It got me thinking about all the other “slashes”. When I was in high school, I always wanted to become a lawyer. I always stood up for people who were in need. I loved CSI, Law & Order and Judge Duty. I also never stood down from an argument, have always been stubborn and enjoyed the research to build a case.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t win the argument against my family. The first two weeks into my senior year, my stepfather forced me to dropout of high school. I was absolutely devastated and traumatized. No matter what I did or said, he had his mind made up and he gave me two ultimatums; pick a career or work for him.

So, I selected hairdressing on a whim. I enrolled for the course as well as business and commerce as a backup, because I was young and trying to make a big decision. I loved it at first, especially the freedom that came with being an adult. That’s where I learned to make the most of any situation. Hairdressing lasted two years before the salon closed down. I bounced from salon to salon only finding weekend jobs. It wasn’t my passion, so I started looking something else.

I applied to any job that I could find. I ended up working in a kebab shop in the city, which I hated so much! Then, I got a job working at a supermarket in the fruit and veggie section. That’s why I know my produce, ha! The supermarket was open all hours of the night and that gave me even more freedom. My plan this whole time was to be independent. Being independent is not an option in the Turkish community. You get married and live your life with your husband. Things have gotten better over the years, but that’s what it was like for me back then.

After bouncing from career to career, my parents caught on to my plan and had me take over the admin side of their business. I signed up to a college and did a short course whilst working. I loved working on a computer, but I hated answering the phone. This is where I learnt to get good at the things I dreaded the most. There was nobody else to answer the phone, so in a short time I was scheduling meetings, running marketing campaigns and in charge of accounts and payroll.

I wasn’t happy, but I did what was expected of me and made everyone else happy. After five years of doing that and being depressed, suffering from anxiety, I finally built up the courage to voice my concerns. I reached out to a friend who got me my first retail job. This job actually helped me find myself. It was challenging, vibrant and I was surrounded by girls in my age group. I LOVED this job. My life changed from here on out.

I went from working in retail in Sydney to managing a retail store across the country. I was making money and surviving, but I was nowhere near happy, so I moved again. I packed my life into a car and drove cross-country again, but this time on my own terms. I had enough money to check in to a cabin for a week. As I was checking in and giving my last bit of cash to the receptionist, I noticed the park manager was on her way to clean the amenities. I asked her if she needed help. She was an older greek lady that was extremely rude to everyone, but had a heart of gold. I will never forget her, because she saved me. I helped her clean the amenities and after we finished, she told me that if I did this for her 2x/day, I could live in the cabin for free. I quickly got promoted to working in the office. After six months, I saved enough money to move out and get my own place. Things were starting to look up for me. I was an independent Turkish girl living on her own in paradise. I was very happy; it was all I ever wanted.

I then did the one thing that I had always wanted to do; backpack around Europe for two months all on my own. Yes, you can say I found myself. When I returned, I got an excellent job offer to become a full-time nanny for two children, which gave me so much more time to do the things I loved, like going to the beach and working out and going on vacation.

So how did I become a trainer? The gym was the only place I could go and be free, and I was in control. The gym made me feel good. Throughout all of this, the only thing that was consistent was my workouts. I joined bootcamps, went to classes, and did yoga. Being active not only helped with my anxiety, but I felt so alive!

Along my training and travels, I stumbled across calisthenics. My friend was a calisthenics athlete and the way he lived had me in awe. He ate well all the time, but still enjoyed pizza and good food. He worked out even when we were on vacation, but also had fun. I was so inspired by his energy. It was infectious. He helped me a lot with my diet and before I knew it, I was hooked into this lifestyle. I had so many battles with my own weight, that I was ecstatic that I finally figured out a way to not only get in shape, but stay in shape and also enjoy my life.

Sadly and tragically, he passed away, which brought

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me to the United States to honor his legacy with his girlfriend. They had the tripped booked and were saving for it and I didn’t want her to do it on her own. We decided we would do everything he would do if he was alive, like networking with the beautiful people of the calisthenics community, working out everyday and eating a balanced diet. I was in the best shape of my life!

When I went back to Australia, I decided to get serious about my passion. I wanted to help others and impact lives the way mine was. My first step was to get a job at a gym selling memberships, whilst taking my personal training certification. I studied till 2am and was back up at 4am to beat traffic and hit the gym before my shift at 9am. I hired a trainer who later became my mentor, and I started training people on the weekends for practice. I spent my time in traffic listening to podcasts. I was obsessed and invested in this 100%.

Nothing makes me happier than hearing my clients tell me how I’ve helped them or inspired them to lead a healthier lifestyle. This job is truly my calling and I feel like the luckiest person in the world that I get to work in a field that I’m passionate about. I used to make up excuses for the way my life was before, and now I can say I’m an inspiration.

This was extremely difficult for me to share and my only hope is that I inspire someone else to chase their dreams and go after their goals. We only have one life, so make the most of it!

Thank you for reading!