Welcome to Deb’s blog!

Writing Trust: Understanding My Why was a personal endeavor to encourage others to make meaning out of the experiences in their lives. There are unique aspects to my journey, just as everyone else’s journey is unique, but where the uniqueness becomes applicable to all is how we reflect on our experiences to create a better version of ourselves. We tend to think about experiences as big events (i.e. backpacking around Europe in search of meaning), but what I want people to pay closer attention to are the little everyday experiences: a conversation, an observation, a feeling. Reflecting on these everyday experiences provides the clarity to develop self-confidence in our strengths, purpose and values.

I grew up building dreams to become a champion golfer. I knew my experiences with golf were providing me unique opportunities to challenge my understanding of myself. I was learning lessons in real time, but it would be my commitment to reflection that would make golf’s lessons transferable. 

My journey includes tremendous triumphs and devastating set-backs. I needed both to grow. In today’s society we tend to want to prevent negative experiences from happening, but they are our greatest opportunities for growth. Without them we are only a fraction of who we have the potential to become. It is hard to rise up from demoralizing experiences, but the journey to overcome is what makes us great. That is how we learn to be the leaders of our own lives.

At the core of all my evolutions was the impact of another person. Within our scope of interactions, we meet amazing people all the time. And what I stress in Trust: Understanding My Why is that those people emerge in some of the most innocent ways, no flashing neon light. They were all everyday people who were exercising their best self, and I happened to cross their path. This is why leading, to me, is a way of life. It is discovering my best self and sharing it with the world. We all have a gift to give to the world, and this is our gift: our best version of self being shared with other people. Each and every one of you has the power to make the world a better place. Get after it!