At this stage in my life, I view my primary work as discovering my true purpose. I have been working in sustainability, specifically within the fashion and textiles industry, but as of late, I have been conflicted about continuing that work as progress has been slow, and there are still these large systemic issues that must be addressed for meaningful progress to occur. That has led me to do a bit of soul searching and inquiry into what is the best use of my time and how it can be used to make the most difference. I have decided that I don't want to abandon the industry that I know and, in some ways, love, but instead, to focus my time and energy doing work that will help contribute to the paradigm shift we so desperately need. In other words, what I view as my work at this time is to understand how to take the lessons learned in this course and apply them in my work and help others understand and adopt them.

For the last year, I have been working as a freelance consultant, helping companies in the fashion and textile industry lessen their impact on people and the planet. I would like to continue working in this capacity, but really focus more wholly on helping companies adopt a living systems framework to enable regeneration. My aim is to become a resource for the industry towards adopting a more holistic view of regeneration, going beyond how it is currently understood from the limited view of regenerative agriculture and regenerative design.

On a more personal level, I am also interested in contributing to a greater culture shift where people can rediscover our deep connection with each other and the environment. I hope to achieve this through writing and the creation of communication materials.

I may have already, more or less, answered this above, but one of my main goals in order to achieve the above is to do the work. I hope throughout this course, I am enabled to truly embody what is taught so I can go on to help others do the same. I feel called to this work and want it to become central to my worldview and professional life.

There are a few themes that come to mind here. One, I would like to feel more confident. I think I have, in many ways, not followed a conventional life path, and while I do not regret this, sometimes it makes me feel like an outcast. What I would like, though, is to be able to celebrate this as opposed to feeling embarrassed by it.

Another thing that I am currently focusing on is connecting more with people, whether that be with friends, family, or with my wider community. In the past, it has been easy for me to be a little solitary and make excuses (mostly related to work responsibilities) not to socialize. Lately, however, even as someone who can be a little shy and introverted, I have come to realize what an energetic boost I get from being with others. As such I would like to invest more intentionally in my relationships.

As alluded to above, I would like to become a go-to resource on the topics of regeneration and a living systems framework for my industry. I want to understand how these topics can be adopted by companies, and I would like to understand how I can help facilitate that.

I am a perpetual learner and a serial course taker. I read a lot and am deeply invested in personal as well as professional development. Now, I am aiming to go deeper and hone the skills to take me to the next level of my career and personal growth.

The fields of learning that have greatly influenced me are systems thinking, ecology, economy, anthropology, sociology, history, and public health. Fritjof Capra is a thinker who has greatly influenced my worldview. Other important thinkers include Donealla Meadows, James Lovelock, Peter Senge, Michael Pollan, David Suzuki, Jared Diamond, and more recently, Carol Sanford and Simon and Maria Robinson. The practices of yoga and Buddhism have also influenced me deeply.

I believe in the deep connection of all life, and I try to honor and respect that understanding in everything I do. I think humans are an integral part of that web, but that society and the dominant culture have made us forget that fact.