I entered into #birthwork the same way I did #healthcoaching, with a desire to reclaim my health and my body without prescription drugs or surgery, to heal the generational wounds of slavery, oppression, and patriarchy, to imagineer and create a life by my design. But I didn’t know this at the time I enrolled at IIN/@nutritionschool. In 2004, I just wanted to feel better. I wanted to stop having life happen to me and make life happen. Choosing something different for yourself, something you’ve never been modeled is hard. A lot of times it’s lonely. There were many days I wanted to give up. But as I was going through the program, meeting new people and building community around the life I wanted to live, the experience grounded me and gave me a sense of purpose. My 20-year HS reunion (#BrooklynTech) was this past weekend and while I didn’t go #BecauseParadise, I was reminded of the two things they have in common: 1) There’s no other experience like it and 2), You can’t go anywhere without running into a graduate or someone who knows a graduate. Community offers a powerful tool for growth and healing. Whenever I’m feeling a way, I can scroll through my social feeds and see what my classmates are up to, reach out to them, or dip into a group and ask for support. When it starts to feel like you’re alone in your journey, tap into your community. Surround yourself with the people who are at the level you aspire to, who will remind you to be accountable to yourself. I didn’t appreciate Brooklyn Tech when I was there, but I now see how integral it was to my development. IIN was the springboard that showed me how to make money and impact on my own terms. Together, they are gifts that keep on giving. #gratitude #bths #bthsalumni #iinhealthcoach #areyouiin #iinhealthcoach #doula #birthworker