Ready, Set, Go! (Special Edition)

by Rafael Badziag

  I said, “Just yesterday I was dreaming about riding a horse.”

  “Did you?” he asked. “Well, hop on up.” Next minute I was riding the horse. Miracle?

  But what about those big, defining moments?

  I’ve always had a great passion to be a performer. Since kindergarten, I enjoyed reading and telling stories to kids, watching their jaws drop in amazement, and dreamt of becoming an actress. After finishing high school at sixteen years old, I defied my grandmother’s wishes, took a plane to Moscow and applied to Russia’s best acting academy. Without any friends or connections in the huge, strange city, I was a face in the crowd of thousands of applicants from across the Soviet Union. But my mind knew I had the power to succeed, and I’d learned not to doubt it.

  After months of competition, I became one of twenty finalists!

  Now I lived in Moscow, the nation’s cultural center, learning the fine art of acting from the best professors our theatrical tradition had to offer. I was performing daily on the best stages in front of thousands and rubbed shoulders and became friends with outstanding creative talents. I even once performed in the Kremlin. It was a fairytale life that started with the power of my mind.

  MY PURPOSE REVEALED

  When one lives life fully, they cannot help but wish to pass that gift on to others.

  A time came when I wanted to bring a baby into the world—a boy or girl didn’t matter—but they would be the best and brightest, a miracle. I married a man that was smart, intelligent, and desirable in many ways.

  With him, I could have a child that would have all these strengths and creative genes in it.

  It was then I learnt that some things cannot be controlled. My beautiful baby boy was born with a rare genetic disease. There was no cure; the doctors predicted four years of life for him in constant physical pain, followed by death.

  I felt the earth burst into fire under my feet. I spent the following year living with my baby in various hospitals, as he was undergoing multiple life-threatening surgeries. In those corridors, I was just another anguished face in the crowd, among many other grief-stricken mothers. The pain and suffering in those halls was immense.

  There were wonderful doctors in Russia, but no medicine or equipment to help my boy. Abandoning my acting career and moving where I could get help was a small price to pay for even a chance to save my boy. Miracles began to happen, and a year later I was settling in New Jersey, with nothing to my name and only some rudimentary English.

  I took odd jobs and cared for the elderly to support my family. It was hard, but I loved being in America. I felt so much compassion and love from everyone. So many Americans helped and welcomed us with open hearts. Of course, my son always attracted good vibrations everywhere we went. He was a funny and happy kid, sending kisses to everybody who asked, and even to those who didn’t.

  American healthcare was able to add five precious years to my son’s life.

  Instead of only four years, he lived nine happy years – all of which I treasure. While I’d tried to prepare for his death, it hit me really hard. I was devastated. My life felt over. I’d also gotten divorced. I was alone. I thought I had nothing to live for anymore.

  It took me time to get back on track, when I finally knew it was time to take action again. I went back to school, immersed myself in computer science and learned programming languages. My mind was set on becoming an independent professional, and I ended up having great jobs at several prestigious US companies, but eventually settling at NYU

  Medical Center to build databases for neuroscience research. I worked there with some of the most inspired and brightest scientists in the world.

  Another dream came true. That’s where I’ve learned a lot about our brain.

  Now that I lived in New York City, it reminded me of my dream of acting, which never faded. I had to pursue it. I worked during the day and rehearsed at night, but roles for Russian-speaking actors were few.

  I needed a different approach, so I began writing for myself and entered the stand-up comedy circle. Soon I became a finalist in a Tristate Stand-Up Comedy Competition. This exposure led to some small roles, mostly in television and movies, and often alongside American greats.

  After taking filmmaking courses at NYU, I also wrote, directed, and produced a short feature that was accepted into the “Short Film Corner”

  at the Cannes Film Festival. Finally, I was offered a speaking role at New York Metropolitan Opera. I resigned from my programming job, which I’ve learned to love, but it was time to move on. And NBC flew me to Chicago for a part in their popular TV series, Chicago Fire .

  Still, I felt there was more for me, and my heart began opening up to new opportunities. I was invited to teach drama and creativity at the prestigious Pushkin Academy in New York City. Being among these energetic and joyful children, who expressed their thoughts and feelings without reservation or judgment, was as educational and inspiring for me as my drama lessons were for them.

  WE ARE THE PRODUCT OF OUR THOUGHTS

  We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts.

  With our thoughts we make the world.

  ~ Buddha

  Heartache and tough lessons are a part of life. Everyday, I know a little bit more about the power of the mind and using it to achieve success and attract opportunities. Embracing the lessons and experiences that rise up through the ashes of despair—much like a Phoenix is reborn—make the difference. People have more inner power than they realize; they just don't know how to open it up. You can start your life over at any time you desire, regardless of your age or circumstances.

  When one lives life fully, one cannot help but pass that gift on to others.

  My son's life, though short, revealed to me the purpose of my own life.

  He gave me infinite amounts of love and joy the best way he could, and passed it on to others too. He taught me unconditional love. That was his life’s purpose and now it is my purpose to carry on.

  Children are usually born with all the right mind powers; they are natural dreamers. They instinctively live like little superheroes until adults step in and suppress that. This can be reversed if adults relearn their powers from children. Some teach these principles through academic books. There is a lot of research done and many good books written on neuroscience, quantum physics, Law of Attraction, Power of the Mind, etc. I’ve learned a lot from these books, my studies and my personal experience. I would like to share my knowledge through visual examples, as well as life stories, activities, and dance.

  We are defined by our thoughts. If you want your life to be a masterpiece, think of your thoughts as the strokes on its canvas. If you don’t like what you paint, you always can start your masterpiece again with a clean canvass.

  What we think – matters! We’re like a radio station. Positive signals generate a positive feedback, while broadcasting misery attracts even more misery.

  The Russian playwright Anton Chekhov penned: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” In English, this concept is known as, “Show, don’t tell!” This inspires my latest project, a production company that makes educational, animated videos introducing children to the Power of their mind and how to utilize the Law of Attraction in a clever, fun way. If children would retain this power and teach adults about it, imagine what our world could become . . .

  About Tatyana

  Tatyana Zbirovskaya was born in the remote Siberian town of Biysk. The child of a poor, broken family, she was brought up by her grandmother. She loved fairy tales and believed early on that she could accomplish anything she set her mind on. At eleven years old, on a whim, she made local news by swimming across the wide, ice-cold river. After finishing high school at sixteen years old, she took a plane to Moscow and applied to one of the Russia’s best acting academies and was accepted out of thousands of applicants. After receiving her Master’s in Arts, she was performing daily on the stages of Moscow's best and m
ost popular theaters in front of thousands. She was welcomed into the nation's artistic and intellectual circles.

  Her meteoric rise ended abruptly with the birth of her son who had a rare, incurable disease. Tatyana gave up her fairytale career and emigrated to the United States in order to give her son the best medical care. A complete nobody in the new world with barely any English, she held odd jobs and cared for the elderly to support her family.

  Her son died at nine years of age.

  Tatyana had to start her life from scratch in New Jersey. She went back to school and learned computer science. A series of great corporate jobs as a programmer allowed her to move to New York City, where she also began to look for acting opportunities.

  Doing stand-up comedy around New York comedy clubs, she became a finalist in a Tristate Stand-Up Comedy competition. With time, she began to receive roles in television and movies and most recently, in the popular NBC series, Chicago Fire.

  She had a speaking part in the opera production, The Nose , by Shostakovich, at the magnificent New York Metropolitan Opera. A short film that she wrote, directed, and produced was accepted to “Short Films Corner” at the Cannes Film Festival. For three years in New York, she taught drama and creativity at the prestigious Pushkin Academy.

  Tatyana believes that her ability to start her life from scratch and always succeed in things she sets her mind on is the result of Power of the Mind and Law of Attraction, which she has learned to appreciate. Willing to share her knowledge and experiences with others, she has started a production company to create educational, animated videos that would teach children and adults about the power they have inside them – the ability to create successful and joyful lives.

  CHAPTER 6

  IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE A CAREER CHANGE

  BY CARA HEILMANN

  It starts with a nagging feeling that something isn’t right. Perhaps your boss said a comment that you can’t let go. Or maybe the company took a direction that left you scratching your head. You’ve lost the excitement, and dread settles on you like a heavy blanket. You wonder if your colleagues can see your new motto, fake it till you make it, written all over your face.

  Maybe you’re meant to do something else—bigger, bolder, and a bit scarier. But the prospect of losing a steady income and benefits keeps you firmly planted in a job that you could do in your sleep. Should you stay or go?

  Does this sound like you? You’re not alone.

  I’ve coached over 100 clients and facilitated career transition support to over 400 job seekers—including executives, consultants, managers, and leaders—all asking for guidance on what might lie ahead, what they’re meant to do. And then, once they peek at what that might be, I’ve helped them combat their fears of loss of income or prestige, or just the unknown.

  Career changes are as varied as snowflakes. But there’s a common thread weaving through the journeys of all my clients, and I’m going to share that thread with you. It all starts with slowing down, plugging in to yourself. Then becoming a scientist to research and experiment. And through it all, surviving the fear and making small and sometimes big changes in your career.

  GLIMMERS

  I’ve stopped asking young children, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” It sets the wrong expectation. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 27 percent of college graduates get a job related to their major. And researchers estimate that people change careers between one and three times before retirement. Because of this, many career assessments aren’t helpful—they rely on what you are good at and omit what you want to do. In fact, I took an interest assessment that told me I should consider a career in human resources. The problem was, I was already a human resources executive—a dispirited cheerleader ready to sit out the next game.

  Instead of falling back on the standard assessments, I encourage my clients to look through a keyhole to find the sparkles in life—whether at work, home, or play. Such glimmers of fullness give hints to what makes us smile and feel alive—what leaves us feeling valued, accomplished, brilliant.

  This is where I believe life coaches are invaluable: we’re trained to draw out stories reminding you of times when you were so very in love with your job. When you felt on top of the world. When you’d go home and tell your friends and loved ones about your amazing day. It could be a brilliant presentation. Gratitude from a colleague for making a difference. An excited email from a client. These moments connected you to something bigger—they are windows into what lights you up.

  A client, a registered nurse in the military who was making the transition to the civilian world, was struggling to articulate his career achievements.

  When I asked about times that made him feel alive, he replied, “I set up the medical facility at a new military outpost.” He shared a remarkable story: he’d estimated the number of patients that would come through the doors, projected their different ailments, determined the types of providers needed and equipment required, and then set it all in motion.

  At the end of six months, he orchestrated a massive effort that resulted in delivering exceptional care to hundreds at this location.

  “Do you know how amazing this is?” I said. “CEOs of healthcare companies do not have this experience.”

  “I was just following my CO’s orders,” he replied. But after sitting with that moment of feeling alive, he decided to focus his civilian career on healthcare project management.

  When have you felt completely alive? What was a moment that ignited your soul? That glimmer is the trailhead of an untraveled road, and just around the bend the path begins to clear. Over time, with more exposure, the vision is revealed.

  Not sure what the glimmer is? Here are a few exercises to help you.

  CLEAR YOUR MIND TO FIND YOUR GLIMMERS

  Every runner knows—and feels—the mind-clearing effects of running.

  A study published in 2014 at the University of Florida showed increased activity in the brain’s frontal lobe after a relatively short period of acute aerobic activity, along with improved cognitive functioning: clear thinking, planning, goal-setting, concentration, and time management.

  Many runners say they solve problems while in motion.

  Running not your thing? Similar acute aerobic activity, like thirty to forty minutes of a vigorous workout that makes you sweat, provides the same mind-clearing effects. Jump on the stationary bike, go for a brisk walk or a swim, lift weights, or do other muscle-strengthening activities of moderate to high intensity levels that meet your abilities: the main goal is to get that heart rate pumping.

  Then sit in your favorite spot, relax, and grab your journal, notepad, tablet, or laptop. Jot down your thoughts to these questions:

  • Looking back at your career, where were you when you felt the most alive? What were you doing? Who was around you? What was your impact on them?

  • If you created a billboard that ten thousand people passed every day, what would it say or show? What values have you honored?

  • In your last role, what are successes that your company valued? What are successes that you valued?

  • If you could do anything, what would that look like?

  • Think about what excites you most. What would need to be here, right now, to have that aliveness in your life?

  This journaling may take several sittings. Do you need more space to reflect? Go on a retreat—a period of quiet reflection in a safe environment.

  This could be a garden, a beach, a park bench. Or, if you have the time and resources, you can spend a day or more at a nearby retreat center.

  A former colleague calls this sitting on the rock : giving yourself breathing room to reflect, think, ponder, and plan. When you are done sitting on the rock, read over your answers. Ask yourself, what are the common threads?

  Once you’ve identified a glimmer, see what about it is right for you.

  Experiment with different roles and immerse yourself in the glimmer.

  TRY
THE GLIMMER ON FOR SIZE

  A client convinced that working for a nonprofit was a glimmer. Her coach recommended that she spend a day or two at a nonprofit conference talking to people in the field. Upon her return, she said she’d connected with incredible people doing incredible things. And had a surprising epiphany—she left with the certainty that she didn’t want to work for a small community nonprofit because of the intense focus on fundraising.

  She then turned to social enterprises working in areas of great interest to her.

  Here are a few ways you can try something on before you make a commitment to leave your current employment situation:

  • Rewrite your résumé as if you were applying for a position touching on your glimmer.

  • Attend a conference, and ask participants what they love and dislike about the field.

  • Find a professional association that has regular meetings, and ask to be a guest.

  • Locate an employee at a company you’d like to work for, and ask them out to lunch to chat about their experience.

  • Find someone who is doing the type of work you wish to do, and request a short telephone appointment to learn more about their job.

  • Reach out to an entrepreneur in your targeted role or industry. Ask them how they decided to open their business and if they have any regrets. Write a business plan as if you were to open a similar company.

  • Take a class or read an industry journal to learn more about the field.

  • Research job postings with tasks that seem to touch on your glimmer.

  • Take a temporary job or side gig in the targeted role, industry, or company.