Do you believe in fate? Do you believe that there is a purpose for your life? I have no doubt that each of us were put on this earth for a reason. I do not believe in coincidence.

I believe that I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this moment in time. Call it my life’s purpose or God’s will.

I moved home to Las Vegas in 2007. A ripple of circumstances resulted in my brother texting me about a job in Las Vegas. I had a trip home scheduled, so I followed up on the job, scheduled an interview, and I got it (the job).

Picking up and moving home wasn’t as simple as it seemed. I absolutely loved working for Hyatt Hotels in their Chicago corporate office. I had an amazing boss, I enjoyed the work, and I loved Chicago. It was a very difficult decision to make.

How do you make big decisions? I’m not talking about what to eat for dinner or what movie to see. Do you have a process for handling the big life-changing decisions? I use pros and cons and I pray a lot.

The decision to move home to Las Vegas seemed like a no-brainer to my family. Why wouldn’t I want to move home? For starters… I had a very good job in Chicago. Why fix something that isn’t broken? But, my entire family lived in Las Vegas, with the exception of one sister who was also a Vegas-defector. I had been gone for 22 years and I had missed a lot of family time.

The job in Vegas was a corporate position working for a large gaming company. The role was a perfect match for my background and experience. The pay was okay, not an increase, and the relocation package was adequate. My concern was the condo I would have to sell. The financial impact of the move is what worried me the most. But, the job would bring me home.

As I was assessing the job offer, writing my list of pros and cons, and praying… I came across a page in a prayer book I used for inspiration. The message on the page answered my prayers. It said, in so many words: Do not worry about money. God will provide everything you need.
I have faith in God which is why I was able to read the message on that page, take the job and launch the domino effect of that decision on my life.

The week after I arrived in Vegas my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. (She survived and is cancer free now.) How’s that for synchronicity?

Here’s my strategy for making BIG life-changing decisions:

• Create a list of pros and cons
• Determine which pros and cons are deal breakers
• Assess how the decision aligns with your dreams, desires and aspirations
• Pray about it until God finds a way to give you a nudge in one direction
• What risks have you taken in life? Do you follow your gut, your intuition, God’s encouragement, or whomever you refer to as your higher power? Do you have regrets?

Once I make a decision I do not look back. I do not revisit the decision and consider the what ifs. I do not spend time looking in the rear-view mirror of my life. There is NO benefit to having regrets.

Taking the job in Las Vegas eventually resulted in me leaving corporate America. I often joke that I no longer have a soul-sucking corporate job. I traded my pumps for sneakers and spent nearly a decade in the wellness and fitness industry. I was a personal trainer (I still have a few clients), a group fitness instructor, and a Wellness Coach. I’m now enjoying my new career as a professional speaker and coach.

To be completely opaque, I was fired from that gaming company corporate job. They gave me no reason for “not extending” my contract. As I walked into my boss’s office early on a Thursday morning in October I knew exactly what was about to transpire. The head of human resources sitting adjacent to my boss was the only hint I needed. I had been on the other side of that conversation too many times.

Have you ever had this experience? The worst day of your life was the best day of your life?

I was running on empty. I was disgruntled with my job. You would not have known it by my performance and I certainly did not share how I felt with my team, but I was not happy.

They had brought in a “new guy” as a VP above me. No one was given an opportunity to apply for the position, it had not been posted. He simply arrived one day, and I was his only direct report. Within a month of him being in the position, I was sure about one thing, I would not be working for him when my contract expired. One of us had to go. Apparently, it was me. You know what they say… “Be careful what you wish for.”

The irony of that morning, was that the gas light flicked on in my car as I pulled into the parking lot. I was literally running on empty. It was the best day of my life. I stopped at the gas station on my way home and filled up my gas tank.

I believe it’s no coincidence that I moved to Las Vegas, only to lose my job. I believe it was part of my journey of fulfilling my life’s purpose. God’s will, if I may.

Here’s my strategy for moving through and past life’s obstacles:

• Accept the situation, morn a little, but prepare to move on swiftly
• Look for the silver lining, the blessings in the experience
• Don’t dwell on the past, do not think about the what ifs
• Consider your options
• Pray, seeking clarity and direction

There are no coincidences. Every experience, failure, and obstacle we face happens for a reason. I do not squander the opportunities I am given for a course correction.

Are you willing to consider there are no coincidences? Are you able to put your faith in God or your higher power and embrace all of life’s experiences, failures, and obstacles as opportunities to fulfill your life’s purpose?

Synchronicity: the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.

I would have never expected a text from my brother in the fall of 2006, asking if I was still looking for a job, would have completely changed the trajectory of my career and life.

Was it a coincidence that I was heading home just in time to interview for the job in Las Vegas? Was it a coincidence that within one week of me moving home, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer? Is it a coincidence that I lost my job and I’m now doing work that is aligned with my dreams, desires and aspirations? I think not!

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of CHOICES Magazine