Sometimes you feel something deep within yourself before you can fully explain it logically.

Or, as we say in the South, you feel it in your gut.

I know, without a doubt, that the work I’m doing today as a coach, public speaker, and writer is work I’m meant to do. When I’m helping people navigate change, resilience, personal growth, leadership, or reinvention, I feel aligned in a way that’s difficult to fully describe.

It comes from a place of purpose, gratitude, and service.

But I wasn’t always this clear about it.

Honestly, it took me more than 30 years to fully recognize and embrace the work I felt called toward.

And that’s okay.

Looking back, I can see now that I was already doing elements of this work throughout my professional career and personal life long before I gave it formal language.

I’ve always been someone who naturally showed up to help others.

Whether through leadership, mentoring, volunteer work, coaching conversations, or simply being present for family and friends, that thread was always there.

The difference now is awareness.

I can finally see the pattern clearly.

And I’ve learned to trust the intuition behind it.

Intuition is an interesting thing.

Sometimes it speaks loudly.

Other times, you only hear it when you slow down enough to listen.

There have been seasons in my life where I felt disconnected from that inner voice entirely. Even now, I still have moments where I need to pause, reflect, and reconnect with myself to determine whether I’m still aligned with the path I’m on.

Because intuition alone was never enough for me.

Part of me needed structure.
Frameworks.
Evidence.
Language.
A logical foundation for what I felt internally.

I needed a way to bring the vision to life in a practical and meaningful way.

That’s where science entered the story.

I’ve shared before that around 2006, I began a professional journey that fundamentally shifted the direction of my life and work.

During a consulting engagement, I was introduced to the world of industrial and organizational psychology and the science behind organizational change.

That experience sparked something in me.

It awakened my curiosity.

I became fascinated by the psychology of human behavior, leadership, change, resilience, well-being, and performance.

And while some people argue that organizations themselves do not change, people do, I  found myself deeply drawn to understanding how people adapt, grow, lead, heal, and evolve through challenge and uncertainty.

That curiosity eventually led me deeper into positive psychology and the science of well-being.

Along the way, I had opportunities to learn from remarkable leaders, researchers, practitioners, and mentors. I volunteered on well-being initiatives within organizations, participated in science-based programs, and later pursued both undergraduate and graduate studies grounded in positive psychology and the science of well-being.

I also had the opportunity to serve as a research assistant with the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, working alongside people deeply committed to understanding what helps human beings thrive.

And slowly, something became clear to me:

Science gave structure to what my soul already knew.

The research, theories, and practical experience helped me understand how the work I felt called toward could create meaningful impact in the world.

Science gave me tools.
Logic gave me language.
Experience gave me wisdom.
And intuition gave me direction.

To me, both matter deeply.

I continue learning through research, coaching, leadership development, psychology, and lived experience.

But I also intentionally pause to reconnect with intuition and ask myself important questions:

Am I still aligned?
Does this still feel meaningful?
Am I building something authentic?
Am I serving people in the way I’m meant to?

That balance matters.

Because the strongest leadership, coaching, and personal growth work often happens when science and soul are integrated—not separated.

One important lesson I’ve learned is this:

Sometimes we place too much pressure on one career or one job to fulfill every part of our purpose.

But life is often more layered than that.

Sometimes elements of your purpose show up through your profession.
Other elements emerge through volunteer work, creative projects, relationships, mentorship, advocacy, faith, service, or personal experiences.

Purpose is not always one perfect title.

Sometimes it’s a collection of experiences that together create meaning.

That’s why curiosity matters.

Be open to the different ways your science and soul may connect throughout your life.

Many coaches, leaders, and helpers try to support others in bridging this same gap between logic and intuition.

And I believe both are necessary.

We all feel certain things deeply:

A calling.
A dream.
A direction we cannot fully explain yet.

And often, the work is learning how to connect what we feel internally with the practical tools, knowledge, and structure needed to bring it to life.

That integration can change everything.

Because when science and soul begin working together, we stop feeling divided within ourselves.

We begin building lives that feel both meaningful and grounded.

What is something you feel deeply called toward—but may not have fully trusted yet?

And what would happen if you allowed both intuition and logic to help guide the next chapter of your life?

Sometimes the soul recognizes the direction before the mind can explain it.

And sometimes science and structure help turn that inner knowing into reality.

Be open to both.

Because as always:

Your Story Matters.