Jeff Koziatek, CoreAuthenticity.com, Peak Performance Coach
For years I juggled. I entertained and spread laughter. Through live performances ,managing events, and creating video and theatre projects, I challenged perspectives, lifted people up, and brought people together. I worked as hard as I could until I realized my profession as a juggler was the perfect symbol for what I was doing with my life as a whole.
When I entered my forties, I was constantly on the road, working faster, juggling more, and falling behind. I was consumed by my performance and defined success as a jam-packed calendar. My marriage was suffering, my health was suffering, and I felt no matter how many balls I threw in the air, it was never enough.
It was only a matter of time before everything would hit the floor. I valued what I did (my performance), not who I was (the performer). When I hit my breaking point, I was married with kids and trying to run three businesses by myself. My calendar boasted 300+ shows annually, dozens of photography and video projects, plus an additional 40 hours of weekly office work.
I was spinning all the plates, juggling all the balls, giving everything I had, and STILL coming up short. Survival became the daily routine as plates began to fall and balls began to drop. I was struggling, exhausted, at the end of my rope, and desperate for another way. In that place, I began to shift my identity from performance to performer, from behavior to human being. I discovered the power and freedom of personal worth, redefined success, and a new journey began–one of health, prosperity, and balance. Today I am making less mistakes, my life is richer, I am experiencing new levels of peace and joy, I am more present in my relationships, and it’s getting better everyday.