Career and life transitions are opportunities to consider who you are today and who you want to become.

We often define ourselves by our skills and knowledge but can’t name our internal strengths and values.

Even people who appear strong on the outside often question if they will succeed in new jobs and roles.

After 16 years climbing corporate ladders, I took the leap to start my business. At the end of a long day arranging my home office, I collapsed on the couch. Looking around, I saw the perfectly beautiful home I owned. I had plaques and pictures on the walls from around the world demonstrating the success I had achieved.

I didn’t feel proud; I just felt numb.

As the sun went down and the room went dark, none of my trophies were visible. Then the words came out of my mouth, “Who are you?” I sat paralyzed for the longest time. I had no answer to the question.

So I decided to go on a vision quest. I bought a big camper trailer and convinced my best friend to spend a month with me exploring some of the beautiful national parks in the West.

We had a wonderful adventure until the last day. I was hiking in a canyon by myself. On the way back, I realized I wasn’t sure I was on the right path. As my heart began to race, my feet sped up to match it. While frantically looking for a familiar ledge or tree, I tripped and fell face down.

I rolled over, looked at the sky, and said, “Got the message. I’m not going to find who I am out here.” I picked myself up and, gratefully, found my way back to my camper.

After returning home and securing enough work to live on, I decided getting another degree might help me find myself. The classes were interesting but it was doing the research for my doctoral dissertation on the challenges smart, strong women face in the workplace that shined the light on my identity........

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