One year ago, on February 23rd, 2014, I finally mustered up the courage to wake up before sunrise in the bitter cold and cab it to Central Park. The next forty minutes I spent there ended up being the most gratifying forty minutes I have ever spent in my entire life.

I finally had an inkling of something I was passionate about. I am the type of person that thinks that everything is interesting and never sticks to anything. I guess it should be no surprise for the people that know me well why I have 3 degrees; my Bachelors in General Management, my Masters in Finance, and my Masters in Accounting.

As I sat on this bench I asked myself, “What truly makes me happy?” I noticed that I was going about life all wrong. I was chasing money and then praying everything in life would get better through money. I kept regretting the past and kept looking towards the future, yet never once acknowledged the present. That day, I told myself to focus on what brings me the greatest amount of joy regardless of what the current circumstances are or what they may become.

About halfway into my meditation, I realized that there was no greater joy than helping those in need. Then I recognized that I have no idea what to give or how I would even go about helping those in need. Cue in the American Flag. I thought “What if I could give back to homeless people?” I know I would have no problem sheltering them for a week, grooming them, helping them apply for jobs, and providing them emotional support. I promised myself I wouldn’t expect anything in return. I learned that holding expectations can be crippling because if my version of success was not met, I would feel as though I failed even if the one I helped has made significant progress.

Throughout the entire morning, I kept thinking of how I could give back. As the afternoon approached, I suddenly had a shift in consciousness. This was exactly what I was looking for! I asked myself, “How did I conscientiously get to where I am today?” Then I remembered going through a series of progressions over the last couple of years that led to my heightened self-awareness.

One of the main catalysts that led me to my heightened sense of self-awareness was the completion of the P90X program with my best friend from elementary school. In the past, I typically did not end up finishing what I committed to, however, I made up my mind that I was going to finish P90X and see how I would feel. I started at 170.0 lbs and dropped down to 135.8 lbs in 90 days and that feeling of accomplishment was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before! One of the main workouts in P90X, that specifically brought me pride, was Yoga X.

Let me be the first one to admit that Yoga X was a nightmare. I asked myself repeatedly “How can anyone do this without going insane?” However, I put my ego aside and kept focusing on improving my posture and breathing instead of regretting doing this unbearable 90-minute exercise. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th time I made progress but I still despised doing it. However, from the 6th time onwards I looked forward to it because it helped me relax, center myself, and just be at ease.

Yoga resulted in one of my very first shifts in consciousness. During this time of self-reflection in February, I was also actively meditating. I recognized that as challenging as yoga was mentally, meditation was much more challenging. However, just like yoga, meditation kept me relaxed, grounded, and at peace.

Then it dawned upon me that most people’s quest for happiness usually goes unfulfilled because they are searching for it in the wrong places. As these thoughts were flooding into my head, I thought “Why not open an establishment where people can go through a series of progressions?” These progressions may result in a shift in consciousness that allows people to live a more fulfilling life.

Over the last 365 days: I moved from my beloved New York City to the more free-spirited Austin Texas, formulated a name with my current roommate for our company, finalized the logo and the symbol, incorporated it, trademarked it, ordered t-shirts, distributed business cards, finalized brochures, hired employees, launched the website, booked the first promotional event, pitched the idea to many people, passed out surveys and obtained my Certified Personal Training license.

Currently, I am in the process of obtaining my Registered Yoga Teacher certification, finalizing the business plan, booking my Meditation Teacher Training certification, and meeting with realtors regarding the location of the establishment.

Today I am earning the least amount of money I have ever earned, yet am the happiest I have ever been. My family and friends noticed my shift from negativity to positivity and are behind me 1000%. For once, I found something that I am truly passionate about and the amount of happiness it has yielded is ineffable. Those forty minutes were all I needed to ponder what I could do to live a more meaningful life and it was as simple as giving back all my love to the world. My love is all I have to offer and all I can offer.