We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elisa Robyn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elisa below.
Elisa, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I have found that life’s purpose is an evolutionary process. Doors open as I stay open to possibility. Often uncertainty leads to a reexamination of our journey. And from that, we become aware of a new path before us. Our purpose when we were young, might, for some people, However, for most of my clients and myself, my understanding of purpose deepens with time. Today, my purpose might be to smile at someone, to see a need, and know that it is “mine to do” in this moment. On another day, it might be to use my skills and talents to lead. So I find my purpose opening before me as I stay present in my life. As I grow and acquire skills. As the world changes around me.
One of the tools I use is evolutionary astrology. This shows what our soul craves in this lifetime. However, it does not predict how we will follow that craving, or what ways I might develop it. One can be a doctor or a plumber and change lives.
On my eclectic journey, I have found my purpose often hidden in the shadows, meeting me on the road when I stood up for an injustice in my path. I have found that some small acts were more powerful and meaningful than anything I did in a leadership situation. And this continues to unfold before me.
So, how did I find my purpose? I am finding it daily in many ways and places.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At this point in my very eclectic career, I am an author, speaker, consultant, and mentor. I write a regular blog commenting on life with a spiritual focus, and at times a bit of humor. I have two novels that are spiritual romantic adventures that deal with healing ancestrial wounds. My over 25 years of experience as an academic dean supports my work as a consultant in higher education, as well as non-profit boards. And, as a trained astrologer ( this is how I paid for my PhD) I combine all my skills and knowledge to help individuals find a way to embrace their complex life journey.
I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Geology, a second master’s degree in Jewish Studies, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. I am a board chair for a non-profit nursing home and a trustee on the Colorado Wyoming MS board. I am available for one-on-one sessions via Zoom, as well as speaking at events.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three skills that continue to save me in this life are my sense of humor, and ability to shift and adapt, and my willingness to learn from other people and situations. Once I can laugh at a situation, I know I have grown from it and released any anger or resentment.
Life continually changes around us, and we all need to remember that moving into the future requires us to adapt. We cannot succeed by pretending and dreaming that the past will return. It will not. Things never go back to “normal” since that normal existed in the past. It is the resistance to change that creates a sense of crisis in our lives, Not the change itself.
Finally, every experience provides us with a learning opportunity. We can choose to learn from life or choose to shut our minds. We can embrace a growth mindset and find excitement and joy in the world around us, or stay in a fixed mindset and refuse to see the options around us. The choice is ours.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I am a voracious reader, so picking one book is almost impossible. So many books have helped me shift and grow and learn. So many have helped me laugh and think and grow. Yes, Viktor Frankl’s book was transformational and allowed me to truly understand grief, pain, and perspective. However, there are beautiful lines in songs that have also helped me. Philosophers like Gordon Lightfoot, Jimmy Buffet, and Paul Simon have supported me in dark times. The novels of Louise Penny and Jane Haddam exposed me to new ways of thinking and analyzing. And the book “On the Loose” goes with me on every camping trip.
My advice? Read, read, and read some more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elisarobyn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisarobyn8131/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robyn.robyn.94651
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisarobyn/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4NlxERUmPGQLJo_Q7htMjQ
