What is my “why” is the topic I chose to blog about today. That is a loaded question that I needed to give a lot of thought to. What is my WHY?

Well, my why to exercise and implement good nutrition into my life is to keep my mind clear and focused and to take care of the temple that lets me wake up every morning. It gives me the ability to get out of bed, and lets me enjoy the sunrise.

My why for trying to live the best life I know how to is my beautiful girls. They are the most precious gifts from God. They are the reason I love my life and am so incredibly grateful to have been blessed by their grace.

My why for becoming a nurse was to care for others. I have graciously accepted the job to be at their side, to hold their hand in death and in healing. My why is to hug their families in sadness and rejoice, and to be that person who helped in their recovery. I was privileged to be a part of many births as well as many deaths and would not change a single thing. Being a nurse gave me the ability to appreciate my life and to be grateful for my health and the health of those who surround me.

My why for volunteering and working for shelters was to help the less fortunate. This made me truly appreciate the life I have, open my eyes to desperation and heartache and keep me humble. These experiences helped me understand struggles faced from addictions as well as mental health challenges.

My why for choosing a different path was to design a life I wanted to lead—a life that only I could build to discover who I truly am without reprisal. This path has led me to understand my true being, and the reason for my existence. I have discovered that through loss, you can find so much gain. Discovering that through hardship today, could be a lesson learned for tomorrow.

My why for choosing to be a part of Plan A. I have always worked in an environment with true core values, a sense of belonging to a team, and being shown appreciation for my work. When I was approached to own and operate a Plan A, it was something I had never considered as I was quite content in my career. I loved my job and I always felt like it was my calling. When my now partner (and best friend of almost 20 years) showed interest in going into business with me, I was curious, a little scared but mainly intrigued at the possibility of being my own boss, never working another night shift, and not missing holidays or events due to shiftwork. So, being the researcher that I am, I started to investigate the locations, tried to do a little market research, read business articles, and reached out to a small business bureau for advice. This is where our journey began. My now partner Ginette, and I had made the decision to become a part of this amazing team. But…it definitely came with its challenges. Although we had incredible support, training and guidance, we were at a disadvantage because of not having any management, administration or business experience. We needed to hustle, and work twice as hard to understand our business, learn the ropes, and understand technology. Ultimately the hardest part for me was to step out of my comfort zone. I needed to build confidence when talking to potential partners, potential candidates, and that was daunting. I have never been really shy, but I did however have difficulty with projecting confidence when entering a room. I realized that the best thing I could do for myself and our business was truly look at myself and understand my WHY.

WHY had I chosen to leave a career I loved to own a business?

WHY had I decided to own a Plan A with my partner Ginette?

WHY had I decided to complicate my life with choosing a career that would be so challenging without having any business knowledge?

There were so many whys that I really needed to reflect on.

The why for leaving the hospital was due to missing so many holidays and time with my family, and night shifts were getting harder and harder to recover from.

The why I had partnered with Ginette was easy. I knew that we made a great team, and that our friendship was so strong that partnering would be easy and it truly has been. Her and I complement each other very well. Although we have very similar visions and personalities, we differ in so many ways, which to me makes us a great team. She brings things to the table that I cannot and vice versa.

Now to the BIG WHY… Why did I completely change my life, work hard, cry and be so overwhelmed with this new challenge? It’s actually quite simple. I needed a change, I needed to challenge myself, I needed to grow and flourish, I needed to find myself, set new goals, celebrate the little wins and learn from the failures. I needed to reach so deeply into my soul to truly accept who I am and I needed to push myself to be the best version of myself that I could be. I did this to show my daughters that they can be and do anything they want to in life, that it is never too late to try something new and that it is ok to fail because failing is a part of the learning process in this beautiful thing called LIFE.

So, now I ask you–what are your WHYs? Knowing your whys can help you make decisions, practice gratitude, build confidence in your choice, and show you appreciation for the experiences that have shaped you into who you are today. 

~ Natalie Daoust, Co-owner, Plan A Scarborough