Forbes Feature: The Vision that pulls you forward

I jolted awake. Something in the faint white noise of my corporate office woke me; I was daydreaming again, of a version of myself that felt bold and aligned. She was wearing bright colors. Bursting with vibrant ideas. Traveling. Modeling in photoshoots. Leading conferences. And... was she speaking on stage?

Sigh. No, I was back at a desk that looked like everyone else's. At my stable, well-paying, prestigious executive accounting job. That bold vision of myself was indulgent, unreasonable and unreachable.

Why wasn’t I satisfied? I was using my degrees. I’d worked my way up at a male-dominated, top accounting firm. Then landed an executive position managing a $40 million budget and leading a team of hundreds. I was told the long hours and life sacrifices were worth it—my sights were set on promotions, awards and finally seeing the view from where my mentors stood. I would be crazy to give up a six-figure salary and stability.

Then my world got rocked.

Continued on Forbes.com.