So who is this guy named Rob? That's Me! And I love Illustrating with people.
“The process of going through my divorce made me question everything. I wasn’t sure who I was or what I had to offer and how that would make me happy in my everyday life. Working with Rob helped me build a foundation. He helped me connect the dots to see how all the disparate parts about me fit together into a more focused passion. He is now a good friend and pushes me consistently to move further and achieve more. I could never have moved so quickly down this path without his navigation skills.”
TALENTS
A talent is what people do almost without thought; think of it as second nature. Well, I recently took the Strengths Finder Test which is designed to discover your talents and will give you your top five. One of my talents was so ingrained in how I see the world it was reaffirming that it turned out to be my first and strongest talent - Individualization. The test defines Individualization as instinctively observing each person's style, each person's motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships.
When I look back, I start to see where I developed this talent to see what makes each of us special. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area with my four siblings and over 300 foster-care children to whom my parents opened our home. They were our brothers and sisters. My foster siblings taught me that we are all different and with a new family member joining us every other week, I had to quickly determine what made each of my siblings special. My parents taught me to accept and value each person for exactly who they are, no matter from where they came. My mom, through example, taught me to look at a person's heart and intentions and not just his circumstances. I continue to practice that today.
STRENGTHS
While we all have natural talents, they still have to be developed or strengthened. My parents (without me even knowing) encouraged me to develop my talents from a young age. I spent much of my youth in leadership development, where we developed skills to lead diverse groups toward a common goal. I have worked with thousands of youth and adults to help them develop their own talents. Over time I have come to truly love helping people see what makes them special and to use those gifts to find not only fulfillment, but also connection, significance, and contribution.
LEARNER
I have an insatiable curiosity. After a decade of higher education, I ended up with an associates degree, a bachelor degree in psychology, another bachelor's in business, and a law degree; I just can't seem to get enough. Whether it is a new kernel of information about why the brain works in a particular way or how society affects our perceptions and paradigms, I am constantly seeking new patterns and paradigms that help me see how we each contribute.
PRACTICIAN
I have struggled for years to find a path to apply my purpose. I began estate planning because I wanted to help people solve problems and plan for the future. But my true passion was helping find joy, acceptance, and purpose. I found myself working with people on finding what makes their hearts sing and so many of them said I should do it for a living. But there was no established career for what I do. You might see a self-help book every so often, but no one to help people sort through it all. With the encouragement of so many friends, I started Illustrating professionally. It has been extremely exciting and fulfilling. So while so many people have thanked me for helping them find their purpose and a path, it truly feel that it has been them who have save me. Who gave me a chance to fulfill my dream, my passion, my purpose. Every time I see the light in someone's eyes as an new epiphany dawns on them or they get a call from a someone looking to hire them for exactly what they were born to do, I can't help but smile and get choked up.
I want to thank each of you who have put your trust in me to help me Illustrate your intentions for your future. Whether you are seeking your purpose or planning you legacy it allows me to fulfill my purpose on this wonderful planet and makes every day a blessing.
LIVE FULLY! LIVE WITH INTENTION! LIVE YOUR PURPOSE! LEAVE A LEGACY!
