“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.”-- Brene Brown

In my youthful days, the world was a playground of endless discovery, and my spirit was a vessel unmoored by the weight of societal expectations. I reveled in the variety of life, a trait once cherished as youthful curiosity.

These 'knowledge benders,' as a friend aptly described them once, saw me immerse in a subject, master it, and then, inevitably, outgrow it. But it wasn't fickle; it was the natural rhythm of a mind that thrives on learning and the joy of discovery, not the accolades of mastery.

This love of variety has been the compass of my journey, even as the waters grew complex with the knowledge of my AuDHD - which has never been about staying on a singular track. My brain doesn't have a 'train of thought' but rather a 'carnival of concepts,' sometimes chaotic, sometimes brilliant, always vibrant. An 'electrical storm' where lightning strikes of insight are as common as they are unpredictable.

The professional realm often sought to box me in, to map my voyage by the stars of profitability and shareholder value. Yet, I resisted, not out of defiance, but from a deep yearning for a utopia where personal growth was paramount, where "corporate slavery" was a relic of the past. I've danced on the edges of this utopia, striving to blend the development of mind, body, soul, and spirit with the reality of mortgages and bills.

"Ideal Taiss" is not a static ideal but a beacon of continuous transformation. It's a vision where philanthropy, creativity, and impactful work are not just dreams but tangible pursuits. I've sought to mold my career not into what is profitable but into what is meaningful — creating outcomes, inclusion advocacy, improving quality of life, and championing the equitable.

Yet, amidst these aspirations lies a candid truth — the gnawing awareness of what I don't want, shaping the silhouette of what I desire. It's a battle against the "industrial ideal," a fight to not sell my soul but to enrich it.

Problem-solving has been the lighthouse guiding me through the fog of the IT industry — not the allure of technology or financial rewards but the thrill of tackling the "unsolvable." My entrepreneurial spirit thrives on this challenge, on the act of asking, "How can this be better?" And it is in the answers, as varied as the stars, that I find my motivation.

Roosevelt's words resonate with me, that the "best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." This prize is not the accolade of a job well done but the satisfaction of a job that makes a difference, a job that is a catalyst for growth and change.

I faced the dichotomy of becoming 'invaluable' yet yearning for change. This paradox birthed the necessity for self-redundancy, where I redesigned my responsibilities to ensure they could be managed by others, liberating me to pursue new horizons. By making myself replaceable, I discovered the true essence of leadership—empowering others to flourish.

In a corporate world often blind to its humanity, I've been the voice reminding us that profits are not the sole purpose of our existence. I've questioned, dissented, and perhaps even agitated, not out of cynicism but from a place of hope — hope for workplaces that inspire, energize, and connect with their people on a level beyond transactions.

Opportunity — that's the word that encapsulates my quest. It's about creating opportunities for inspiration, for passion, for progress. It's about shaping a corporate culture that understands the value of its people, and that sees beyond the bottom line to the horizon of human potential.

Through my bouts of anxiety and the shadows of depression, I've learned to navigate my inner world as adeptly as my professional one. The insights gleaned from over time have been a lantern in the dark, illuminating the warped thoughts and guiding me toward a clearer understanding of myself.

My career metamorphosis may not mirror the butterfly's, but it embodies the adaptability of an octopus, changing and blending with each new environment. The accolades I've accumulated are not for the technical feats but for the lives I've touched, and the growth I've fostered.

I am not just the sum of my parts but the synthesis of my experiences, my aspirations, and my relentless pursuit of a world where individuality is not just accepted but celebrated. Renewal, then, is not a one-time metamorphosis but a continuous evolution, an adaptation to the ever-changing landscape of life and work.

As I continue to evolve, my roles are not just jobs but missions — opportunities to learn, to lead, and to leave a mark on the world. They are the canvases on which I paint the picture of who I am and who I aspire to be — complex, driven, and endlessly curious, always reaching for that utopian ideal.

“There is no perfection - there are only iterative versions of better; If you don't fail, you don't grow; if you don't grow, you don't learn; If you don't learn, you aren't living.”