I used to think that the only way to live a fulfilling life was to forge full speed ahead in unconventional upside-down ways.

Go against the grain. Toss out the rulebook. No square pegs in round holes.

Despite the pressure to remain right side up, my desire to explore the world upside-down has led to an extremely fulfilling portfolio life as an Olympian, educator, speaker, author, artist, mom, partner, and friend.

After spending over 10,000 hours upside-down training to be an Olympic gymnast, I learned at a young age to see things from different perspectives.

Beyond the gym, exploring life upside-down has enabled me to create a successful portfolio life of 65+ jobs on 5 continents with diverse collaborators.

But what goes up, must also come down.

Or, in my case, what flips upside-down, must also land right side up.

Pure physics.

So, how does one reconcile the reality of needing to be both upside-down and right side up?

This question has perplexed me for a long time, but after many years of struggling to figure it out, I’ve figured out a few things and have many more questions!

1. How does a portfolioist who craves excitement, adventure, and novelty find balance?

By cartwheeling through life.

To complete a successful cartwheel, you must confidently flip from feet to hands and back to feet, which requires a strong foundation, bursts of energy, steady balance, and unwavering trust.

Just like life.

Whether we’re learning a new subject, growing our business, organizing our space, creating new products, expanding our services, leading diverse teams, or inspiring innovation, to be successful we need both upside-down and right side up thinking and doing to generate sufficient momentum and flow.

Just like cartwheels.

Life is challenging, especially when we don’t have a roadmap for where we want to go. There is resistance and numerous roadblocks to overcome.

At this moment, I’m feeling that push of wanting to accomplish my work and personal goals, but my body is pulling me away, saying “whoa, you need to rest, take the gas off the pedal, and take care of yourself”. And I must listen, to find the balance between “go, go, go” and rest.

As I embrace my cartwheels, I trust that there will be shift from feeling stuck and small, to feeling light and expansive…as long as I trust my body, mind, and spirit.

2. Why embrace your cartwheels?

To flourish in today’s topsy-turvy world.

Cartwheels, by nature:

• feel exciting and scary

• are unencumbered and technical

• require creativity and discipline

• offer freedom within structure

• demand trust and letting go

These characteristics fuel a well-lived portfolio life as well, so how do we reconcile their contradictions?

Embrace them, in all their opposing glory, and design a life that fulfills your big ambitions, bold dreams, and creative pursuits.

3. What allows upside-down originality and right side up structure to flourish?

Curiosity, creativity, and connection fuel cartwheels.

At midlife, I am reminded that my insatiable curiosity to experience life to the fullest continues to fuel my portfolio life, leading to many ups and downs throughout.

Along my unique journey as a portfolioist, I’ve landed perfect cartwheels and totally wiped out – in gymnastics and in life.

Fulfilling life experiences around the world and close to home include teaching, competing, creating, inspiring, facilitating, parenting, partnering, and connecting. Continuing to pursue these roles requires creative solutions and outreach, along with selfless and generous connecting.

Humbling experiences, like falling in competitions, losing jobs, misrepresenting myself, not putting in 100%, limiting collaboration, are not my proudest moments.

Both types of experiences fuel growth and expansion.

These experiences have also shaped my life’s mission, which is to help fellow multi-passionate educators, creatives, adventurers, leaders, and innovators embrace their cartwheels by integrating both upside-down and right side up approaches that feel expansive, creative, and connected.

4. What happens when the pressure to stay right side up hinders your cartwheel?

You lose your balance.

When right side up pressure (which is often driven by status, safety, comfort, traditions) gets in the way of your desire to pursue your upside-down dreams, there’s a problem.

You lose your way, which can also mean losing confidence, clarity, and drive.

The good news is that there are solutions.

In part 2, I’ll draw from my signature T.U.D.O.S. Technique to share How to Embrace Your Cartwheels and create a dynamic portfolio career and life you love.

For now, let’s try to cartwheel through life shall we?