Crystal Neil, CFP

Up until recently, I would say my relentless nature. I was always the type of person that would obsess, never sat down, never sat still. You know, they talk about people that burn their candle at both ends - well, I would burn my candle at every single spot that I could burn it. I used to believe I had undiagnosed ADD, and instead of medication, I would self-medicate with activities and events. I just have intense drive. Now, that being said, if I do not wholeheartedly believe in what I am doing, there is no way I could be successful. There are people who are successful in anything and everything; I am not one of those people - I could be successful in anything I believe in, but I have to believe in it authentically. After losing my daughter, everything changed. I learned to reset my central nervous system, and I'm no longer the person burning my candle at all ends. I'm still very high-energy and driven, but I am learning to protect my peace. I can sit in silence and I value that serenity. I value having weekends with nothing to do, whereas before the loss, a weekend with nothing to do would drive me insane. It's funny when you reset your central nervous system you learn to find balance and peace is not laziness or failure.

First off, I would say do not put so much pressure on yourself. The world is at your fingertips. Your path, your passion, your career might change 10, 15, 20 times between now and the time that you stop working, and that's okay. My advice would be: you define what success and happiness is. Don't let society, don't let your parents, don't let your friends define that for you. Life is a journey, and it's all about figuring out who you are, being comfortable in your own skin. When you work, you are going to spend the majority of your time working, so it should be something that you feel good about yourself doing. Starting out, being young, we're going to have to do things we don't necessarily always enjoy, and that's okay. You're going to meet people along the way - it's a world of creating networks and contacts that's going to help you, and you're going to be gaining experiences and life skills. I'm a perfect example of that with all my different careers and jobs that got me to where I am today. I love my career, but who knows, 15 years from now I might be doing something different. I hope people retire and go on and pursue their passions. The world changes, don't fear that. Making mistakes and failing is not the end of the world. They are stepping stones to your success reframe your thinking do not panic when you fail or make mistakes IT's GOING TO HAPPEN and that is 100% ok!!! And never stop learning - knowledge is power. Always continue to learn. I don't think there's enough value put on education these days, and people feel like once they finish high school or college they're done. I continue my education all the time - I'm starting my CEPA next month. I'll never stop learning!

Family is most important. I think my clients would say that as well - they always ask about my kids. They know how important my family is to me. Faith and spirituality are also very important. My clients are like family - when you work with me, that's one of the things that sets me apart. They're more than a client. When a client passes away, it's like losing an extended member of my family. I grieve. A lot of times it's a very tough loss. I've had some clients pass away and I've never met their children, but they come in and continue to work with me because they've heard so much about me from their parent. I may not share a lot of personal or intimate details, but who I am comes across. I'm an empath, a very authentic person. I think anybody that sits across the table from me can feel my values come across very, very strong when you work with me. Honesty and authenticity are extremely important. I don't mind somebody telling me something I don't want to hear. I appreciate that. I don't mind being called out on my BS - I appreciate that all day long over dishonesty.