Finding my next meaningful work opportunity

I took a year off from work to reset. I have been able to spend time with my lovely wife, and our three young kids 13, 11, and 9.

I spent the previous 20 years as a corporate leader. Always on. Solving problems. Sometimes large. Sometimes small. Creating and executing plans and projects, strategic or operational. As one of the leaders of small to medium sized consulting companies, no one ever comes to you with the easy stuff.

Almost to the day I was asked to lead a company 20 years ago, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a life changing, degenerative neurological autoimmune disorder. The disease stole my ability to walk and challenged everything I thought I knew about life, success, and who I am. 

About a year ago, I left my executive team role. I needed a break. A chance to catch my breath and recharge after a 20-year sprint. 

In my time away from work, I promised myself I would do three things: 

Write: after being asked by 25 different people over the years to write a book about how I have been able to remain positive amidst the life changes introduced by MS, I picked up the pen. My stories are free on a platform called Substack to help others in their journey dealing with adversity. Not puppy dogs and unicorns. But things I have learned to help me live an adapted, meaningful life over the past two decades. https://open.substack.com/pub/rahulray9/p/finding-the-points-of-light-in-a?r=7c4fds&utm_medium=ios

Build an accessible cabin: My family (and about 40 amazing friends) are building a wheelchair accessible cabin property on Galiano Island (midway between Vancouver and Victoria) that we can share with others facing mobility challenges. We have built a wheelchair accessible sleeping bunkhouse, 250 metres of wheelchair accessible trails through the forest, and a wheelchair accessible outhouse affectionately called the “cabana”, because who says an outhouse needs to be cramped or gross. The property is being designed by a wheelchair user (me) for wheelchair users, those with mobility challenges, as well as able-bodied people. 

Find my next meaningful work role: I have been exploring new pathways where I can use my strategic business planning, leadership, management, team building, facilitation, and project delivery experience to help teams grow and succeed. I am open to a variety of roles where I get to be a part of a collaborative team. I have not landed my new role yet, but I have had lots of great discussions.

With the help of a new family of medication, MS had been stable in my body for 10 years. I am recharged. Energetic. Ready to contribute my skills and experience to a new work environment. 

Please reach out if I can support your team or a team you know.

I am excited to see where the next adventure takes me.

Talk to you soon.

P.S. I posted this earlier on LinkedIn. Sorry for any duplication.

P.P.S. I inadvertently posted this as a note earlier on Substack. It should have been a story. Operator error. I am the operator.