My Story [Part 3] My New Voice And Purpose

By: Dr. Beth Templin

I think like most people, I want my life to be purposeful, to be meaningful. I want to make a positive impact on the world around me. I want to do something I love every day. Something that I’m passionate about. Something that drives me to be a better person.

​I’ve always wanted to “help people”. That has been my one true constant, my calling. I love the feeling of leaving someone better than I found them. Of being able to help someone navigate and overcome challenges. Of being able to contribute in a positive way to someone’s daily life. Initially, I thought I could serve that calling by becoming a nurse, but as I shared previously, it wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thankfully physical therapy has allowed me to fulfill that desire. I get to help people regain their independence, improve their strength, overcome an illness. I get to use my medical background to help people make better decisions and live a better life. I get to be an advocate for them and help guide them on their journey to recovery. As rewarding as it is, something was still missing.

My career had focused on helping people get better after an injury. On helping people to recover from an illness. On helping people to regain their independence after they lost it…

What about helping people to prevent having the injuries or declines in the first place? What about helping them to identify their risk factors earlier, so they can make changes in their daily lives? What about helping them to understand that age really is just a number and that they truly have influence over their aging journey?

The more I began to speak to people about these topics, the more I realized not enough people were out there spreading positive and optimistic messages about aging. I could see a new purpose and identity forming for myself. One of becoming an aging advocate. One that focused on wellness and prevention and health and fitness as opposed to injury and illness and disease processes.

What if there was a way for me to help more people? A way to help drive true change for others? For the people I love to work with? For the people who are often overlooked, brushed aside, who truly need guidance from someone who sees them as a person and not just their age?

It’s why I decided to create Dr. Beth Online.

I’m ready for the next phase in my journey of “helping people”. I want to take all my knowledge and use it to empower the aging community. To teach people to focus on wellness instead of sickness. To help guide them in making small changes in their everyday lives, which will lead to long-term improvements in their health and fitness.

Knowing what I wanted to achieve, I decided to put myself out there. I was worried that no one would want to listen to my message, that it wouldn’t resonate with enough people to make it worth the effort. I quickly received positive feedback from people thanking me for helping to promote a more positive and optimistic outlook on aging.

I think that for me, since I fully embrace this encouraging and hopeful view on aging, I sometime forget there are so many people out there who don’t. I also have to remind myself that so many barriers exist to healthy aging, including ageism and lack of appropriate services and public education as a result.

I will be “old” one day. According to my daughters at the age of 42, I’m already there. If you ask me, I’m nowhere near being old. I’ve got hope that by the time I reach what I consider to be “old age” the aging landscape will look a little different.

I hope there will be more emphasis on wellness and prevention. I hope there will be more access to needed services and specialists who can help people navigate the aging journey better. I envision the focus shifting to empower aging adults through knowledge so they can make better decisions. I plan to be on the forefront of people paving that new path forward.

I look forward to continuing to share my knowledge and to continue to learn from others along the way. I look forward to driving positive change not only in the lives of others, but just as importantly in my life as well.

When I made the decision to become an unofficial spokesperson for healthy aging, it made me take a closer look at my own life. If I was going to coach and mentor others on the path to a healthy, active lifestyle, I wanted to make sure I was living it myself.

Over the past year, I made the conscious decision to make some changes in my life. I took specific steps and made small changes to help me improve my overall health.  I’m eating better and exercising more regularly. I’m focusing on drinking enough water each day and getting good sleep every night. If nothing else comes of this, I know I’m living a healthier life for myself and setting the foundation for a healthier and happier future.  

​It’s never too late to come up with a new version of yourself. You just need to make the decision to get started. If you need help along the way, I’ll be here for you.

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