Meet Taylor Vacca | PhD Student & Aspiring Professor and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Vacca and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
I love this question, as it has helped me (and I hope it helps you too) during some of my life’s toughest, most challenging moments. “You are enough.” This affirmation has been spoken many times in the last three years, while in graduate school, providing executive consulting, and serving my community by practicing individual psychotherapy. I know this may sound silly, but this quote became my go-to mindfulness-mantra technique that would help fill me up after frustrations, failures and lost fantasies that never fostered. Actually talking to yourself, and yes I mean out loud, helps remind us of the real power of self-talk. Whenever I found myself using negative self-talk (what I like to call “limit language”), I would remind myself to end my self-talk positively (i.e. you are enough) to insert what a lot of us need right now, the thoughtful transformation from limit to love language, a process only achievable through self-reflective awareness and self-compassion. So, when you find your inner-voice doubting you, I encourage using your outer-voice to replace our own self-assigned limits with love.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart, you ask? I am proud to say I have always feared change, and have never allowed it to stop me. I often find myself reflecting on the following words of wisdom from Theodore Roosevelt: “Nothing worth having comes easy.” Given the current state of the world, the basic act of living is not easy. Without facing challenges, we would never be able to find our true, innately driven- gifts and talents (and yes, we ALL have them, even you). Not until we find our limits, can we define, refine, and decide our unique, individual authentic life-visions. Oh, and the part about my story. I strive to be a living example of empathetic-strength, moral-integrity, and the source of unconditional love and resilience to anyone, and everyone, I meet. If I am being honest, I battle with perfectionism, panic, and PTSD-symptoms daily. At the end of each day, another battle I confront is my constant desire to choose healing over hurting. Finding that balance between confidence and compassion helped me to begin to uncover and further discover my purpose in life. At ten years of age, I believed my only purpose was to become a doctor. If this resonates with anyone (whether you desire and/or hold an entry-level or an executive-level position), please listen closely: your life is worth so much more than any role, responsibility, relationship, reward..your life is worth your rest, your respect, and your remedy of past repressions that rid us of our present moments and potential futures. My story didn’t begin until the moment I chose myself; if you haven’t chosen yourself yet, what would it take for you to advance to the next chapter of your life?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a life-long resident of Minnesota, the best times begin in the water, and end in the winter (totally kidding, but not really). A perfect Summer day would consist of kayaking Lake Bde Maka Ska, fishing until the sun goes down, and ending the night by dining at Wakame, my all-time favorite Sushi & Asian Bistro. Since I was young, I have not gone a Fall without visiting Taylor’s Falls; the name may be ironic, but the foliage is truly unforgettable. This city is also the home of the Drive In Restaurant, An Original Since 1956; offering an old-school drive-in atmosphere (food delivery via roller skates and all) with picnic table seating, mini-golf, delicious burgers, hot dogs and root beer floats. If you prefer fine dining, check out The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Minneapolis, from scallops to steaks, they can’t be beat. Lastly, if you are a Denver resident seeking the comforts of home, but a change of scenery, Minnesota Winters check off the classic Bucket List items of snowmobiling, down-hill skiing and snowboarding, and ice fishing, to name a few.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my mother, my niece, my previous classmates, psychotherapy clientele, and a cute little puppy, in that order. My mother, for being the oxygen mask I needed when mine would fall off; my niece, for being my inspiration to one day be thought of as a trailblazer across the fields of counseling, psychology and education; my previous clientele and classmates, for being my motivation to never give up on my dreams, aspirations, and myself; and this cute little puppy I mentioned, I thank him for being my rock (the softest “rock” I know) and for reminding me that cuddles cure and genuine joy and happiness mirror.

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