Rochelle Finzel
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author sitting on top of a mountain

Rochelle Finzel

essays and reflections on living with intention

Four days after running a personal-best marathon, I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer.

What followed wasn’t just a fight for survival — it was a complete reexamination of what it means to live well.

After my illness, I changed careers and began the long journey to listen more closely to what brings meaning, peace, and joy to my life.

Now I write about what helps me stay awake to the beauty of being human: inspiring words, small shifts in perspective, stories from wilderness trails, and the quiet lessons that emerge when life breaks us open.

If my words can help someone feel a little less alone, a little more grounded, or a little more hopeful, then sharing them is worth it.

Latest Reflections

  • My run with the bears

    My run with the bears

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    Rochelle

    Think about this… What do you see? (photo taken by me.) Sometimes seeing is deceiving I’ve seen a lot of bears on our hiking trips. Sometimes as many as two or three in one trip. They’re usually hanging out in the lower-elevation forests. Which makes sense; that’s where the berries…

  • Glimmers to keep you grounded

    Glimmers to keep you grounded

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    Rochelle

    Thought for today… “Glimmers are a cue in the day, either internal or external, that sparks a sense of well-being.” — Deb Dana, clinician and author of Anchored How this works… A paint chip on our deck in a perfect heart shape. A little glimmer of love. (Photo by me)…

  • The mountains always seem to know what I need

    The mountains always seem to know what I need

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    Rochelle

    When the mountains speak, you listen Views from the rock pile! Photo taken by my husband, Alan Fisser Some mountains are easy to climb. They have well-maintained trails, and you can mindlessly follow them to your destination. Others have no path, but when you’re lucky, you find someone’s report about…

Photo of author

Rochelle Finzel spent twenty years leading public policy and nonprofit efforts to advance economic opportunity, including ten years with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). After surviving a life-threatening illness and experiencing a personal transformation, she changed careers. Rochelle became an internationally accredited coach, intent on understanding how to facilitate personal growth and self-leadership. She founded her coaching practice to help high-achieving professionals lead with confidence and avoid burnout. She writes about her experience with burnout and illness and the powerful science that underpins her transformation. Her memoir, The Run of My Life will be released in September of 2024. She lives in southwest Colorado and is happiest running, biking, hiking, skiing, and sharing nature’s wonders with her husband.

The Run of My Life

The Run of My Life is a compelling memoir about self-discovery, resilience, and the radical courage to let go. 

Rochelle Finzel followed the rules and aspired to be the best. At thirty-nine, her life seemed perfect. She had a great job, was dating her soulmate, climbed mountains on the weekends and had just run a personal best marathon. Four days later, she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer.

Facing a bleak prognosis, Rochelle reexamined her life. Facing continual reminders of her mortality but fiercely fighting for survival, she opened her heart, followed her gut, learned to listen to her body, and trusted its wisdom.

Honest and heartfelt, The Run of My Life pulls the reader into exam rooms and onto mountaintops, offering hope and inspiration for those enduring any kind of crisis, and for finding new life on the other side.  

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Book cover with mountain scene and title The Run of My Life