Do you ever feel like you are living on automatic pilot? That each day melts into the next and there is no real time to be that person that you always wanted to be.
Is your value determined by what you do or who you are?
If time and money were no object, what would you be doing? Who would you be?
I sure ask a lot of questions don’t I?
Choices and Actions
I am lucky enough to spend parts of every day speaking with curious, intelligent people who are committed to creating joyful, intentional and meaningful lives. They are amazing conversations that inspire me to be true to myself and honour my own skills and talents. I have LIVED that it is possible to make changes in my own life – moving from automatic pilot to creating each day with intention. And you don’t have to run away from home to do that!
In the telling of my story, it is sometimes revealed that I blew up my life. I was deeply unhappy with myself and needed to remove myself from what I knew to open up to new (or maybe old) possibilities. In my mind, it was a controlled and deliberate explosion as I needed to feel in control of whatever I was doing. That’s really an impossibility as there are so many external factors at play that we can neither predict nor build boundaries around. I had control only over my own choices and actions – nothing else. With my own actions and choices, I can be intentional.
There is no way to govern the reactions of other people in our lives. Everyone else has jurisdiction over their own choices and actions. That’s the way it should be.
Change is a challenge
We cannot predict or dictate how others will react to our choices and actions. We all have free will and we all deserve the time and space to figure out what is best for us and how to move forward (or not) in all of our relationships. Change is a challenge. How many times have we been told “you made your bed, now lie in it”? Over time, it’s easy to believe that we are not allowed to make changes – especially those that affect other people.
We’re worth It
All of this has come flooding back this week as various conversations have reminded me of just how much my life has evolved over the past few years. I sometimes devalue my own growth as I move from one goal or challenge to the next. It is important for me to honour where I am at any given moment. I strive to live a full life, on my own terms, with tremendous respect, integrity and generosity of spirit for the people in my life.
Recent gatherings with both family and friends reinforced for me just how grateful I am for these human beings. They teach me every day to stretch and become a better version of myself. Some days, I fail miserably. But I keep trying because, to paraphrase L’Oréal, I’m worth it as are the people that I love. As are you. I am committed to my own evolution and living a life of intention.
M.A.G.I.C. (Meaningful and Authentic Growth from Intentional Choices)
My latest program (M.A.G.I.C.) is to help women navigate change so they can experience their own joyful, intentional and meaningful lives. This means discovering things that we didn’t know that we didn’t know to make different choices going forward.
We are encouraged to be superwomen in our society – nurturing a marriage and children, excelling at a career and being there for everyone else. Often, there is little time left for nurturing ourselves. I see women become so overwhelmed that they forget that not only is it ok to take time for themselves AND for what feeds their souls – it’s necessary. Automatic pilot to cram everything in is not an optimal way to live a life. We forget or bury that we had certain aspirations and goals that were just for us. And the cool part is that it is possible to get that back.
The program consists of five 60-minute Zoom sessions where you will take a look at what is important to you and how to get more of that. Next start date is Monday, April 15th at noon. Price is $450.00 plus tax.
When we feel content and happy with ourselves, the possibilities for our lives are endless. For me, that meant excavating who I really am – getting rid of the should’s and have-to’s to rediscover the essence of me. My trip to myself was an incredible journey – at times exhilarating and often incredibly messy. And I wouldn’t change it for anything. I am happier than I have been in years and my relationships are a source of energy.
Tell your truth
I am now more mindful as I move through life as me and not some contrived version of who I thought others needed me to be. In catering to everyone but myself, I was not being honest. At the end of the day, that served no one and had me run screaming from my life at one point. One of my mentors, Louise LeBrun, founder of The WEL-Systems Institute (TM) emphasizes that we need to show up and tell the truth. It’s the perfect place to start and everything else flows from there.
So, how are you being truthful with yourself about what is important in your life? A more telling question might be where are you not being honest with yourself?
Get in touch to start your own journey to living a life of intention.