I once read a sentence in a book that described people as "passengers" of their own lives. I thought the imagery was beautiful...and devastating. It's so easy to hop in and let someone or something else lead the way, but what if we had a little more control? What if we turned off the autopilot and made decisions that started steering us towards our ultimate happiness?
This summer my partner and I bought a camper van. We tore everything out and rebuilt it, making it our own adventure home on wheels for the next year or more. Admittedly, I haven't tried driving it yet, but I did help map out where we're going and imagine the dreams that we'll chip away at with the freedom of this lifestyle. Starting now, I'll be creating and delivering online wellness content for you, so we can continue to forge our happiest and healthiest paths, together. I'm clear on what lights me up and what brings me down. I know who I am and I know where I'm going and I'm proud to say, that most of the time, I am in the driver's seat of my life.
Life doesn't have to just happen to us. We can take pit stops, twist and turns, shift gears and still be putting the pedal to the metal in the right direction. Have you ever thought you were meant for something different than you're doing right now? Have you ever been confused or frustrated by expectations of others? your own? I certainly have. Have you ever told yourself you couldn't because you're not "enough" in some kind of way? These thought patterns can creep in and build road blocks that seem next to impossible to move around. I'm not saying that we all need to pick up and live in a van, or quit our jobs. It can be much more subtle than that, but I invite you to double check, who is in control? We can navigate towards our goals with more clarity and confidence. It can be as simple as knowing you want to spend more time with your kids, or a desire to learn to cook the way they do in your favorite restaurant. Maybe you do want a bigger shift, a career change? Going back to school? We can't get there without knowing where we want to go and what we want to accomplish, but when we do know for sure, the rest can be smooth sailing.
Set intentions as your road map. Grab your journal and a pen...
Write down the answers to these questions:
1. What brings you joy? What brings brightness to your days? What can't you live without? These can me simple, big or small, it just has to bring a smile to your face.
2. What would you do? If you could go anywhere or do anything right now what would it be? Don't take into account any obstacles here. This is a dream for you, without thinking of obligations that may get in the way, however real those may be. Explore your biggest dream.
4. What's holding you back? Time to break it down. What stories are creating a block? What's in the way? Are these things really true? How can you navigate around them, through them or with them to make your wildest goals a reality.
5. What's one thing you can do, now? What's one step that you could make today towards more joy and happiness? Baby steps create big shifts.
Only you can fill up the tank and go. So please, buckle up and don't be a passenger of your life. You're the pilot, the captain, the engineer. Your thoughts, beliefs and actions mark your destination. It doesn't matter which road you choose, it just matter's that you are behind the wheel. If you promise to remember this, I promise I'll learn to drive my camper van.