Living The Life We Envision

There is excitement in envisioning a life of our choosing. It is enjoyable to imagine how exciting each day could become if we lived it following our purpose, our intention for being here at this place and time. But at the same time, we doubt how we can do this when we have obligations and responsibilities. People are counting on us, organizations need us, and things might just fall apart if we checked out and did our own thing. But what about us? What about our soul, our core inner self that is calling out for us to hear it – to follow our dreams and passions? 

 

There is a balance we are seeking – where we can care for our loved ones and organizations we care about - without sacrificing our own happiness. Living a life of obligation and duty makes us feel irritable and disconnected. Even the shine on our halo does not distract us from our misery. We have to be true to ourselves and sometimes that means moving out of our comfort zone.  This may make us and others uncomfortable in the process. At times, we have to allow ourselves to feel this discomfort – to sit with this uneasiness – and pass through it to something grander. Living a life of mediocrity and obligation is not what we were intended for. We were meant to nourish our talents and to share them with a world that so desperately needs them. 

The decision to pursue what you love and what you are here to do takes courage and determination. Sometimes, you have to force yourself to place one foot in front of the other as you make decisions that terrify you. Writing a book has been exciting but has also led me to places where sharing my vulnerability was very uncomfortable. A larger part of me, though, knew it was what I needed to do. Those struggles, the uncomfortable feelings, are part of the process, part of our growth. If the process were easy, it wouldn’t mean so much when we got to where we want to be.