Picture this: It’s a beautiful day. The weather is fine and you’re in your ‘happy place’—wherever that may be for you. A place where your heart is at home. You are you but there’s something a bit different. Perhaps you walk a little taller, head held a little higher. You feel safe, nourished and bright, content in the knowledge you are sharing your gifts freely and confident in all you have to offer. Knowing you are both giving and receiving in equal measure and working in synergy with the world around you. You are happy. You are at peace. You are in complete bliss and harmony.
Now, get to know that image in your mind. See it, feel it, almost start to breathe it, and then take a step back and ask yourself:
‘What is stopping you from living that dream right now?’
You may tell yourself you’re waiting for the ‘perfect’ moment when in fact, all you really need is to realise that moment is now. Every moment is perfect when you learn to trust yourself.
So many of us spend years ‘preparing’, setting ourselves up for that big finale when everything will come together, when we will arrive in life at last. ‘If I just struggle for a bit now, then I’ll earn the right to be happy and enjoy life later.’ Well, I hate to break it to you, Goddess, but there is no finish line, no destination, no prize to be won and no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The journey is the pot of gold. The perfect moment to enjoy your life, is now.
And yes, there might be a few issues with the logistics. Perhaps you’re tied into a job that isn’t serving your higher purpose, or don’t have the funds right now to up sticks and move to Bali. No plane ticket? No problem! Bring a touch of Bali to your bedroom with some exotic artwork and create a savings plan for the next six months. Share your own unique gifts with your colleagues at work while opening yourself up to new and better-suited opportunities along the way. It’s not about your situation, it’s about your perspective on that situation. Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, the only thing holding you back is you?
What is it that you’re truly afraid of? Find ways to incorporate your passion into your day-to-day life and slowly you will start to notice things change.
And no, you will never be ‘done’. This is a constant practice of observing and connecting with your deepest desires and finding direction in your life. You must hold yourself accountable but just know that when you take risks that support your vision, you will be supported in return. No-one else can do this for you. Certainly, there will always be work to do but that’s okay. Learn to see this not as an obstacle but a never-ending opportunity for growth. Set wild and wonderful goals for yourself—and if you can see yourself easily achieving them, they’re not big enough!
What would you do if you had no limitations? What would you do if you knew you could not fail? You are entirely up to you.
Let’s rewind for a second now. Take it back to the playground days, when there was one particular question on everyone’s lips.
‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’
We all remember this one, right?! A simple question with what seemed like such a simple answer. We begin life so sure we have it all figured out but somewhere along the line we lose it; ’adulting’ gets in the way. We are told who to be, how to spend our time and our great aspirations are crushed under the weight of this society’s expectations and responsibilities. Conforming is easy, certainly. It’s predictable. It feels ‘secure’. But is it really? Does what you’re doing each day really set your soul on fire? How proud would you be making your little five-year-old self? Are you doing her justice?
Following your bliss isn’t easy and it takes a great amount of courage. The future becomes a lot less certain but, honestly, don’t you prefer it that way? When things don’t go ‘to plan’, it’s so much easier to adjust simply by deciding there no longer is a concrete plan. Decision-making becomes painless, almost effortless when no longer clouded by the ideals we set for ourselves. Once you start to live in line with your true self, it really does come as a welcome relief to be off of the rollercoaster of unattainable standards, disappointment and frustration leading to self-deprecation that once ruled your life, the stubborn pursuit of a goal with the inability to appreciate the great joy of the journey to it, an unwillingness to change for the fear of being called a hypocrite.
There is no one straightforward pathway either. There are shortcuts and long ways round and smooth parts and rocky parts and plenty of things to see along the way. The walk should be leisurely, diverse, spontaneous, and even contradicting. You are allowed to change your mind. Mostly, it should be enjoyed with the faith and comfort in knowing that the universe knows what she is doing.
It is not my intention to teach you anything, but simply to create the space for you to see what has been there all along, to realise that the answers are all within you already. I’m only here to give ideas that may lead you to those truths, like so many have done and continue to do for me. Our progress is unstoppable, and with this intention now set, we can only grow more and more into ourselves.
What are you waiting for?
All my love,
Mel
XO
