I watched an interesting documentary recently about how after the war and the depression, America put this new design in place which was to go to college, get a degree, find a career with a company, climb the ladder, get married, buy a house, work hard, raise a family, then finally at 65 years old you can enjoy life and travel the world.    It talked about how this plan was designed to keep people “safe” but it was never designed to keep people “happy”.

It seems that our society is based on safety nowadays but when we try to stay safe…we are living a fear based life. We are living from the brain where everything is calculated based on our past experiences and what we’ve been told.  It seems we’re all robots marching down the same path that has been programmed in us. The problem with this design is that it took away our originality, it took away our sense of adventure and spontaneity, and it took away the uniqueness of what makes us… “us”.

We were each born with a unique gift that we are to bring to the world, this plan doesn’t allow for that.  If we can’t be “us” then we are being forced into being something we’re not. That causes frustration, depression and unhappiness that becomes toxic.

 

I write this today because I have been down this path.   I became so incredibly miserable in my corporate career that I could hardly breathe.   My entire life became infected because the majority of my time was in an office, doing something I started to hate more and more.   I felt so trapped and didn’t know how I was going to break out of it.

At first I thought something was wrong with me. Everyone else was doing it, why was I so miserable?   Was I not trying hard enough? Did I have a bad attitude?

I was raised with a strong work ethic and have always been a hard worker. I kept trying to fix ME which made things worse because I wasn’t broken. I was out of alignment.  I was trying to force a square peg into a round hole. My heart started speaking louder than ever telling me “this isn’t you anymore”.

 

God works in unexpected ways. Pain and suffering cause us to change which is why they are used to shift us.  It causes us to seek. Remember that when you’re miserable. It’s your heart pushing you in another direction and until you listen to it….it won’t let up. In fact, it will cause you more misery until the misery outweighs the fear to change.

 

One day at my lowest point I found a book called “Find Your Happy” by Shannon Kaiser. This book was life changing for me and was the beginning of my journey to get to know myself.   This woman was talking about how I felt! I wasn’t crazy…I wasn’t alone…someone else understood how I felt. This is when I stopped blaming myself and starting embracing myself and listening to my heart. The journey began and guided me along the way.

 

We were all put on this earth with a purpose.  We each have our own unique gift that no one else has and we are supposed to bring that gift to the world.   But we can’t find it when we live in the chaos and clutter of today’s world. We’re too busy focusing on the stress and to do lists and we can’t hear our hearts.   

Unfortunately our brains scream much louder than the calm quietness of our hearts. Our brains are designed to keep us safe, not happy. We have to quiet our minds, breathe, step away, and connect to ourselves in order to hear our heart.   That is when things start to be revealed. God, the universe, whatever it is you believe in, is here to support you and guide you.

 

The truth is that we are safe if we let our hearts lead us. They tell us the paths to take and they lead us to this exciting world of adventure.  Sometimes those paths might mean taking a leap of faith and they may not make sense to those around you because they don’t hear YOUR heart…only you do and you must trust it.

If you seek the advice of others they can only give you advice based on their brain and their life experiences and opinions.   They cannot feel or hear what your heart is saying, as we each have our own individual path.

 

The key is trusting your heart’s guidance, to do it afraid and trust the process. I’ve done it many times and even though I’ve been through crazy stuff (and people tell me I’m crazy because it’s not “safe”), it’s never fallen apart.  I’ve always been taken care of and each journey has been a stepping stone to the next adventure.

 

We’ve all had “gut” feelings. Listen to those. I know that is a scary thing for most people. I can tell you, the coolest (and scariest) thing is to take a risk where it all has to work out or you will lose everything. Yes, I’ve done it and I’m still here and alive!  The right doors opened and the bills were paid. AND, awesome mind blowing things happened that I could have never expected to come along. You have to trust.

 

So where do you start?  The key is baby steps. Start off small.   Learn to be quiet and connect to yourself. Take a walk in nature and just let your mind be quiet.   Don’t think about all the things you need to do but take the time to just hear the sounds around you, breathe fresh air, and let peacefulness take over.   

 

Learn to be quiet and connect to yourself

 

Think of your blessings or good things that have happened today no matter how big or small.

Start being aware of things that light you up and make you feel excited. Spend more time doing those things because these are the things that will lead you to your purpose.  

Even pay attention to the simple things like how wonderful your bed feels at night or when your child lets out a belly laugh, that warm cup of coffee or tea in the morning, when someone smiles and says hi. Then take the time to enjoy those things and to be more present with them.

 

Be aware of things that light you up and make you feel excited

 

Little by little you train yourself to stop and be present in other areas of your life and to embrace the things you love more. When you start flowing with life things fall into place.   

 

When you start flowing with life things fall into place

 

You will also go through challenges but those are there to redirect your path. They are your friend and you will learn to embrace them as guidance. Know they aren’t happening TO YOU, they are happening FOR you.

 

I’ve been on this journey for the last 6 years.   I have done the work, I have taken the risks. And I am ok!  I’m now excited about life, I know myself better and I feel like I’m on this cool adventure with God that he only reveals a little at a time.  

 

I will never ask you to do anything that I have not tried and proved successful in my own life. But I challenge you today, even if it’s 5 minutes a day to take a walk, to quiet your mind, to do something you enjoy, to sit quiet and really listen to what your heart is trying to tell you.  

 

Be aware of what feels heavy in your life because those are things you need to evaluate and move away from. The more you do it the more of a habit it becomes.

 

Be aware of what feels heavy in your life

 

You were made to be amazing!   We all have incredible gifts inside us that the world needs.   You are uniquely you. Embrace it, share it. PLEASE don’t hide it or ignore it.

 

Sending much love your way.   

 

Your Friend,

Denise

Interested in 1:1 coaching with me?   Click HERE to schedule a FREE no pressure consult!