A few weeks ago, my wonderful sister in New Zealand called me and said she was at a cross roads with her life. She had a variety of options and did not know which path to choose and which decision was the best one for her. I realised that this happens to people more often than we think and I for one, have often struggled making that big decision. We discussed the idea of flipping a coin but that can honestly only work in a few situations and when you have two options. Through our conversation, we came up with what we thought were great steps to living your natural path.
The exact place and career that you will have in 10 years time does not need to be known now
Living for then will potentially minimise the opportunities you could be taking now.Not having a direct line form A to B is sometimes the most exciting part about life. Discovering the surprises and twists and turns that life presents to you is part of the journey. If you think too far ahead in too much detail, apply too much pressure on yourself and your life now, you can miss these unique opportunities.
Stepping stones to decorate your soul and make your world what you want and dream it to be
Sometimes in life you need to step on a stepping stone that is not in the path of where you think you want to go but will help another aspect of your life. They often give you a different perspective on where you are standing and sometimes they are better than what you thought. I stepped onto the FF stepping stone over 3 years ago and all of a sudden, it completely changed what I wanted to do and led me on a different path. I have since stepped on many little stepping stones on this journey and my life has become richer and fuller because of this. A change in direction can often open your eyes to the other opportunities that are available.
Doing things everyday that create your bubbles of happiness and keeping your eyes open for these bubbles
Life is life. It is not always pure happiness every day. There is routine, the things you have to do every day to survive, but there are bubbles of happiness in every day and we just need to catch them and be present with them. Sometimes you need to create them through doing the activities that you love, doing something kind for someone and sometimes they come out of the blue. Either way, they are there to make your soul sing and your heart flutter and there, most importantly, to give you hope. Hope for more bubbles, for more happiness. Bubbles could be having water after a very long run, the sunshine on your face, smelling a spring blossom, a phone call from a friend or a song on the radio.
Being in a positive space, you can be brave and then anything is possible
Stepping stones and bubbles often help you get into a positive space. Making decisions from a negative space often creates panic and stress. Instead, maybe look at ways that will help you get out of that space into a better space. Trying not to trust the pictures you paint for yourself and the voices talking to you in your head that are creating this bad space. They are not there to help you. Every person works differently. I love going for walks to clear my mind or chatting to my friends. Asking yourself what works best for you, creates more self awareness of who you are and how to manage your space. This creates a positive platform for you to embark on making brave decisions. Confidence will be evident in how you present yourself whether on paper or in person.
Taking a deep breath, making a brave decision that will propel your life forward
Once in that space of confidence, you can step out into that stretch zone and be creative with your choices, take a chance and do something different.Another way to look at it, is to ask yourself, “Will this decision kill me, will I hurt the people I love, is it morally wrong?” If the answer is no to these questions, what do you have to lose in being brave? When I was thinking of moving to London, my dad asked me these questions and it helped me to make the decision to move here. In order to achieve something you have never achieved before, you need to do something you have never done before.
Never give up on your passions, what you love, the life you dream to have and on who you are
Most great things take time to come into play. Sometimes you don’t even know the great things that could happen in your life. I believe, being present in your world as it is, opens you up to new opportunities. Talk to people, share your story, your passions, you never know where these conversations could lead to. When you are feeling doubt, try remembering where you have come from, the obstacles you have overcome in the past, how different your world is now and how you played a role in shaping it. Try not let that incredible spark of yours go out, never giving up on the hero in your soul.