The first open letter will probably go up tonight but a bit of an explanation:
3 years ago if you asked me what the CRAZIEST idea I could think of for my life…I would have said “choosing to work at an ad agency over an in-house marketing department.” I was 100% focused on one thing, and one thing only in life.
2 years ago the craziest idea I had for my life was living abroad for a bit. And then I did.
Last year at this exact time, it was “maybe I should move back to Europe? Maybe I should go to grad school? Maybe I should try to get into that ad agency I’ve always adored?”
And now? What’s the craziest thing I can think of for my life?
I still want all of those things (and more money). But what I want most is to be happy. I’ve come to realize there’s no perfect combo of all the things I want that will bring happiness. It’s not “if I have this job, in this city, make this amount of money, and have this much free time…then I’ll be happy.”
Over the course of the last 6 months I’ve found these two facts about happiness to be true:
1) I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life, right now. Even more happy than when I lived in England and traveled the world.
2) Happiness is being 100% okay with every decision you make in your life. It’s waking up every single morning and knowing that you’re living a life you designed for yourself.
A large chunk of people probably either work at jobs they love but companies they hate or at companies they love but doing jobs that are mediocre. Moreover, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that we all feel like we never have time to do the things we love because other things, important or not, get in the way.
Step back from your life for a second now. What’s your dream DREAM job? And don’t be vague. What exactly are you doing there? Who are you working with or for? And why do you like them? What are your hours? Where do you live? What kind of car do you drive?
It’s basically just a big ‘ol game of imagination time.
And then evaluate two things: 1) What are the steps you need to take towards achieving these dreams? 2) What are the barriers affecting all the steps in number 1?
Of course time and money are going to pop up. Maybe your dream is to move to NYC but you don’t have the money make the move and you don’t have time to work a second job to make more money. Touche. No one said dreams happen overnight. But what else can you work on in the meantime? How can you contribute to your personal happiness and fulfillment everyday?
………………..and when did I decide to become a life coach?!
The second I realized the facts I mentioned above are true. I used to think everyone…and I mean EVERYONE…in the world was doing better than me. They had better jobs, more money, lots of dates to fill their calendars, and lived in cities with town squares like Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. On a scale of 1-100 with 100 being the life Mark Zuckerberg leads…I was somewhere in the low 20s. My life stunk.
Until I started to open up about my life in really honest ways. I wrote down all my fears and then I worked on facing them one by one, head on, until they started to not be so scary anymore. I wrote down my dreams and tiny steps I could take towards them. I eliminated a lot of things (physical, digital, or mental) that hung me up to think about or see. And throughout the process I was candid with the people I really trust. Instead of being met with “well, I guess if this is what you want, okay, I support you even though I don’t understand it” I was met with overwhelming encouragement and applause for my bravery. I didn’t think I was 60 Points to Gryffindor brave until other people started telling me their stories too. What they want for their lives and how they wish they had the same time and resources as I do to go after their dreams.
I don’t underestimate any of the blessings I’ve been given that put me where I am right now…but I want more people to be here too. I want more people to figure out their dreams…or to stop shelving them if they know what they are. Your life will become so much more colorful when you put your crazy ideas first in life. (And if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know).
So over the course of the next few weeks I’m going to be blogging short (or long) thank you’s to friends, family, famous people, and companies that have made an incredible impact on my journey…because let’s be honest…I wouldn’t have realized all the good things I have and all the more amazing things out there waiting for me if it wasn’t for them.
Have a happy Monday! xx