No, you're not crazy.
We have a great idea, we get excited, the wind’s blowing through our hair, and then, out of the blue, like a shark from the deep, a voice rises to the surface and tries to scare you into turning the whole boat around: “Wait a minute, am I crazy?”
Can I quit my well-paying job just because it’s making me miserable?
Can I move my family away from the city to a farm?
Can I start over and go back to school when I’m 35 years old?
Can I spend all my money traveling the world for a year?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Aaaaand yes.
No, you are not crazy. No, you have not lost your mind. You are actually desperately trying to find it -- not the mind inside that thing that sits on top of your shoulders, the mind that guides you from within. That mind that knows things you don’t understand. The one that never leads you astray. The mind that knew all you were capable of when you were just a few cells in your mother’s womb. The mind of your soul has no limits and lives by no rules.
No matter what your mother, friends or coworkers say, stepping out of your comfort zone and onto your own path, without knowing what’s on the other side, is exactly what you’re built to do.
You have the ability to problem-solve, create, build and communicate. And you were born with your own curiosities, your own preferences, your own interests. Those are all clues. Follow them, get back in touch with them, begin. Just begin to step toward what’s calling you, without hesitation and without expectation.
Don’t worry about fitting into a certain box and definitely don’t worry about what your neighbor Suzy’s gonna say. Just remember that nothing great came from the status quo.
Years ago, I read an interview with Oprah that’s stuck with me ever since. Oprah said her life changed when she decided to surrender -- to give up expecting certain results, and instead, surrender to the path that was calling her.
Surrender.
Surrender any expectations, and trust that the magic of your own life is right here, waiting to put on a show for you.
It’s happened to me many times. When I release control, am honest about what I want and let go of expectation, I am inevitably given more clues, more breadcrumbs to follow. And it’s in these moments of surrender, asking and receiving, that trust is built. Hand over the reins and put judgment aside. Judgment from others and yourself.
How do you know if you’re going in the right direction? My life coach gave me some great advice to help me check in at the end of the day: See how your body feels. If it feels tense, anxious, tight, hunched over … your energy and intention aren’t aligned. If you feel like you could take off and fly, with open heart and chin up, you are on the right path and living your life authentically.
Go ahead, close your eyes, take a few breaths and check in with how your body feels right now. Surrender to your dreams and get ready for the adventure of your life to unfold.
Listen, I am the author of this post and know what I am sharing with you all to be true, and yet I still have to put up I AM statements in my office, write three-month vision statement for myself and continually step back and call bullshit on the voices in my head saying “I can’t.” “I shouldn’t.” “Who does that?”
I do. I can. I will. Watch me.
