There are a million ways to live this life, billions of decisions we make from the time we are born to the time we die that shape our world and reality. If we only have one shot at it, I constantly ask myself, am I making the most of it? How am I choosing to live this one unique and exceptional life? I’ve always been an advocate for following dreams and pursuing passions over adopting the traditional socially accepted life. Then I suddenly found myself caught up in it. Forcing myself to believe that this was the time in my life to get “serious”, I talked myself into thinking that responsibility meant an 8-5 and putting my appetite for creative living aside. I watched myself warp into a new and unfamiliar world, appreciating the perks of steadiness, routine and schedule but watching my work life balance suffer and energy deplete. Yoga, my anchor and truest connection to myself, was practically non-existent. I went from practicing 5 days a week and teaching to a weekend practitioner whose body was sore after a Hatha class. My mind-body intelligence began to deteriorate. My connection to intuition was still pulsing lightly but I didn’t have the energy to listen to it. Most days I felt just enough stamina at the end of the day to get something active in, eat dinner and go to sleep. As much as I love and thrive off community, I found myself with little to contribute and more eager to spend my time alone.
Plain and simple I was tired.
Tired of fighting the idea that I needed to grow up and out of my ideas of what adult life should look like. Tired of thinking there was only a few routes to take and that I needed to be on one of them. Tired of not following my path when I know damn well what fuels and inspires me.
I was exhausted from feeling inauthentic to my needs. So I gave in and leaned into trust.
And here’s the thing I’ve realized… we believe we have tomorrow. We assure ourselves that eventually, we will be in the position to attain what we really want. We feel secure in our jobs, relationships, mortgages and material possession. We find comfort in the fact that our bank account reads sufficient, we have a great looking resume and a place to rest our head at night. We feel sheltered and shielded from the harsh realities other people face, but lack the ideation that it could just as easily be us.
We are groundless and we need to start living like it. Nothing in this world can cease suffering. Nothing will block aging (sorry botox) and sickness and death. Nothing will give us security no matter how hard we try. If we all realized how utterly precious this gift called LIFE is, maybe we wouldn’t be so hesitant to act on our dreams? Maybe our individual human story would read a little differently? Sure, maybe you can act tomorrow. But maybe you can’t.
Do it now.
Howard Thurman, an influential philosopher, educator and civil rights leader said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” His famous words are a mantra to my next chapter and I hope a source of inspiration that move you closer towards living groundless, present and in full gratitude. – mahalo nui xo
