I was not one of the popular kids. I didn’t fit the mold. I just did my own thing.

Nothing crazy. I just liked wearing bold colors, walked up to strangers to say hello, thought deeply about things, had my own set of principles that was already getting some pretty strong development starting in middle school. For some reason, my peers thought these things were not okay.

Fast forward to adulthood, particularly my college years as an English major. I found my tribe in creative circles. Writers, artists, poets. Nonconformists. Free thinkers.

For a long time I thought this was a kids’ problem – being outcast for taking your own way vs. following the crowd. But I’ve noticed there are many adults who feel trapped in a life that does not fit who they really are. Based on my observations, this happens due to pressures from family, an already established circle of friends, career, etc. Mostly, I think we get trapped due to fear.

WHAT IF…

What would happen if we quit our job? Went back to college? Moved to a new place? Made new friends? Had less contact with those controlling family members? Broke off that toxic relationship? We’ve been putting up with a rudimentary life and other people’s crap for so long – would we know how to survive if our circumstances changed? What would happen if we took that deep a look at our life? Would we realize how much of it we wasted?

I get that…

But here are some other questions to consider.

How much more of your life do you want to waste? Do you want to get all the way to the end, be lying on your death bed and realize it really is too late to do anything you really wanted to do?

How much is it worth to you to develop your soul; to truly live your life vs just exist?

I’ve been there. I’ve asked myself these questions. And you know what? When I weighed both sides, it didn’t take long to see exactly which path was more worthwhile.

If you lose people who don’t really believe in you or a job that isn’t taking you anywhere…is that a real loss?

Know that there probably will be a “pruning period” – a time when it feels like you’re losing everything. You may need to shed old ideas and images that don’t fit your true identity. You may need to reveal and accept things about yourself that you have been afraid of. But know this:

There are plenty of people in the world. There are plenty of jobs, plenty of careers. There are plenty of experiences. However, there is only one YOU! And you have only one life to live!

How do you want to spend it?

I am not a therapist. Everything I write is according to my own experiences. Take what you need! 💚