Over the past few weeks I have been compelled to ask several questions. Why did I think this move was necessary? What brought me to this place? What is my next step? How do I move forward?
The answer to this question is really simple. I need to CHILL OUT. It’s wonderful to have goals and to push yourself, but I’ve found that just allowing yourself to enjoy and learn from an experience is more important than finding the next great thing to do.
After graduating from college I found myself in a lose-lose situation. An economy that was down, a job market that was even further down, and at a place in my life where compromise seemed easier than fulfilling my true potential.
After 18 months of compromise I needed something bigger, better, and more extreme. I guess I’ve always been someone to see no middle ground. My choices (as I saw them) were to stay put and work at a minimum wage position or to move to Alaska and have the adventure of my life. This doesn’t leave much room for compromise, but it does leave the door open to everything else.
I’ve heard it said that only two things last forever: love and regret. I want to challenge that choices last forever and choices change forever. If I could encourage any of the people reading this to do one thing it would be revamp your idea of “acceptable”. Who told you that would be the way to go or the thing to do? Why does it matter and what do you want for yourself? What are your goals and more importantly are you chilled out enough to make those goals a reality?
Live big.
So being in the south is an easy place to find complacency. In my adult life I have rarely felt the need to find the approval of peers, but as we all do i have fallen victim to the expectations of how to have a life plan. I think its is really easy to come up with a bunch of reason to stay put, but what if the best thing you’ve ever done is just outside your comfort zone.
Tonight I went to a rap/hip-hop concert. There were obvious moments that I didn’t really “fit in”, but It was a blast. I found that the freeing thought was no one is looking at me. I’m not here to impress anyone and this isn’t a ridiculous contest about who can get their hair the highest (If you aren’t from the south you didn’t get that).
I try to take every moment as an opportunity to grow and learn. Tonight I learned that most of my life I have been bound or seen others be bound by the restrictions that no one actually put on them. This is not a contest and I should act like there is no prize for being the most self-consumed. Once you let go of the restrictions you place on yourself you can be surprised by just how awesome you actually are…. now lets hug it out!! LOL
southernbelleinalaska 