I used to speak about the worst-case scenario… and say I was being a realist. Rationalizing to myself that I was preparing for what might be…
… just in case.
It’s easy to think that we’re guarding ourselves against disappointment by only speaking to what we think will happen… what we have convinced ourselves to be the worst possible outcome.
But that wasn’t the case at all.
There’s always something… work responsibilities, personal errands, meal prep and an endless list of things-to-do. Life never fails to present us with busy work. Most of us are adaptable. We take on as much as we can and then pretend that we’re not totally and utterly stressed out from all the pressure we put on ourselves.
When you’re trying to get ahead or stay above water, ignoring what needs to be done is not an option, but a proper mental break is. We live in a world where those that lack sleep and run on coffee are applauded for their commitment to success… and self-care always ends up on the backburner. But the truth is you are at your best when you are fully charged, focused and refreshed.
If you read that and thought, I’m none of those things… it may be time for a mental break.
I’m often asked ‘how did you discover your purpose in life?’ or ‘how did you know what you were passionate about?’ and I remember asking others this exact same question. I would watch other women and wonder how they knew what they were supposed to be doing… not even knowing if they actually knew or not.
But like most things, this was a journey that I had to take on my own. This lesson wasn’t learned from good advice or an epiphany moment because someone said something that resonated with me. The truth is that as I began to understand just how purpose and passion work together, everything started to make sense.
In my early 20’s, I worked strictly to earn a living. I worked too many jobs to name, trying to find my way… but I never did. I couldn’t see myself moving up in any of the companies that I worked for and honestly, I didn’t have the desire to. There was something lacking. And although my primary objective (at that time) was a paycheck, I still had a burning desire to actually enjoy the work I was doing.
