Is it time yet?

I recently celebrated the first year of Indelible Adventures…thank you!

It’s been a wonderfully rich and rewarding year, I’ve learned a lot, made some mistakes along the way but generally feel very satisfied with where I am personally and professionally.

I realize my journey isn’t for everyone but I want to share some things I learned along the way that may help you with your own personal journey, because trust me, we all have one!

As many of you know for many years I pursued the dream of making Partner at one of the world's most prestigious management consulting firms only to realize that once I’d achieved the dream it was an empty one. What I craved most was a connection with my children and family, yet my pursuit had taken me away from what I most wanted. The stark reality for attaining my dream consisted of being on a plane 10 hours a week on average and living out of a carry-on (far less glamorous than it sounds), especially when you throw in 12 – 14 hour days for years on end and layer in restaurant food every night.  Just not healthy...

I had gotten it all wrong! To be clear I’m not blaming anyone but myself for buying into this dream…nope I did it all by myself. :-)

My personal realization was profound and ultimately touched every facet of my life.

As I embarked on this wholesale change in my life there were many who thought I was crazy. After all, not a lot of sane people walk away from a perfectly good job in the search for connectedness and the pursuit of personal happiness. This is especially relevant when you’re walking away from the financial security and the perceived safety of high paying executive job.

Nope, I felt compelled to embark on this journey and change the way I lived and refocus on what was most important to me in every aspect of my life. An authentic life if you will.

What I craved was flexibility and greater control over my day-to-day life and the only way that I could see that happening was if I created something that combined my passions – writing, photography, speaking and travel.  

I realize that we live in a complex and busy world, and that many of us feel trapped by the various pressures and become stuck in the constant grind with no end in sight, and to be honest to survive we turn off and go numb. Constantly challenged and bombarded with responsibilities around kids, family, work, running a household, paying the mortgage...yep, it's a long list!

My first big “ah-ha” moment was the self-realization that I’m in control of every aspect of my life. Each and every day I get to actively choose how I’m going to live my life. However, to get myself into the right mindset where I’m mentally available is really important. I need to be able to emotionally rid myself of the negativity and worry that builds up inside my head.  I know I'm not alone on that front!

Here are the three simple things that I use each day to help me, and remember it’s all about small steps: 

1. Just breathe - First thing in the morning (important to remember not to check your email or social media before you undertake this exercise) take 5 minutes of quiet self-reflection time to center yourself and breathe. Take this time to hone in on what’s most important for you that day (a hint – it's unlikely to be work related…just sayin!). 

1. Be positive - take a moment to reflect on all the wonderful things that you have in your life and how fortunate you are to be healthy, safe and surrounded by those you love. It’s amazing how much you can influence yourself and others by choosing to be positive and smiling more.

1. Be curious – when you’re curious you tend to ask more questions, and talk less. You also learn so much more from active listening and asking open-ended questions that you ever would from talking. This always helps me get more connected to those around me and build closer relationships.

I’ve come to believe that the more you engage your senses, take time to self reflect and strive for your own brand of personal happiness the brighter the world seems.

By the way it’s irrelevant whether you try my three exercises or have your own, the very act of you taking action to embrace life and live it on your terms is the most important thing.

So the question is – are you prepared to take control of your life and live it fully?  If so, what are you going to do about it?  It's only words unless you take action...

Try it you might be surprised with the results.  

p.s.  I'd love to hear your feedback, or personal experiences and stories.