Wow,
You're so brave!
I could never do that.
What are you going to do now?
These are just some of the things that people said to me when I told them that I'd taken a voluntary redundancy from my secure and successful corporate career.
And yet to me,
It seemed like the next logical step.
I'd been working for the same company for far too long and it was time for me to spread my wings and do something different.
At the time,
My daughter was just over two and my son was about ten months old and I had no idea what I was going to do next.
What I did know was that I'd been handed a great opportunity,
A chance to stop being swept along by life and actually decide what life was going to look like for me and by default,
My family too.
This was a big decision in my life,
A big moment.
I'd reached a crossroads with so many options.
I was feeling overwhelmed and excited at the same time.
For once,
I knew I had full control of this new chapter of my life.
The big question I needed to answer first was,
What's the first step?
And to be honest with you,
I had no idea.
I had no clue.
Not even an inkling.
I know now that how I was feeling is how so many people feel when one chapter of their life ends and another is about to begin.
Whether they've been made redundant,
Decided to retire or are a new mum who's about to return to work,
Overwhelm can just smack you in the face and stop you in your tracks.
Life no longer looks how it used to,
Whether that is because it's intentional or this new situation,
Circumstance has been forced.
And because of this,
It can lead to a loss of identity,
Not really knowing who you are anymore.
It can also knock your confidence because life has changed and it's not what it used to look like,
Feel like,
Be like.
And your forever friend,
Good old inner critic is reminding you how your life has taken a turn for the worst.
And that chatter,
That voice in your head feels like it's non-stop.
When in reality,
You've just entered a temporary period of uncertainty.
And you just need to give yourself some space and time to decide what is next.
So let me help you with that.
The first thing you need to do is make peace with where you are.
Before you can move forward in life,
You need to acknowledge where you are right now.
Whether you're happy,
Sad or indifferent about the current situation,
You are where you are.
That is a fact.
However,
It's not permanent.
So before you can move forward,
You need to accept now.
And there are several tools that you can use such as journaling,
Meditating or simply talking to a trusted friend that will allow you to release of anything that you are holding on to that is stopping you from accepting the situation.
Those emotions that you are holding on to that you need to release in order for you to allow yourself to accept the current situation.
Once you've given yourself the opportunity to accept where you are now,
It's time for you to decide what to focus on.
So during these times where it's easy to feel like life is out of balance and everything needs an overhaul.
This only goes to add more onto the overwhelming feeling that you have already.
Instead,
Take one thing at a time to decide which area of your life needs focus right now.
And it might be your career,
It might be your finances,
It might be your well-being or it could be something else.
So take a moment to reflect on all aspects of your life to confirm which for you is your priority.
Whether it's the one that feels most out of balance or the one for you that you think needs to be reviewed and addressed first before you can move on to anything else.
And then finally,
The bit which I think is the most fun is to visualize the best it could be.
Take that one area of your life that you've decided is your priority and focus on it and give yourself the freedom to dream and to visualize what it would look like without limitations.
Be creative.
Allow your imagination to determine what could be possible.
Yes,
This may feel scary.
However,
If you shoot for the stars,
You'll certainly reach the moon.
Take this time to allow yourself to aim high.
Really feel into the life that you want to create.
What does it feel like?
What does it look like?
What does it sound like?
Embrace yourself,
Immerse yourself.
Be creative.
There are no constraints when we visualize or dream.
And therefore ensure that those invisible barriers are allowed to just fall by the wayside so that you can visualize the best it could be.
Wherever you find yourself whilst you're listening to my words,
Know that you can turn this around.
You can steer your life in the direction that you want to go.
You don't have to be brave or have the answers right now.
You just need to accept where you are,
Then decide what part of your life requires your attention and then allow yourself to dream so that you can create a wonderful reality.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
I would love to hear where you are right now and the challenges that you currently face.
Take care,
Everyone.
