I want to talk about something that bugs me. It’s something I hear a lot from other people, especially women. I hear it from my friends, and I hear it from strangers.
“I wish I had your life.”
“I’m living vicariously through you.”
“You’re so lucky.”
I will be the first to proclaim that I have an extraordinary life. I’m writing this from 40,000 feet above Lake Powell in the beautiful southwestern US. It’s early morning and the sun is shining, lighting up the canyon country in the most exquisite way. I’m on my way to Southern California to shoot my products, feel my toes in the sand on the beach, and explore a town I’ve never been to before.
I traveled 162 days last year. My home base is one of the most beautiful mountain destinations in the world. I am immensely grateful for how free my lifestyle is, the adventures I get to have, all the creative things I get to do, and the places and people I get to see. And I don’t ever take any of it for granted.
I want to be very clear that none of this is to brag. I share this because I want you to know something, that I believe deep in my bones:
You can have this too.
I have the life that I do because of choices of I have made. On some level, I have always had awareness that I am creating my life’s path with each choice I make. But this consciousness has become amplified exponentially since my health scare two years ago.
About two months after my surgery, when my body was healed, I had what you might call a bit of an awakening: We get this one life. We get this one chance to make it as amazing as possible. Whether I have five years left or fifty, I want to make them count. I want to be wildly happy for the rest of my days, and when I reach the end, I want be proud of my time here on earth – with no regrets.
For me, that means having a business that lets me be location independent. It means being able to visit my family on the East Coast as much as I want. It means exploring the world with my husband as much as possible. It means having a healthy body that lets me have adventures on mountains and in deserts, on beaches and in rainforests.
Your dream life may or may not look like mine. But I want you to know that if you’re not in love with your life right now, you can absolutely pivot and start in the direction of your dreams right now.
I know what you might be thinking:
But Julia, I have responsibilities…
I have little kids…
I’m not college educated…
I can’t give up my health insurance…
I have a mortgage, a car payment, and student loans…
These things are real, I know it. I’m not here to disqualify them, and I am certainly not here to make you feel bad about any past life choices you’ve made. You’ve always been doing the best that you can.
But stop automatically assuming you can’t have the life that you want because of your current circumstances. I’m not saying you can waive a magic wand and wake up tomorrow morning on a beach in Bali, celebrating your financial independence with a mai tai (although, I mean, anything is possible). But you can absolutely let yourself dream – without all the “buts”.
Leave the “buts” behind
Instead of talking yourself out of a dream because you can’t possibly imagine how it will come to fruition, ask yourself:
“What if I could go on that trip?”
“What if I had that job I really want?”
“What would it look like if I did _____?”
“What if I had that deeply loving relationship?”
Leave the “how” behind for a bit and just let yourself imagine how great it would feel to do the things that make you feel deeply satisfied.
Maybe it’s writing a book.
Maybe it’s raising chickens and goats in your backyard somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
Maybe it’s starting a non-profit.
Maybe it’s quitting your job and traveling the world.
You may not know the steps to get to get to your dream, and that’s ok. But stop writing it off because of what your life looks now. Stop unintentionally disempowering yourself. Develop the awareness that you – and only you – are in charge of your life. You are not a victim of your circumstances. You have full control over how you feel, how you show up in the world, and what you do with your days.
What I want you to know is that you always have choices. I want you to wake up, and know that you always have the chance to make your life incrementally better. And you can start right now.
In the last two years, I have become extremely deliberate about my life choices, and it has made my life so. much. better.
Feeling stuck? Wanna chat? Comment below or shoot me a message!