A Special Calling

This New Year I came across what I believe to be one of the best tools for setting goals, refining vision and finding your purpose. 

It is called the Rituals for Living Dreambook + Planner (link below).

As the creators, Briana and Peter Borten say on the website, 

“The Rituals for Living Dreambook is a place for you to dream, craft, and forge new rituals. It helps you clarify and emphasize your true priorities, and establish a plan to bring them to the forefront of your life. It guides you to find enjoyment and specialness every step of the way. And it reminds you not to sacrifice your physical, psychological, or spiritual health as you start achieving goals like never before.”

I feel so compelled to share about this book because it provided me with a sense of purpose and clarity I have never experienced before. (This is not to be taken lightly as I have done more than my fair share of “find your purpose” exercises in the past.) 

In fact, I would recommend that everyone purchase this book and really spend the quality time needed to answer each question posed. The questions are written in such a way to get clarity on your vision, purpose, goals and ultimately how to break down each of those goals into actionable steps and rituals to make them a reality.

When I found myself spending the time to really dwell on the answers to these questions, I had the sudden realization that the way I initially built this website did not actually fit me or what I feel my purpose is. 

Which is why I took out the Health Coach page.

I am nearly done studying at Integrative Institute of Nutrition and I have loved it. Health and nutrition is something I find myself passionate about. However, a health coaching business doesn’t feel quite right for me at this moment in time.

Maybe it will be right sometime in the future. But as of 2016, at this point in my life where I am reestablishing myself once again in a new place and at a new beginning, I know it isn't quite the right thing just yet.

Instead I am a Connection Facilitator. 

My purpose is to create community and to help others create community.

That is what I am good at and what I intend to focus this website on.

Now how do I intend to do this? I'm not so sure yet. That is still to come. But at this point in time I know the first thing I can do is establish a community, a tribe if you will, of people who are interested in this topic and want to join me on this new journey. (And if you would like to join sign up for the newsletter in the tab below.)

So that is what I intend to do with this blog.

And as new developments come along you will be sure to see them on this website. As new opportunities and ideas emerge I will grow with them. But as of now, this is where I intend to start.

So what about health and nutrition?

Well, it turns out I quite love health and nutrition and these core concepts come into every aspect of healthy community and how to be a whole person. Due to this I do not intend to drop these topics in any way and the training I received to be a health coach is absolutely applicable to this field of building connections, healthy relationships and community.

So if you or anyone you know has ever struggled with the questions,

How do I make friends after college?

How do I start over?

How do I find community?

Then this is the right place for you. 

And if you’re someone like me who enjoys community building, healthy living in general or if you’re a 20 something trying to figure out your unconventional life, this will be a place you find interesting to hang out.

So here goes nothing. And who knows it could change AGAIN. But as I should know by now, it’s totally A-OK to change.

- If you are in a place where you need to re-center on your vision, purpose or goals (whether or not it is New Years you can fill in the dates so you can really start anytime) make sure you check out The Rituals for Living Dreambook + Planner Here. -

(I was not paid to endorse this product. I wrote this out of the love of my heart.)

Change IS A-OK

Change. 

Why is change something that causes us so much distress? Why does it cause me so much distress? 

I’ve moved countless times. Switched schools. Switched social scenes. Switched countries. Switched cultures. 

And yet, I still find change hard.

Why is this?

I think it is because we are each hardwired to want to stay in our comfort zones. That we don’t want to do anything that may mess up how good we already have it. Even when we know we have no choice but to change.

I find it strange that we can find ourselves in situations, like transition, where change is unavoidable. Yet, we still find it hard to make changes about ourselves.

Consider this.

I am home in Rhode Island after moving back to the US from South Africa. I am job hunting. I am searching for a place to call my own “home”. 

Obviously there is plenty of change happening.

Yet, when I look at jobs I find myself looking at the same exact roles over and over again. Doing things that I already know don’t give me life. Yet I keep doing it.

Why? 

Because I’m afraid. Because I’m afraid of the unknown. 

I’m afraid of doing something different than what my resume says I “should” be doing. Of breaking the rules. Of wanting to do things my way. Of not having a stable job with benefits when I soon turn 26. 

Fear is something very real and very scary and it blocks me from diving into new territory head first. 

Yet...

When I find the courage to break through that barrier into something new I find freedom and joy and excitement. 

It turns out that fear is just that ugly brick wall we put up to keep ourselves safe and comfortable, yet right on the other side is the green pasture of opportunity and dreams.

So this is one of my resolutions for the year 2016. Break through the fear. Don’t be afraid of what other people say. Make mistakes. Shake stuff up and reorganize until I can feel with my gut and soul that I am on the right path and I plan to do just that.

So ask yourself...What fear can you address today that is holding you back?

“What would you do if you weren't afraid?”

Why is this so SCARY?

Why do I keep procrastinating?

These were the questions circulating in my head over the past few weeks and I couldn't figure out how to answer them.

Following these questions would inevitably be something along the lines of:

Well, you will be good enough to start this when ___________ . Right now you're just not good enough/smart enough/etc... at ____________ .

Well it's now almost the end of 2015 and I am finally about to hit GO on a project I started drafting back in August. Why it has taken this long is something I don't like to think about too much because it means I still struggle with being "good enough".

So what changed?

Well, first, I no longer have an excuse. I can't put it off due to other pressing needs. Due to life circumstances I currently find myself in the (nearly) perfect position to get this thing started. 

For this I feel thankful. Yet I also know I could have started this a lot sooner. And who knows where it may have been by now.

As Earl Nightingale said in this famous quote,

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”

The time did pass and I find myself at a point where the internal pressure to get this dream started is about to POP.

So HERE I AM.

So as Sheryl Sandberg famously said in the book Lean In (by the way one of the best books I've ever read and would strongly recommend),

“What would you do if you weren't afraid?” 

Well Sheryl, this is what I would do if I weren't afraid and I am about to start despite me fears.

I'm choosing to GO and I'm glad to have you here with me.