We hear this all the time —- "Focus on the positive things; shift away from the negative". While this is a great philosophy and something we should definitely put into practice, I want to take “focusing on the positive” just a little bit further.
I want to shift that focus, not just towards positive things; but towards your passions. As you know, I quit my job a few months ago; and, while a lot of factors played into that decision, what really pushed me over the edge was my lack of passion for it. I was investing so much time and energy into making someone else’s dream a reality, that I was losing sight of my own.
I was burnt out and stressed out and found I had no energy to pump into myself. It was like I was being sucked dry — and in all honesty, I was! I was pumping all the best parts of myself into something that wasn’t nurturing me and while someone else was gaining everything from my efforts — I was being left with nothing.
In life, particularly in our early adult years, we are told this is the time to “grind;” to work hard in order to become successful and set ourselves up for the future. While this is true, there is a certain expectation for what that success looks like and what needs to be done to get there. Ultimately, we end up spending a lot of time investing our time, energy, and our entire selves into the things we need to meet that goal, and forget about the things we actually want.
We get jobs and stick with them because we need to eat; we need to pay rent; and while yes it makes sense— who wants to starve? BUT at the same time, we forget about ourselves in the process. We lose sight of the things that make us come alive in favour of the things that keep us alive and in the end we burn out.
Though we’re surviving, we stop living.
For 2020, my goal is to live; and that started with re-igniting my passion and aligning myself with things that helped propel me in the direction I needed to be in to reach my goals.
I started focusing my energy on writing and editing; freelance at first to pay the bills; and everyday I’d search for a job that allowed me the flexibility to travel! I started manifesting and focusing my energy into the things I care about and spent less time putting my soul into working for someone else’s dreams.
As a result, I am making slow steps towards finding what makes me happy and making the best moves for me.
As you all know my sister picked up and moved to a new city to chase her dreams, and recently, I’ve done the same! In making the transition, and repurposing myself towards my own passions, doors have actually started opening for me! In fact, I’ve found a full time editing job which is more in line with what I’d like to do as a career! While it isn’t 100% what I see for my future, we are getting there!
Though I know things won’t just drop in my lap and it will take a lot of work on my part, I think the important thing is that with each day, I focus my energy into the things that I want and need, the closer I’ll get to achieving them.
This applies to that house you want, that career you’re dreaming of, or that relationship you’re looking for. By shifting your focus and energy towards what YOU want, you can determine the path your life takes.
- Cheers
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