I had a chat with a new friend this morning. We were discussing how people keep referring to “the new normal”. Many more say how they wish things would get back to normal. He said to me how great a challenge it was to escape the mental hamster wheel he and his wife had been on.
There is no new normal. There is now. When we recognize the moment and are present in it, what is normal is temporary, and unless we try to re-create it day after day, it passes like everything else.
For many of us, we’ve realized that we can escape the unrewarding cycle we're on when reality made it clear noting is going to be the same.
Some of us realized that maybe there was a possibility to spend our time doing what we wanted. Maybe we could do something we love and be paid for it.
I had a conversation with a friend a few weeks ago that for years hated what he did. He spent 18 years there even though it negatively affected almost everything in his life. He justified it by saying his salary helped him live a comfortable life.
When we look at comfort vs discomfort in life, we all experience it in one way or another. And comfort in many cases really is a self-imposed boundary. When we think about life, discomfort is the tension that leads to our tipping point. It’s where many of the best things in life happen. When we’re forced to make a decision that we’ve been putting off because we have no other choice, we tap into something much deeper, and many times, we’re able to look back at that moment as a life-changing experience. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse.
When we lean into the tension, we can find clarity in a decision that has to be made. If we can look objectively at the things we call comfort.
When we commit and take the leap, it becomes easier, and we can see the possibility. We’re never going to get from start to finish in one leap, but my friend didn’t get from year 1 to year 18 in one leap either. It’s a journey.
You don’t have to drop everything in your life to take your leap. Quitting your job, selling all of your belongings, and living in your car is likely not the answer. There is always your first step. It’s the hardest, but eventually, you’ll be on your way until you choose not to be, or to take a different leap. You don’t have to have it all figured out to start. I love using this analogy… “It’s a lot easier to balance and direct on a bicycle already moving forward.” (not sure if I should be quoting this as it's one of mine).
It’s a lot less scary than being on a path without vision or direction waiting to see what will what unexpected obstacle you’ll face next.
Why it matters? Because this is normal. This is life. This is not the matrix. The only thing left to do is leap. Why not now?
Newsletter
No comments.