For me, the realization hit in the midst of graduate school. I began to question how a path that was full of stress & "grind" mentality - a path that ironically promoted the opposite of the “good life" we studied - could lead to what I imagined success would feel like: happiness, joy, satisfaction, ease, expansion….
It's as if I could play out my future: if I continued down the path I was on, I would study hard, earn my A's, grind to get a publication, apply for professorships across the nation, only to stress out over tenure...
If that was "success," I didn't want it. So, I quit.
I have heard this story from so many people. Oftentimes, however, the realization isn't one of foresight, but hindsight - after individuals already went down the path toward promised success - only to experience a phenomenon so well-known it has its own name: the "mid-life crisis."
The great news, is it's never too late nor too early to pause this game. I gave myself permission to ask if my current path was what I truly desired, I gave myself permission to say no, & I gave myself permission to courageously ask myself what it was I DID desire. I then ran after in full speed, trust, & joy (intermixes with some moments of “I need to go for a walk” overwhelm, of course. I am only human.)
Today, it is my honor & mission to give you the same permission I gave myself years ago.
Is this the life you truly desire? If you have "achieved success," will you dare to ask if this is what you thought it would be? Or do you feel, in your gut, there must be something more?
That little spark of passion you feel - sometimes with excitement & creativity, at other times with total fear & discomfort - is trying to speak YOUR truth: What does YOUR success actually look like?
