A couple months ago I was contemplating my place in life. I was about to turn 50 and I was questioning why the heck it took so long to come to this place in life. I live in a space of freedom now, and I no longer think about getting through the week to escape into the weekend. The freedom I’m talking about is in being the only thing I can possibly be; me.

I sometimes find myself wondering what might have been possible had I found this 20 years ago when I was only 30. What would have been different in my journey? Where would I be now? What exactly is this thing that I’ve found anyways? It would be very easy to dwell on these thoughts and focus on the opportunities I may have missed. It would be very easy to fill myself full of regrets and get consumed in this place, which I did a year ago.

In letting go of those consuming feelings of regret, sadness, and wanting to turn time back I found something pretty special. When I cleared away all those negative feelings I came to realize I am living my life exactly as it is meant to be. All of the experiences I lived are giving me drive and passion towards what I do day to day. All of my experiences give me passion in helping companies build a culture that allows people to bring their heart to work. All of my experiences make me whole.

Whatever happens is the only thing that possibly can

I believe every one of us is here for a reason. We’re all unique, and we all contribute to something much bigger than ourselves. When we listen to the stories we keep telling ourselves, we tend to hold ourselves back and not fulfill that purpose.

I’m unable to tell you how you would know you’re living your life. For me, I get a feeling of comfort, and there’s just no question in my mind I’m following the right path. I’m able to listen unconditionally to my intuition, and I experience joy in whatever it is I’m doing. I stop thinking about work & life as something I need to balance, and I just simply live my life as it’s meant to be lived.

When I’m living my life in this way, I think nothing of taking time off during the week to do something personal. I think nothing of spending several hours on the weekend doing things to prepare for workshops I’m teaching in the week ahead. I think nothing of going out to lunch with a friend during the week. I’m just living my life the only way I possibly can; by following my heart and doing what feels right.

Time to make a choice

All of those experiences you had in your life contribute to who you are today, whether they were full of joy, heartbreak, excitement, or sadness. As you know you cannot change the past, you only carry it with you. Whether you are aware of it or not, you use all of those experiences every day. Some of the experiences you hold, help light you up and give you a passion for moving forward. Others, contribute to the stories you tell yourself and limit your movement. Neither is right or wrong, they just are the choices we make in our subconscious every day.

The great part about being human is you do have a choice to make. No one else can make this choice for you. This is what it means to live with freedom. There are times you will find yourself choosing to let the things in your past limit your actions going forward. This is a natural thing to do, and we all do it. When you see yourself doing it please be gentle on yourself, and don’t slip into a mindset of shame when you find yourself here. Start by simply becoming consciously aware of the choice you’re making.

When you become consciously aware of your choices you are making, you will find yourself in a very powerful place. You have the power to choose where you go from here. You have the power to choose whether this story is going to limit your next steps, or just become an experience you carry in your heart. I know through your choice you will follow the right path forward regardless of what that might be.

Life is what you make of it

Allow me to let you in on a little secret: Life is what you make of it. You get to choose your actions, path, standards, and how you’re going to live it. There is no right or wrong answers, as you choose what defines your movement through life.

For me, I know I keep limiting myself based on stories from my past. When I see myself doing this I choose to let go. I let go of the limitations I’m placing on myself, take those experiences with me, and live my life fully as I’m meant to be living it and take all of my experiences with me without limiting me.

I invite you to choose freedom in your life. Live. Love. Laugh. Trust me … it’s worth it!

Live. Love. Laugh. Trust me … it’s worth it!