I had never done much traveling, nor had I ever taken such a great leap of solitude. But I knew I had itchy feet, and the idea was stirring and awakening inside me. I couldn’t ignore it. So where did it come from? The lust to be somewhere I had never been, to escape the mundane and jump out of the comforting walls and monotonous routines …
I followed all the steps: graduated high school, went to University, did the internship. I was so close to the finish line, sitting in the tutorial of my final year – yet my heart had never been so absent. It stretched further everyday; drawing a line out to unknown places where it could roam free from structure and computer screens. I knew I didn’t have long in my degree to go, but I also knew how quick a deferral could be to process.
Only I could change my lifestyle, and transform my dreams into a reality. I didn’t know what I would do at the time, I just knew that I could learn so much more being out in the world, challenged by language barriers and culture than I ever could in a classroom. I decided to give up the books, and let my intuition be the teacher.
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Now I am definitely not saying you should go and quit your degree – if you love it, engage your heart in all that matters! I just hadn’t found that special rhythm for my heart to dance synonymous with yet, in terms of a career path. There is no recipe for life that needs to be followed so meticulously if you are trading off the chance to ignite a flame that feeds your soul. Money will come, and your purpose will open up to you. If only you could fuel your heart without compromise everyday, then you would have achieved all of the success in the world.
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We all have that one thing that constantly twinkles in the back of our minds; maybe it is while you are folding napkins in your part time job, but your mind is cascading on the painting that you get to go home and finish. You are probably thinking about something right now as you are reading this!
I know that choosing a passionate life over a sustained, and controlled one is so far from the textbook recipe we grew up to follow, but I promise you, those days are over. We are suspended on a ball of molten lava, in timeless space, with the option to go any direction we CHOOSE. It’s a miracle we are even here. Don’t let your flame go to die!
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I’m not urging you to leave your lifestyles in the dust, but if you are compromising a burning desire in the back of your mind, on a daily routine, then let go of your resistance and let your own two feet find their way in this world. There is a certain magic that happens when you give things to chance.
Do not allow your wanderlust or your creativity to remain idle or dormant. When was the last time you stopped thinking and got on your feet and just went for it? The universe will always reward you for trusting in your own two feet, whether it externally appears good or bad, internally it will never be the failed option because you are connecting your mind with your heart, and stepping out of your comfort zone.
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As Jim Cary once said “You can fail at something you don’t love, so you might as well fail at something you do love”. Don’t protect your hearts too much, or you’ll miss out on all the fun.
Has travel helped you to learn to let go, or challenged you in some way? Share you stories with us here and you could see your work published on six-two…