You Get To Choose Your Own Adventure

My birthday was this last weekend, and I've always considered my birthday like my personal new year.

As I look ahead at my next revolution around the sun, I'm also looking back and celebrating.

I've been spending time in my hometown in rural Minnesota these past few weeks, with a couple more weeks to go here.

I left my hometown pretty quickly after high school. I lived in the Twin Cities area for much of my 20s and then moved to Washington state where I've lived for the last 2 decades.

If I'm honest with myself, In so many ways I never fully felt like I belonged here in my hometown. Even when I was really young, internally I felt like an oddball out in so many ways. I craved so much more than was here for me, even though I didn't really even know what that was back then.

I've changed & grown so much since I left my hometown over 25 years ago that it feels like a distant previous life to me as I spend time here.

One thing I've been thinking about as I spend time here is that even though on the outside, I probably fit in here well when I was growing up, on the inside, I didn't always feel that way, but I kept that mostly to myself.

I had the ambition to leave, to explore, to travel, to be exposed to ideas, lifestyles, interests, and ways of being that didn't exist here.

When I did this, I grew in such different ways that were more authentic to who I felt like on the inside all of my life.

I've also realized over the years that I can be a bit of a chameleon in ways. I adapt easily to my surroundings. But that can be a bit dangerous ~ when you spend time with people and in places that don't actually align with who you are on the inside, what you want for yourself....what you crave.

As I was growing up here, I felt like I did that, and at many times in my adult life too.

I've been a chameleon many times and played along with operating how everyone else did around me, partially because I didn't know any different at the time, and also because being different would have put me at risk of feeling like I didn't belong, which is something as humans we all need for survival.

All the while, I held this deep feeling that there was so much more of me to explore. Knowing that I would feel more like myself somehow, somewhere else.

Why am I sharing this with you?

I know that I'm not alone in this feeling.

A deep knowing that there's so much more to explore, so much more to learn, and so many other ways of being outside of the culture that I was raised in and the different circles I have found myself in throughout my life.

If you're reading this, take a moment to ask yourself if there is something inside you that is craving more than what is around you right now....

This could be so many different things.

➡️ We can feel stuck in our surroundings a bit when we crave expanding.

➡️ We can feel stuck in patterns of behavior and activities when we are in the same places and around the same people.

➡️ We can feel stuck in ideas, ways of thinking, ways of operating, and lifestyle habits according to the culture, people, and environment around us.

Maybe you are reading this thinking "I'm perfectly happy where I am - it suits me well". If so - awesome! I love that for you!

But....If you are reading this, and there's a little something inside of you yelling to get your attention.....

"Hey! I'm craving something more! something different! I want to explore some changes" (or anything similar)

I'm here to encourage you to listen to that voice.

I deeply believe that our journey as humans is unique to only us and rarely linear. Life is meant to be full of twists & turns.

If you are craving something more - something that could cause you to grow in different ways, develop new skills, knowledge, or interests, or just expand your world in some way that would feel more authentic to who you feel you are on the inside, please listen to that voice.

Develop the new friendships.

Take the classes you've been thinking of taking.

Travel to the places that you have dreamed of visiting.

Learn about the things that you know nothing about but feel so curious.

Try new experiences that your soul is craving.

Change up your routines & habits.

Change up what you do for fun.

Focus on personal development in a way that you have always wanted to, even if it feels scary.

Make the move or apply for the job that you know would make you happier.

Learn a new art form.

Expand your horizons in the ways that little voice inside you is screaming for.

As I turned 46, I know I could be easily set in my ways.

I know I could have easily chosen many different paths along the way.

I'm grateful made the choices I did.

And I'm grateful that I continue to choose to live my life by the beat of my own drum.

I'm grateful that I continue to be open to growth, and change, and continually seeking out what feels best for me, even when it's a bit scary.

I'm preparing to spend some time in Mexico for the winter. Is there some nervousness? Yup. Absolutely. But there's also a deep feeling of excitement. Knowing that spending time in a different place & culture will cause me to grow. Knowing that experiences like this always make me expand in ways I don't even know yet, but feel ready for. (And also knowing that my soul craves being near warm waters and sunshine for the winter and that will feel really fulfilling for me 😉)

We get to choose our own paths.

We're not stuck. We don't need to be the chameleon and conform to our surroundings. What we need is to follow what our soul craves. To live more authentically to who we are on the inside...what we feel on the inside.

You get to choose your own adventure.

What does that mean for you?

With Love, 

Shelly