The Young Visionary's Guide To Making The Most Of Life After College
I just got home from a week of famjams at the cottage. In between some good ol' sibling bickering, swimming in the lake and gorging myself on s'mores, I got a reminder to practice what I preach.
On our way out of the Sunday morning chapel, a guy comes to chat with the one Asian family. Turns out he works for a nonprofit organization that runs a massive humanitarian ocean cruise liner. People stay on it for 2 years as volunteers, traveling the world and helping out in every capacity imaginable. I was hooked. I want to do that.
His eyes bulged as he described the places he'd been and my heart swelled with glee. I held my breath. As cheeks flexed, my smile could not be contained.
Later at lunch his wife stopped by and also mentioned the period of time she spent on that ship.
"It's so long ago now, but it holds such a special place in my heart."
I know that feeling.
I felt it recently when I sifted through my travel pictures from the last three years. I found pics of me riding a vintage bike through the piazzas outside of Milan. I found my pics of my first meal in Tanzania and my clothes line drying in my dorm room in Russia.
Listening to that couple talk about their experiences on the boat, it hit me.
Why hadn't thought of this before?
I've been so focused on trying to get my website up and running, blogging and networking that I hardly considered some of my other lifestyle and livelihood options.
I was too busy resisting my current life. I didn't want to be that girl that moved home after college and lived at her parents. That was never how I imagined things would work out. And yet, that is exactly the position that I find myself in now.
Mentally, I've been so focused on trying to get out of this situation in my way that I'd lost sight of what I really wanted. By default my brain made the end goal "make enough money and move out to downtown Toronto." 'Cause that's what the cool kids do.
If I'm honest with myself though, that feels blahhh. Unimaginative. Deadening. I don't want to live in downtown Toronto and never really have. It's just not one of my dreams. But I've been subconsciously telling myself to aim for that goal and it's probably been a major source of resistance. Aha!
(Btw, this isn't a value judgement on whether certain dreams are good or bad. All dreams are worthy. Just make sure that they're genuinely yours and that they excite your soul.)
The option of living on a boat and travelling the world? Now that feels electrifying. I can feel the salt water air in my hair. I can already hear the late night conversations with my international cabin mates and imagine the friendships we'd forge.
It's time for me to do my own major brainstorming/desire-mapping sesh. I'm going to research at least 50 different ways that I could travel, making a living and continue to build this blog.
My criteria is the opportunity must:
1) feel exciting, liberating and expansive to me.
2) allow me to visit places I haven't been yet.
3) include fast, consistent Internet.
4) allow me to develop the skills I want: online marketing, branding, training, speaking, etc.
5) give me the time, space and freedom to support YOU and build our amazing community of firestarters!
It might be hard to find 50 scenarios or ways where this could happen, but I want to challenge myself to discover options I've never considered. I'll make my list (and maybe even turn it into a blog post. If you'd like to see this, let me know in the comments below!) and rank the ones that feel most expansive to me.
Then I'm going to take massive action to put my three favourite options into motion and see what doors open. (This step is MEGA important! This is what separates people who create Pinterest travel boards from those who surf their boards in Honduras.)
Instead of just assuming that I'll do what any respectable 23-year-old in my position would be, I'm going to figure out what I really want and pursue that.
Wanna join me?
Leave me a comment below and share what your criteria is. What are the qualities of any trip, job or gig that make your eyeballs pop, as you think, this was made for me?
Also, if you enjoyed this article, I would love for you to share it with your friends! The more of us who wake up and see all that we can be, the better the world will be.
Just Love,
Anita
P.S. I've started the process of a huge re-branding and digital makeover. Expect lots o' free training and resources in the coming months. To make sure that the next incarnation of my brand + The Passion Playbook serves you in the best possible way, I'd love to hear from you.
Hit reply on this email and let me know what it is that you're struggling with most when it comes with living your passion and living with passion. Anything goes. What's holding you back? I'm here to help and cheer you on as we dream big and hustle bigger. #Letsdothis XOXO
