The Missing Piece
Ever worked putting together a crossword puzzle, only to get to the very end and find there's a missing piece? Somehow, no matter how wonderful the portrait in the puzzle is, your eyes are drawn like magnets to the hole that makes things incomplete.
My clients, single women, come to me wanting to plug in that last piece of the puzzle in their lives. That missing piece is their desired lifestyle. They dream of, fanaticize about and wish they could live life on their terms. They want to stop cramming themselves into someone else's mold.
The great news is that no matter what you may have been programmed to believe, you can live life on your terms. I'm not talking about windfall profits of the filthy rich with private yachts, multiple mansions, and expensive cars. What I am referring to is how you- just you- want to live your life.
Most women I work with want to downsize... to simplify their lives. They want to exit the fast lane, slow down, take time to smell the roses, preferably ones they've grown in their own garden. While trudging through the corporate jungle, they dreamed of owning a boutique or being a writer. One had the desire to raise horses, another to run a bed and breakfast in a quaint little town.
Perhaps you have that same yearning? that last missing piece of your puzzle that prevents you from being completely fulfilled. You owe it to yourself to explore your dreams, and your options. Here are a few steps you can take to start the search for your better tomorrow.
Take time to think
You may need to go away for a weekend...or two...or twenty two, but the point is to get to the root of how YOU actually think. Learn exactly what you think about life, your future, your idea of the perfect lifestyle. I can't remember how many weekend trips I took to places where I could be alone to sort out my own thoughts and desires. Trust me, it will be worth the trip(s).
Commit to pursue your lifestyle
When I first began my quest, I honestly thought it was impossible. But I knew there were certain things I wanted-no-demanded. If I was going through the trouble to start my new life, it would have to be my way. I wanted to be able to sleep until my internal time clock woke me. The idea of being rudely awakened by my alarm clock before daylight not only gave me a horrible disposition, it had literally made me sick.
Also, I wanted to make sure I could be at my computer in the late evenings. I am very creative that time of night. In fact, I'm creating this for you at midnight. Finally, I knew I needed the freedom to take off to go backpacking or on a self-contained bicycle tour whenever the mood struck. All this and still make a living. Impossible? I'm living proof that it not only was possible for me, I've helped hundreds of single women plot out life plans so they, too, are now living their ideal lifestyles.
Refuse to Compromise
Sure, you may have to take steps, sometimes baby steps, to make it to where you want to be. That's natural, but as you're forging ahead with your ideal plans, make certain you don't settle for something easier that comes up. Once I took a temporary job in a bookstore to lower my debt. That would help me get to where I wanted to be quicker. However, had I accepted the promotion they offered me, it would have compromised my entire journey to where I now am. I would have always had a piece of my own puzzle missing.
I once read a reprint of a story that originally appeared in LIFE magazine about the time I graduated high school. The title, "A Life With No Regrets" was very intriguing to me. I wish I'd read it back when it originally printed. The author had made a list when he was a senior in high school of 132 things he wanted to accomplish in his life. At the time of the reprint, he'd accomplished 105 of those things. Some were small and simple. Most were extravagant and difficult. But, he didn't compromise. Piece by piece he put the puzzle of his life together, painting a beautiful portrait of a life with no regrets.
I urge you to live YOUR life. Be who you have been created to be. Don't compromise your identity or your goals. Do what you set out to accomplish. You too will live a life with no regrets!
