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Have you ever woken up, glanced around you and thought “what is going on; What’s happened to the hopes, dreams and aspirations you had as a young child?”
In today’s post I would like to share with you five of the steps I took to leave my stressful job as a Probation Officer to follow my childhood dream to be a writer.
Childhood Dreams
Can you remember what you wanted to be when growing up, or does it all feel like a dream, a far-away fairy tale that never really got off the ground?
As a child, it is easy to dream. To dream big, to dream and pretend to be a superstar or your favourite tv character. But somehow as you grow up, life gets in the way. Dreams you had as a child fade into the background as you struggle to meet the demands and expectations of parents and teachers. Then when you start work, you feel tied to your job as the bills and daily living gets in the way of you picking up your dreams and carrying on.
Can you remember what it felt like to be alive, to wake up bubbling with excitement and passion for the day ahead?
As you get older it is easy to dismiss your feelings and just live day to day.
Believe it or not, it does not matter how old, tired, fat or broke you are, it is still possible to achieve your dreams. You can turn your life around and follow your heart. Sure, it may be difficult, harder to let go off your attachments and responsibilities, but it is possible.
Here’s What I Did To Recapture My Dreams
1. Make a Decision that you will commit to change
If you feel you are stuck in a rut and not sure what you want to do, what your dreams are, that’s OK. The starting place for change begins within. Whenever you feel unhappy, unfulfilled, unsure or low that is a sign that your life is out of alignment and something is not quite right. Happiness is your birthright, but as you grow it is easy to get caught up in the business of daily living and lose sight of really makes you tick.
When I became aware just how unhappy and stressed I was I made the decision to seek help and find a way out of the hole I was in.
2. Trust the Process
In the process of change, of deciding what you want to do, it can be difficult to know if what you feel is real or just your imagination playing tricks. Whatever is going on inside, you have to learn to trust. To trust yourself and to know that at any given moment in time, you are in the right place at the right time. Everything you experience is a learning and a step towards you achieving your goals.
Many a time, along the road to self fulfilment, I question whether I am doing the right thing, especially when my energy is low, bills are piling up and I wonder what next? However, time after time, something happens, I receive an unexpected call to cover a class, or an cold lead calls up,or I read a tweet and feel inspired and motivated and reminded of why I am on this path. And that gives me the strength to carry on.
3. Take Time to Breathe
In the throes of change, in deciding what path to take, you can feel stifled, stuck and unsure of what is happening inside. Learning how to breathe correctly, to take full deep yogic breathes is essential to support you gain clarity. Every time you exhale you give your body space and permission to let go, and release pain and struggle. As you inhale, you take in rich oxygen, which brings life and vitality to your mind, body and soul.
For me, my daily yoga practice – including pranayama and meditation is my lifeline. Yoga works. It heals and transforms you from the inside out.So any time I feel stuck and lack focus, I take a step back and B-r-e-a-t-h-e.
Check out my post on breathing exercises and discover for yourself just how powerful breathing exercises are
4. Ask for Support
If you know you want to change but are not sure exactly what part of your life you have to change to reach your dreams then seek help. Ask for support. There are lots of self-help personal development groups, life coaches and mentors available who will encourage you to get clearer about what changes you have to make. In some cases, your coach, guide or mentor can hold your hand and support you through the whole process of change.
In my case, I had regular sessions with my coach who enable me to work through the different options available.
5. Let Go of Resistance
In the process of change, you will meet resistance. Resistance is your body’s way of telling you that you have to make a decision, to move through your resistance or stay stuck. Again, there are no right or wrong emotions or experiences. Your job, with the guidance and support of your coach is to look at what the resistance represents and, to find a way which allows you to safely explore all options.
Fear, wondering what other people would say if I failed and also my fears of not being successful held me back. These fears are still there, but rather than hold me back, I can face these fears and work through them. Which as you can imagine is so liberating.
Over To You
As you can see, change can happen in an instant; yet, given we are humans with social, family responsibilities and commitments can get in the way of you reclaiming your dreams and following your heart. Take your time and follow the above five steps – make a decision to change, to trust the process, to breathe, ask for support and let go of resistance and in time, you shall wake up and find yourself living your dream. I encourage you to take your time and follow your heart. You will be glad you did.
Action
What do you feel about the five steps I mentioned? Can you identify with the process I took-from making a decision to change my life, trusting the process, asking for support, take breathing space and finally let go of resistance?
Share your thoughts and comments in the Comment Box below and remember to click the Twitter and Facebook icons below so others can also read this post.
Thank You
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