It was 3AM and I had just woken up in a panic for seemingly no reason. I jostled around for half an hour until I really sat and listened to what my body was trying to tell me. Why was I so rattled?
At the time, I had a dream job. I had settled into the comforts of a steady paycheck, a roof over my head, and an agenda that was not my own. But turns out, this job was not my true dream, and the game was up. My body wasn't going to lie for me anymore and I couldn't hold back the truth: I had given up on becoming my best self. On creating my own destiny. On fulfilling my own unique purpose in the world.
All this time my "gut feelings" had sent signals to warn me that this wasn't it. That I was meant for so much more. But my mind kept these feelings at bay.
Yes, I was so grateful for the opportunity I had been given, but gratitude just won't cut it when you are bursting through the seams of your daily life.
So, what was I meant to do? Who was I meant to be? I was at a crossroads. And I could do one of two things. Ignore my body, listen to my mind's logic, and stick to the status quo. Or do a complete 180 and say goodbye to it all.
Scary, right?
Absolutely. But here are three signs you might be heading for a crazy life shift too:
1. You constantly justify your relationship, career, and life decisions in your head. Yeah, go ahead and keep telling yourself he's the perfect guy (on paper), that you're climbing the ladder towards your dream job, or that your life is just fine. Your happy enough.
But does your body agree with you? What does your gut say? It will never lie. When you get up in the morning, how excited is your body to start the day? Do you feel energized and pulled by purpose or like you're pushing yourself to the bone to get things done?
Chances are, that if you keep setting aside gut feelings and replacing them with statements that justify your status quo, you are in need of a life shift. Besides life shouldn't be fine, it should be extraordinary.
2. You find yourself getting jealous of other people's lives. I've definitely been there. It can hurt to see someone else being successful, following their dreams, and living their best life, because we want that SO BADLY.
Just a year ago, when I saw someone following their calling, I would think to myself "I should be doing that work, how is it that they make it look so easy and build a career off of it? What makes them so special?"
What I didn't realize is that everyone has the possibility to have a career and life that they love. It's not about being special, it's about being true. Jealousy has a bad rap, but it can actually help illuminate your path. Think of why you are jealous of certain people. What can this teach you about yourself? What do you want that they have? Why isn't it possible for you? Chances are IT IS.
3. You feel like you reached your peak in college. Alright. For about a year, this was me. I thought that I would never be surrounded by such an incredible amount of like-minded, progressive, thought-provoking people. I thought that I would never find a tribe that even compared to the one I had in college. And I thought that there would never be an environment like campus life to help me get back into thrive mode.
As a student, I was convinced that I would change the world. So was everyone beside me. But after graduating, my idealism converted into realism (at least it's still optimistic realism)! Honestly, when you graduate, the hardest thing isn't leaving the university. It's leaving behind your ideas of utopia.
A lot of us were on cloud nine in college and felt like anything was possible. But what's different now? There's not enough people out there thinking that the possibilities are infinite! They really are. You never know what can happen! Just because we aren't 22 anymore doesn't mean life can't be amazing! Surround yourself with people constantly improving themselves and the world and you'll be reminded of this. Besides, peaking before you've even tapped into your potential is sad. Don't let that happen! You have a while to peak, so take it slow and steady and trust that it's only up from here!
As for me, I took the 180 option. I said goodbye to my life, moved, and started doing the things I love most. Not once have I looked back and regretted my decision.
But that doesn't mean that that's the best option for you. If it's not, don't worry, there's still a way you can jump off your metaphorical cliff without leaving absolutely everything behind. You just have to be creative! So if you are on the brink of a life flip, let your purpose pull you towards life changes, no matter how small. The rest will fall into place with time.
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