Think Less, Do More
“Good things come to those who DARE”
I once saw this spray painted on a wall while I was out on a run. It was at a time when I wasn't feeling very good about myself at all, but we'll get back to that later. It didn't start to have any sort of meaning to me until I was halfway down the street. 'Dare. Interesting,' I thought. Then I realized just how true that sentence was.; You can't WAIT for good things to happen to you, you have to DARE to pursue them! Duh! Seems easy enough, but for a person like me who is always filled with self-doubt, daring to do most things is difficult.
2017 was a very transitional year for me. It really tested my limits as an adult and how far out of my comfort zone I was willing to go to reach my goals. I figured this was as good a time as any to figure out what it really is to be an adult. I came to a realization that there wasn't anything for me in California. I had reached a plateau and felt like if I stayed, I'd never experience any growth. I packed up my life and moved out of state, I got my own apartment, started working in a totally new location, and heck, I even did my own taxes myself. So "adult-y", right? I decided to dive deeper into the adult trend and really try to be part of Corporate America because that's what society has you believe you should do. So I dropped everything to dedicate all my focus to work and really try to grow within the company.
Sure I was bringing home great money, but I was miserable. I was working 80 hour weeks, taking orders from a manager who had no idea what she was doing and taking calls from angry customers yelling at me due to the manager and salesperson setting improper expectations and leaving me to deal with the mess. It was a constant load of stress that weighed me down daily. I didn't have time to spend with my friends nor did I have time to make new ones in this new city, I didn't have time to spend with my dog and I didn't even have time to eat a proper meal because I all I really had time for was work. I would come home feeling drained and all I could think was 'I guess this is what adults do.' I had basically given up everything that was important to me. And all for what? I gave up a lot of myself to do all the ridiculous tasks given to me, all to be told I was a replaceable asset to the company (the manager was a power hungry Dick). Sure enough, a few months later I was part of the company-wide layoffs and without batting an eyelash and without remorse, the "Dragon Lady" told me I was being let go. My entire world came crashing down and I felt like I was worth nothing. Less than nothing.
I gave myself a few days to process everything and took time to visit with friends out of state, reconnect with friends I had lost touch with and just cope. Then one day I woke up and I realized something; I actually felt OK. I didn't feel stressed. Sure the whole not having a job and still needing to pay rent and bills thing was daunting but that was NOTHING compared to what I was dealing with before. I was free! For the first time in a while, if not ever, I felt like my life was a blank canvas and with it, I could do whatever I wanted. I quickly got out of bed, sat at my desk and wrote out all the things I wanted to do with my life. A few hours and a stack of papers later, I started to feel overwhelmed by what I had scribbled and how many things I wanted to do and probably should have accomplished by now. Where did the time go? At that point, everything I had jotted down was simply things I wished for. 'Maybe one day I'll have an opportunity to do some of these things. I'll just have to wait and see,' I thought. Riley, my dog, then rested her head on my lap and starts grunting indicating she wanted to go outside. So I grab her leash and decided we would go for a run to clear my mind.
After about 15 minutes of running aimlessly and getting lost in the neighborhood, I ran past that message: "Good things come to those who DARE." Once the meaning clicked, I suddenly felt the urge to sprint home and reevaluate the items on my list. I've always been a huge believer in that if you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to do it and it was time for me to actually put that belief into play. A whole world of opportunities seemed to open up and the possibilities of what I could do were endless.
I've since implemented a "Just Do It" mentality (I guess Nike is on to something). Thinking less about doing something and actually doing it. Do I want to eat healthily? Do it. Do I want to see the Grand Canyon? Do it. Do I want to go to Hawaii? FUCKIN' DO IT! Seriously; think less, do more. Think less about the things you wish you could do and start making plans to DO them.
We are a little over a month into 2018 and already it has been THE BEST year. I brought in the new year with great friends by flying on a private plane to Catalina Island for a quick hike and some lunch. That alone was a sign that this is going to be an amazing year. 2018 is a year of growth, travel, and adventure. A year of facing fears and saying YES! I used to pray I could make it through the day only to dread having to do it all again tomorrow and the next. For once, I'm excited for what tomorrow holds. I've already had so many great experiences this year and I intend to keep that trend going.
I have so many things planned for this year and I'm excited to share my adventures with you. Its gonna be awesome :)
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”
#PositiveRant
—D
For those of you who are new around here: Welcome to my secret blog! It's not really a secret, I just never publicly launched it. :p
