Do The Thing
Every year my mom and I take a trip to the mountains. It’s an overnight trip. We have the same routine. Wake up early, drive, stop at Tropical Smoothie Cafe to get smoothies and lunch, head to the mountains, hike our first hike, eat lunch, hike some more, go back into town for dinner at a favorite local spot, head back to the mountains, camp, wake up, hike hike hike, and head home.
It’s typically exhausting and painful but so much fun and very fulfilling. It is type two fun to the max. Type two fun is the type of fun that isn’t exactly fun in the moment but looking back is amazing. To understand it even more, compare it to type one fun, which is instant gratification in the moment type of fun.
Type one fun is great, but type two fun is my jam.
Mitch and I have been talking a lot lately about truly living. Basically, how can we live a very full and vibrant life without the grip of complacency and comfort holding tight to us.
Pre 2020 I was big on going out and living. I’d say yes to the random overnight trip hours away just to meet up with a friend. I’d rearrange my entire schedule and work at less than ideal times just to spend a day out exploring. If it seemed crazy or inconvenient to someone else, I was probably down.
When I was drowning in trauma over the past few years that all went away. I became a creature of comfort and getting outside of that was stressful. I didn’t want to do it and no one pushes you to do things like that. So I just didn’t.
Now though, now things are shifting as I step back into my old self in a new way. Give me the midweek hiking adventure. Give me the day trips to New York City where I spend more time traveling than I do in the city. Give me life.
Something that I struggle with is the thought of pursuing dreams and the impact that it has on others. Think - moving away from home, sharing honestly and openly online, stepping outside of the box of what is perceived as normal.
I know that this is something that hold me back and I recognize that I’m not alone in that.
How do we overcome that? How do we live a wildly aligned life in the midst of potential judgment and disapproval from those close to us?
I think that the answer looks different for everyone but generally speaking it happens one step at a time.
One honest instagram post. One outfit that makes you feel fabulous that will be seen some type of way by the jeans and t-shirt crew. One trip or move outside the distance of normal. Just one thing.
One thing.
Because once you do one thing then you can do one more over and over again. Soon you realize that those one things add up and compound into a completely new, aligned, and satisfying life.
I’m not through the journey of the one thing yet. I’m in it. I’m doing it one thing at a time.
You never know what is possible until you embark on the journey of seeing what is possible. And you’ll never see what is possible if you are stuck in the confines of fear, false senses of safety, and comfort.
June is officially here. Before we know it July will be rolling in and the year will be halfway over. The year is almost halfway over!! Have you been doing things to make yourself proud? Have you committed fully to the things that mean the most to you? Are you showing up for your self?
If not, that’s okay. Because today is a new day and this new day is the perfect time to start. It’s never too late. Say yes. Go on the trip. Make the move. Wear the dress. Post the post. Shine your light.
Live your life.
And do it for you.
