What would you do if you had no limitations? If you didn’t need someone’s permission? If you knew that you wouldn’t fail? Envision what this life would be like, down to every single detail. Where would you be living? What would you be doing? Who would you surround yourself with? What food would you eat? I’m here to tell you that this reality is possible, and YOU are capable of making it happen.
A little over a year ago someone told me to STOP. Stop asking for permission and stop seeking the approval of others.Sounds simple right? But at the time I realized that was exactly what I was doing. I wanted the approval of my friends and family to start a blog, I wanted their permission to take a leap of faith. I found myself searching for a career path that others would approve of. I kept my grand dreams to myself, afraid that those I care about most might laugh at me. But when I said “to hell with it” and stopped seeking the approval of others, I found my true self. I started a blog simply because I wanted to, I quit my job because I wanted to, I signed up for a half Ironman because I wanted to, and I enrolled to become a holistic health coach BECAUSE I WANTED TO. I didn’t need to ask permission because I finally realized that I am a grown ass woman and I can do just as I please.
We become so engulfed by our surroundings that we lose sight of what it is we truly want. I adore my friends and family but I realized that it was up to me and only me to live the life I desired. I have done so much in my life because society told me to. I was fortunate enough to attend a fancy college, get my degree, and figured the next step was to work a 9-5 while I barely paid my bills and waited until retirement to travel. Why? Because I thought that was what I had to do. But deep down I had a fire burning inside me. I couldn’t quite articulate my feelings but I knew that something just felt off; I was out of alignment. I decided to prolong getting that 9-5 job and headed on a solo trip to Costa Rica. I didn’t really have that much planned and I was bombarded by questions and concerns by loved ones. Yet when I booked my ticket I felt an immense sense of relief wash over me. I didn’t need anyone’s permission to do this, and so I did.
That was the trip that started it all, my mindset began to shift and I realized I could do whatever the hell I wanted. I came back and worked at a coffee shop for 6 months continually looking for “the perfect job”. I applied to countless positions, never fully investing my time and energy into my applications. Looking back now I think I realized that the perfect job didn’t exist for me. I would never be truly fulfilled working 40 hrs/ week on someone else’s schedule only to get a measly 2 weeks of vacation time a year. So yet again I was, as my peers would say, “reckless”. I quit my job without another one lined up and it was absolutely one of the best decisions I’ve ever had. I didn’t have hardly any savings but I knew to take a risk.
Shortly after my path of unemployment brought me to learning about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) where I could study to become a holistic health coach. Yet again I was bombarded by questions and skepticism from my peers about pursing this program; “why would you want to do that?” “you need to start saving for retirement” “is that even a real job”….the concerns were endless. And if I had based my decisions off of waiting for the approval of others I would still be working a 9-5 and living for the weekends. Instead I pushed aside the doubts of others, trusted my intuition and pursued becoming a health coach.
It’s been a little over a year since I quit my job to embark on the journey of becoming a health coach and I can honestly say that I haven’t regret my decision once. In a few months I’ll transition to being my own boss, setting my own hours, taking vacations whenever the heck I want, and traveling the world with my boyfriend. How? All because I’ve decided to live the life I want rather than asking for permission.
We are capable of living our wildest dreams. There will always be people who doubt you, who disapprove of living a life that doesn’t fit the status quo. But if we spend our lives seeking the approval of others we’ll end up looking back with regret, wondering what could have been. So stop asking for permission and start ferociously pursing the life you desire.
Ready to start living your dream life? Interested in going plant based? Curious about becoming a health coach? Send me a message under "CONTACT". I can't wait to chat!