Last night, I had a visit from a former student. She chose to leave the east coast, alone in her car, to follow her dream. Packed inside and onto the back of her car were all of her worldly belongings, or all that she perceived that she needs to make it here in California.
She is blessed with a beautiful voice and a delightful personality. After graduating from high school, she found herself in a number of service jobs, mostly as a waitress and a bartender. She never really focused on her own talent. Now, she is throwing caution to the wind and trying to find out just who she is and what is the purpose for her life here on Earth.
Leaving everything that you know is hard. Family and friends who have put down roots probably will never understand the yearning that one has to really make a unique contribution to the world. Today, it is not necessarily a place but a frame of mind. Still, a change of scenery couldn’t hurt.
I have found that it is in the familiar surroundings that I am far more distracted. Distraction is a major problem in everybody’s life. Sometimes you can make distractions a convenient excuse for not doing the work that you should have already done on the front end…and that is clarifying your goals. I was about to put on my teacher hat and preach this message to my former student. Instead, maybe I should take my own advice.
Hence forth, my goals will be articulated. My distractions will have solutions related to triggers. I will trigger myself to do something much more productive and in line with my goals. This will allow me to lead a much more congruent life.