How do you know when it’s time for a different approach in your life? How do you know when things are no longer in alignment for you? How do you know when it’s time to change the trajectory of your life and not settle any longer?
We can get so caught up in just living in survival mode. We can get used to the pain, the struggle, the hustle. We become so accustomed to the hard path that it becomes almost comforting because it is so familiar. It’s a tough realization to be on a path that you’ve been on for so long that simply isn’t working anymore. It takes energy and courage to try something you’ve never done before.
I’m sure you know this, but putting energy into doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results will not put you into alignment to what you truly are destined for.
We can hold onto a shield to protect ourselves from failure and insecurity. There is fear in the unknown, and fear in taking a wrong step and failing. Know there is nothing wrong with a missed shot.
It took Thomas Edison 10,000 unsuccessful attempts before he created the first light bulb. In response to a question about his missteps, Edison once said,
“I have not failed 10,000 times — I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
In Stephen King’s very first iconic thriller called “Carrie”, he received 30 rejections and became so discouraged he threw his work in the trash. His wife salvaged it and encouraged him and his confidence to resubmit it. Stephen King now has hundreds of books published that have turned into movies and has become one of the best-selling authors of all time.
Some paths you start to go on may feel promising at first, but then end up taking you somewhere you had not intended or hoped for. It steered you off course or swerved you into a different direction.
It can be a hard realization to admit the path you are on is no longer serving you anymore. Know that life is yours to explore and to discover. Don’t let yourself be bound to a path that no longer serves you, especially for the fear of disappointing other people. Have the courage to take new paths and uncover new possibilities. Each change, and each decision will bring you one step closer to where you truly desire. Don’t listen to the voices around you, but instead use your own curiosity and intuition as your guide.
Don’t feel discouraged if you have failed along the way. The amount of failure does not determine the amount of success waiting for you. It doesn’t matter if you have five failed businesses, or five failed relationships, it just matters that you are learning along the way. Know that there is no shame in choosing another path. There is also no failure in it. There is courage to acknowledge when something isn’t working for you any longer. There is strength to have this kind of self awareness. There is strength in deciding to try another route.
Maybe you realize somewhere along your path that you feel you no longer are meant to be in the current career path that you are on. Maybe you aren’t meant to be the doctor or the lawyer your parents dreamt you to be. Maybe instead you feel you are an artist deep in your soul. However, you have already committed to this path so you continue forward because you have invested so much, and it’s a beautiful thing to execute and finish what you started.
You notice though how much you light up when you talk about your passions and realize that that idea of being an artist, or whatever your soul is calling you to be, is still ringing true. The paint brushes, or camera, or empty pages in a book left to write are whispering to you.
Use these gentle nudges as guideposts. Maybe it’s time for a different approach. Yes it will be hard, your parents might be upset. You’ve created an identity around who you are and what you do. Shifting that upside down can feel scary. The first few steps out of the unknown can feel uncertain. You may not have the support you need right away. You may have people surrounding you filling your head with doubts, like “don’t give up your ‘real job’ for just a hobby”. Yet you feel it in your soul that this is no hobby, but your true passion, your heart’s desire, your soul’s calling.
Each new path you take is a new opportunity to help guide you towards the position where you truly desire. The force of life is full of new possibilities, and sometimes it’s not a new path, but a different route along the same path that you can take.
Sometimes you don’t need to turn the ship all the way around, but just a slight shift in a different direction. When you shift your course this isn’t accepting defeat, but your willingness to adapt. Your resilience, your courage, and your ability to pivot is a beautiful thing.
A new approach does not necessarily mean a complete new career path or an overhaul of your life. Sometimes a new approach can be a new morning routine, a shift in your mindset, or committing to journaling for 30 min a day. A new approach can also be fine tuning your energy, your frequency day in and day out to become the best version of yourself. In the end there is no destination, only exploration. This self awareness is something to embrace, because it will only promote growth, discovery and more self love and love for the world.
So how do you know when it is time to find another path? How do you know what first steps to take to start you on your new journey? You will know by listening to what your heart is telling you. You will feel it in your soul. If the current path you are on doesn’t feel right in any way, you will know then it’s time to shift course.
If your calling in life is profound and cannot be ignored, this resistance in your current life will grow stronger and stronger, making your current situation gradually more uncomfortable. The more you try to ignore it the more restless you may become.
I know it is scary to venture out into the unknown, but what is scarier is continuing to live your life where you don’t belong just to make those around you more comfortable. Instead of following your own dreams, you follow others. It is better to face the brief discomfort of trying something new, than to live with discomfort forever knowing all along you were made for more, but were too afraid to find out just how much and where that new path might lead.
DREAM
Dreaming is always the first part of the journey. Allowing your heart to dream what your life could be, what your heart is calling you to be, and what would make you truly happy. If you have grown so accustomed to listening to other people’s opinions and desires of what you should be, it can be hard at first to quiet those voices and disappointments.
A good way to start listening to your own intuition of where your heart is truly calling you to be is through journaling and meditation. The answers you seek can always be found in the stillness and quietness of the mind.
Allow yourself to dream without setting any limitations of what is possible. Quiet the voices around you that may be filling your head with doubts. Then begin writing down what action steps you need to take in order to make those dreams happen.
ACTION STEPS
Write down every little baby step you need to take in order to get to where you want to go. The first step is always to dream, but it doesn’t stop there. Dreaming alone can leave you feeling paralyzed of where to even begin, especially if your dreams are really big.
Writing down what steps you can start taking will make the whole process a little less scary. You will feel more empowered in knowing what actionable steps you need to take and how. Know that every great thing that has ever been achieved, has always first began from small beginnings. The key is staying consistent in your actions and to never give up. And know that you never truly fail if you never give up.
BEGIN
The final step is to begin. Take that first step. Write it on your calendar or daily planner how you intend to carve out time for this dream in your heart. Prioritize you. Set aside time every week that is non-negotiable time for yourself to work on your dreams.
This sacred time for yourself is self love. Creating boundaries around that time will also let the Universe know how intentional you are with making your dreams happen. Often you will also find the more you create intentions around chasing your dreams, the more the Universe will help clear the path for you, and bring unexpected blessings to you along your journey. The more you pour into yourself and your passions, the more life will pour back into you.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When things have not been working out in your life and you have been feeling the urge to try another way, listen to that calling. It is your soul whispering to you where you’re truly meant to be. Remember there is no shame in changing course and trying a new path. Even if you have been following the same path most or all your life and this is all you’ve ever known. You still have so much life left in you to live and this is only a small chapter in the journey of your life.
If you have felt the path you are on is no longer meant for you, know that you were made for something more. Your soul’s calling is not something you can try to numb or ignore. The more you try the more discomfort you will feel.
It takes courage to follow your heart. It takes courage to change directions and go down a different path. Even if everyone else around you is trying to keep you stuck where you’re at because that is the identity of you they connect with, it is time to follow a different path and birth a new you.
You are so much stronger than you realize and your potential is limitless. So take the leap, spread your wings, and fly.
Leave a Reply