A few years ago this post would have been entitled Escape From the City, but now Absolutely on Purpose is far more apt. Why? Because every time I escaped, I was caught and thrown back to the wolves. (If Steve McQueen's The Cooler King couldn't escape ......) I blamed corporate nine-to-five for forcing me to swap fragments of my soul for a pay-check. But then I realised:
- I was in charge of my life and no one was forcing me to do anything
- I had to start listening to my ah-ha moments
- I needed to change my relationship with money
- I already had what I needed to change my trajectory
Oh, and I had to take responsibility for making deliberate, purposeful choices. Absolutely.
In just over a decade I've morphed from marketing strategist to consultant, and freelance writer to (soon to be) bonafide #indieauthor. I'm not rich, and no longer yearn to be. I have something way better than that. I have passion. I have purpose. And a whole load of vision. This is what I've learned along the way.
Acknowledge the ah-ha moments
Listen to the flashes of inspiration that light you up, as well as the gut-wrenching moments that torment your soul. Both of these enable the perfect experience to unfold.
My first defining moment of truth was in 2008: I felt nothing. Completely numb. I didn't have any sense of passion, purpose, or vision. That would trigger 3 years of yo-yoing between what I call real life (traveling), and the cell. Each time the money would run out and I would hear the doors lock behind me. While rejoicing in another great escape, I found myself sitting at a cafe listening to John Demartini's Seven Secret Treasures. The man was telling me that I already had everything I needed to be successful. AH-HA!
Connect all the dots
When you begin to realise what your talents are, they'll light up like phosphorescence, connecting everything you've ever done.
I had an obvious passion for inspiring and educating, and it hit me: I had been doing that all along, in every corporate role I had ever had. It was like dot to dot. I was also sharing my passions and discoveries through feature writing in lifestyle magazines. Whether I was talking about creativity in a digital word, or the role of coffee in Turkish culture, my modus operandi was the same.
Recognising this attracted more opportunities; an interview for a lifestyle feature led to two freelance marketing contracts in Montreal where, for the first time, I got to blend both writing and marketing skillsets by helping others to grow and start their businesses. And guess what. I was able to nurture a new appreciation for my strategic skill set.
Make Friends With Money
Think of money as the flow of energy, and your relationship with it will find more balance. If you invest in yourself and your dreams it's more likely to flow. If you only hoard it for a rainy day, it's just stagnant energy. Re-assess what you need and re-calibrate your spend.
Following your vision may involve making changes to your day to day and overall lifestyle, but when you have a clear vision, this seems easier to do. I lived on US$400 a month in Mexico while writing my book. I could never have followed that vision in London. Sometimes it's hard to recognise that the most expensive place you could possibly be is a giant urban sprawl called home.
You've Already Got What You Need
You are smart and resourceful. Hold onto that and your vision will support you, says Demartini:
When you have a clear vision, your vitality soars and you have enormous power. I would say that the vitality in life is directly proportionate to the vividness of your vision. Your mind has the capacity to visualise things in such detail that it literally impacts, I believe, the quantum fields that surround you and permeate the universe and literally alter the people, places, things, ideas and events in your life and to bring that to reality.
You'll collect all the skills, people, and resources you need along the way.
If you are feeling trapped in a cage of your own making, or simply have a nagging feeling that you could be doing something else:
- Follow (in a digital sense) people who inspire you, and spend as much time with their books, podcasts and courses as possible
- Acknowledge your ah-ha moments - this is your innate wisdom communicating with you
- Find a way to beat the "I can't afford it" mentality. It does not serve you
- Start, and you'll attract what you need along the way
- Make a deliberate choice to live absolutely on purpose
Imagine this: In a year's time, you'll wished you started today.
Go on. Live absolutely on purpose.