Have you ever been in your car and feel completely lost in a place you know by heart but from stress, fatigue, or whatever reason, you have to stop and focus on where you are and where you’re going?
It doesn’t happen often but I had a moment the other day where I felt completely overwhelmed with life and work that I actually had to pull to the side of the road in my neighborhood that I know like the back of my hand. After I collected my thoughts I realized I was only a few blocks from my house.
Weird, right?
How can I be lost in a place I know so well? Feeling frantic this week probably kicked my subconscious thoughts into overdrive. Luckily a ray of sunshine opened in the clouds and I’ve pulled it all back in. The schedule is on point, my work is caught up, and I’ve actually been feeling well this week. Aside from beating myself up about the family and friends I haven’t seen, this week’s been one huge professional ah-ha moment for me.
The path I was on was a mess for two years because of my illness. If you know me and don’t know this than sadly, you don’t know me.
I say that in the kindest way possible as I don’t present myself as wounded to many. But as my friend Anna said to me, “We’re all damaged, some are just better at hiding it.”
The “damage” from a few years pushed me to pause my professional and educational goals to let my body heal. I needed the time and energy to recover my mind, body, and spirit. By the grace of my higher power, I’m slowly starting to get back on track.
My career goal is to work in marketing and writing until I reach my educational goals with grad school to ultimately become a professor and yesterday I had three pivotal moments in my career that has reopened the door in my pursuit of grad school and my goal to teach.
This past week I had the honor of being a guest speaker to a high school writing class in North Oldham High School. Their about blogging and various topics of content creation info.
When I was first asked to meet with them, my heart jumped out of my chest. This was the perfect thing to reignite my goals and I hope it’s the universes way to show me that I am ready.
The class was great. The Q&A part of the class stuck out to me the most when I was asked various questions about content, connecting, education, and only one personal question; which was, “What were you like in high school?” I giggled and said, “Nothing comparable to what I am now.” And I explained to them, “You can be anyone you want to be. High school isn’t set in stone of who you are and what you like to do.”
I didn’t find myself till my early twenties and even then I was building myself to be where I am now but I’ve learned that we’re always growing, changing, and shifting our way through life from the “damages” as they come or positive things.
It’s all growth, some hurts and some doesn’t. The key to not losing yourself in the process is to have lighthouses (fam & friends) to help guide you with their light when you’re lost. And if for some reason they’re not there, pull out your map, clear your thoughts, and breathe. You’re not lost. You’re just on a different path than you thought. Readjust your settings and grow.
It’s never too late to decide to change Your life. The only thing that is required is the willingness to change. The journey won’t be easy but in the end it’s going to be just as it should. So pull out your compass and off you go! You’ve got a life to live.
