#Cultivate2012 Letting Go

Letting Go: What do you need to let go of to cultivate your best life in 2013?

I need to let go of my fears to cultivate my best life in 2013. I’m staring across a large canyon, trying to determine how best to cross it. I can’t climb down into the abyss — not with a husband and three kids counting on me. I can’t leap across — I don’t know if I’ll make it or fall down on the jagged rocks below. I don’t know if I have the resources and means to bridge that gap. I need to explore my options — but more importantly, I need to overcome my fears.

I’m afraid of failure. I’m afraid that no one will want to pay me for a grammar workshop or eCourse. I’m afraid no one wants an English tutor or consultant. I’m afraid that I’m going to be stuck working for someone else’s vision for the rest of my life. I’m afraid I’m not good enough to make a life worth loving. But most of all, I’m afraid that my fears will stop me from realizing my dreams.

I’m letting go of those fears right now. I know I can cultivate the resources necessary, and I know I can find creative ways to cross this huge canyon. I can realize my dreams and spit squarely in the face of fear.

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#Reverb11: Letting Go

Letting Go (Inspired by Alice Bradley): What do you need to let go of to move forward in 2012?

I need to let go of the edge. I need to be okay with freefalling, not knowing if a net’s waiting below to catch me or if my chute’s functional. I need to let go of my fears and take risks. I won’t know if my business idea is a complete failure unless I go out there and market myself. I need to trust that all the pieces will fall into place. I don’t know what lies beyond February 1st, but I frankly don’t care. I’m ready and willing to take the risk. A varying schedule doesn’t make for a stable income, but neither does working for yourself. If on December 31st, 2012 I find myself in dire straits, I’ll chastise myself then. But then and only then can I chastise myself and live with the regret of jumping — not now. I can’t talk myself out of this. It’s time to move on and move forward. The life I’m living right now does not fulfill my soul, nor does it nourish me. I need to let go in order to thrive. It’s time to let go of that edge and fall.

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#Trust30 Come Alive

Come Alive by Jonathan Mead: “Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.

Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?

If I had one week left to live, I certainly wouldn’t be tearing my hair out searching for jobs that might not fulfill me. I’d much rather spend that last week having picnics and playing board games with my family. I’ve been preparing to re-enter the workforce, preparing to be a business owner/ freelancer, preparing to get back to life as I once knew it. Obviously, I can’t just stop the former two items, but it’s time to stop expecting a “return” to normalcy. Things can’t go back to the way they used to be. That’s an etched mark on the timeline now. It’s time to stop waiting for the life I planned and start living the life I have. (Loosely paraphased from an Honest Tea bottle cap via an old friend.)

This past week, I began writing manageable to-do lists — items I knew weren’t contingent upon variables like illnesses, family issues, and the like. I resolved to do everything in my power to eat healthy breakfasts and lunches, mind my snacking, and get moving. The sense of accomplishment alone made up for any unexpected dilemmas that I faced this week. These simple goals can help me to feel a sense of accomplishment on a daily basis, rather than stressing over the long range planning. It’s all about baby steps. As Marla Cilley would say, it didn’t get this way overnight, and it won’t get fixed overnight.

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Reverb 10: Let Go

Prompt: Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

Wow. So many emotions washed over my last night as I read this prompt. Aside from disappointment, this year seemed to be about letting go. I let go of quite a few things. I let go of a grudge in February. I let go of an entire department of people who I’d come to be so comfortable and familiar with. I let go of my attachments to an entire town — more specifically, I will be letting go of my eight year stint of autonomy. Letting go is hard to do sometimes, especially when it’s something you’ve become so attached to…

I’d say letting go of a past grudge was the easiest of the three majors things this year. I had hints that it would happen this year, and I realized that sometimes forgiving and moving on is the right course of actions. Things have turned out just fine in that regard, and I’m happy I made that decision. I feel a better person for moving on and making that change in my life.

Letting go of MSE was a lot harder. I was complacent with my situation there. Sure, I didn’t receive benefits or a pay that would’ve covered my student loans — though now I realize that it would’ve worked out just fine because of the income contingent repayment plan the federal government offers. But it was something more than just a job. It was a place where I knew everyone by face and name. I looked forward to the colorful delivery drivers who’d pepper my day with relatively different stories. One was a man who seemed suited for a career in used car sales, a bit of a blue-collar comedian if you will. Another was a family man who’d strive to make it home in time to watch his son play sports. The other had a very interesting sense of humor. And then there were the students, who I began to memorize by face and name. Some were notorious for receiving several packages at once. I could see different cliques, usually dependent on which advising group they belonged to. Some habitually arrived late to seminar — and depending on my rapport with said student, I might be a little lenient. Then there were the professors. For the most part, they were very congenial. The younger professors attempted to get me to refer to them by first name. I came around for two of them — one because he consistently responded to my emails with his first name, the other because she was so close in age to me that it felt more natural to do so. Otherwise, I maintained the salutations of Dr. Last-Name. Spend several years earning a degree that gives you that title, and you most definitely deserve to referred to as a doctor. My coworkers got along for the most part. My bosses were pretty much hands off. People complain about micromanagers — these two were definitely not micromanagers. How lucky was I to have two bosses who gave me the freedom to go about my daily tasks without checking in every five minutes? Nothing says “I’ve got a great job” like being able to gather all your work together, walk over to your boss, and say, “here, this is what I’ve got. What do you think?” quite like the job I’d held for two and a half years. I was given the opportunity to expand my knowledge and gain experience. I doubt another job would have given me the opportunity to dabble in Adobe InDesign. It hurt to leave. It felt like the wrong time to leave. And it probably was the wrong time to leave. But then again…

All of the events occurring from that point onward culminated in my imminent departure from Gainesville. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with this town for most of my time living here. It’s a bittersweet move because I wanted it to be more on my terms. I wanted it to be to a place I had chosen. I wanted it to be after I’d been a little more established in my work. And yet I realize that I’m going to need to think much more positively if I intend to move forward. I’m going to have to find the silver lining. For starters, I’ll have the opportunity to make a living off of my craft. I’ll have the opportunity to grow my own food. We’ll be away from the partying students and the increasing crime rates. Heck, we’ll be half an hour away from White Castle — which was my favorite fast food restaurant as a little girl in New York. Mmm, sliders and onion rings.

I’m trying to make the most of it. I’m trying to reflect on these changes, why the needed to happen, and how they will manifest in the next year.

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