I had it all planned out. By the age of 25, I planned to be married, pregnant with my first child, and at the top of my career but life had other plans. I am now 29 years old; I am not married, no children, and I have altered my career path twice. At times, I felt embarrassed and disappointed in myself because I was not living my 19 year old dream.
Looking back, I now realize that my plan had some holes in it. I did not account for unexpected life hardships and ignored the reality that the journey to accomplishing your goals is not always linear. Additionally, I simply did not dream big enough and I am overjoyed that my mediocre plans did not come to fruition.
I wanted a piece of the pie but Spirit wanted to give me the entire bakery.
I must give you the buck naked truth Sis; life is painful at times.
Life does not care about your picture perfect plans.
In fact, life can really knock you off of your feet. You can’t avoid pain but you can absolutely choose not to suffer. I experienced the pain of life in many ways. At times, I watched my mansion crumble right in front of my eyes. My controlling tendencies did not allow me to see the huge castle behind all of the dust.
Every time I was “redirected,” I felt like a failure. For example, after completing my master’s degree I was accepted into a doctoral program. It was not the school, program, or location that I desired. But I settled and did not attempt to aim higher. Two years later everything crumbled and I was no longer in my program. I thought to myself:
My dream of becoming a clinician in higher education is gone. I can never reach my goals with my master’s degree alone.
For several months, I made myself suffer. I refused to see beyond the dust. Truth is, I was being redirected. Life is like a GPS. I quickly learned that if I made a wrong turn, pit stop, or ran into a road block; my GPS would still lead me to my destination. Sure, some roads are more scenic and less dreadful than others but I will still reach my destination.
Instead of trying to control everything, I chose to let go and enjoy the ride.
Presently, I am a clinician in higher education at a prestigious university, in leadership, and live in a city that I absolutely love.
Your turn
Are you holding on to a mediocre dream? Are you choosing to suffer because something did not go as planned? Well if you are I have two words for you:
LET GO!
Allow your GPS, also known as your spirit guides, to redirect you. When the dust settles there is something bigger and better standing right in front of you. Do not sulk! Pick your head up, embrace the pain, polish your crown, and prepare for a GLOW UP SIS.
The Stiletto Files 