Which path?

Which path?

The most important thing is to take a path, no matter which one. The first step is always the most difficult. When you were a baby, you got up every time you fell and persevered until walking became second nature. Now you don’t even think about those days when you didn’t know how to walk. Look how far you’ve come, your path has probably been a bit bumpy, and yet you are still here putting one foot in front of the other. Well done!

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know where you want to go and if you do know what you want, if you have dreams, as crazy as you think they are, keep going, you’ll get there.

Do not forget that it is also possible to ask questions on the way, to turn back and change paths, a study has shown that we change paths at least 3 times in our lives, so test, dream and adapt your paths.

I think the more we grow up, the more we choose a path that suits us rather than one that meets the expectations of other people or what is more socially acceptable. Another study shows that when asking people what they regretted the most at the end of their life, the most frequent answer was to have lived a life that did not really correspond to them, to have lived a life carved by what was expected of them.

And you, which path are you on? yours or what others expect of you? Do you want to be more authentic?

4 exercises to see things more clearly

To see more clearly, I suggest you do the following exercises. Take a little time for yourself. These exercises can be done one after the other or separately depending on the time you have during the day.

To make room in your head and quieten the questions, start by taking 3-4 deep breaths, inhaling deeply and exhaling everything you do not need at this time. Forget the shopping list, laundry, children, work, …. Sometimes thoughts come back and it’s ok. let them come, look at them without judging and let them go again, like soap bubbles, clouds in the sky, butterflies flying away … use the metaphor that you prefer.

And start:

1. Write down what you like to do, what makes you vibrate, feel alive.
2. Write down what you do not like, but do anyway. Then read this list and STOP DOING IT! If it’s something you think you should do, like food shopping for example, remember why you do it (to eat, to feed your family, to be healthy, ….) and you’ll see that either this task suddenly ends up on your ex 1 the list or you will find another option to STOP DOING IT!
3. Become aware of what you are doing and how you feel when you do it. you can also write it down and after a few days, stop doing what does not make you happy, what actually really annoys you (see ex 2 and also ex 4, it may perhaps explain why this task annoys you).
4. Write down your values, which is important to you. Start with a dozen and try to find one or two words to explain what this value means to you.
5. Complete the sentence as many times as necessary: “If you really knew me, you would know that ___________.

Optional exercise – “Feel Good”:

6. Write down anything good that happened to you in your day. Maybe you found a parking space without going around for hours? Was it feeling of the only ray of sun on your face? Maybe someone smiled at you on the bus, at work, while you were shopping? Perhaps you have received a message from someone dear, or an inspiring, funny message that made you smile?

Repeat this exercise for several days.

Re-read when you feel frustrated, depressed, angry, tired, …. and find the courage to move on.

These exercises are a beginning to find and follow an authentic path, a path where you are more in tune with yourself, more aligned and centered. To be authentic is when our actions and words are aligned with our beliefs and values. To be truly authentic is to have the courage to be emotionally honest, to set boundaries and allow ourselves to be vulnerable says Brene Brown.

After having spent all this time thinking, questioning, take action. No matter what path you choose, be authentic and please, put one foot in front of the other and keep going!