Monday, August 11, 2014

Mmmy Journey Begins (and continues...)

I wanted to take some time today for reflection. As my business has grown, I've had time to think about the areas I am most passionate about and thus, where I want to take things in the future. This is both exciting and overwhelming and one of the many 'joys' of being an entrepreneur! As you will see in future posts, I am trying to declutter or minimize things in my life to reduce stress and create more time to pursue my passions.

I know many people in their 20s or 30s (or 40s, 50s, etc.) who aren't sure what they want to do with their life. I sometimes feel this way, although, I think it's more about the journey, because we might never have a clear answer to that question. I'm told that as I young child I asked my mom "what do you want to be when you grow up?" I always thought that was a strange story, because of course, she was my mom and a 'grown-up'. Although, I know many 'grown-ups' who don't know, so perhaps it was a very legitimate question!
 I have met people who have found their 'passion' and seem to be doing exactly what they should be doing for a career; although this is definitely the exception, not the rule. The more time I spend pondering my own passions and goals, the more I learn about myself and the more learning I do in general. As far as I can remember, I've been a competitive, driven person. As with any personality trait, it has its pros and cons. This drive pushes me to be the best me and live the best life I can. My struggle is when I compare my life to other people's lives, or have an unclear definition of what 'best' means for me.
I see comparison all the time in my practice, whether it is about weight, willpower, the media, money, time, etc. With social media, I feel that we also often see people's highlight reels and make assumptions about the people and their lives, when in fact we really don't know their situation. The idea of focusing on our own struggles really came out when I attended the Landmark forum years ago as a Lululemon employee. Many people were overcoming traumatic pasts, but we realized that we all have our own troubles, and if it's a big deal to you, then it's a big deal (again, we can't compare). My big take away was to focus on contentment. Not that I want to be complaisant, but to be in the moment and appreciate all that I have.

I am inspired by quotes, various books, my husband, my family and friends, my clients, and by setting small goals for myself. I will likely always be a work in progress. I will never be perfect, but I will always be me.

I continue to be passionate about mindfulness, moderation, and recently minimalism (hence the mmms). I'll continue to share thoughts and tips relating to those topics, so feel free to comment and join in! For now, enjoy a few of my current favourite quotes and feel free to reflect back!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com