In 2009 my doctor diagnosed me with clinical depression. At the time I was also suffering from eating disorders, drug addiction, and corporate burnout. I felt stuck and trapped by my own life. I came across a quote by Howard Thurman, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive,” and my life direction was forever changed. I realized up until that point, I had just been going through the motions. I was letting life happen to me. I wasn’t happening in my own life.
So I set out to create a new life on my own terms. I pursued my passion for writing and traveling, and flash-forward to today, I’m happier and healthier than I have ever been.
The one question that changed everything for me.
In doing research for my next book, I read that the No. 1 regret of the dying is, “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me” followed up by “I wish that I had let myself be happier.”
I asked myself what I had always wanted to do but had never given myself permission to do.
I invite you to ask yourself the same question.
My answer came roaring through, “To travel the world for an entire year.”
I had to ask myself, why am I not doing that? Excuses and fear were the only things holding me back.
People ask HOW? “How are you able to do this?” “Did you save a lot of money for the trip?” “What will you do for work?”
The truth, I am able to live this dream because of the foundation I’ve built for my life and business. The exact skills I learned in Marie Forleo’s B-School gave me the know-how to be able to grow my passion and turn it into a successful business so I can work comfortably from anywhere in the world.
As a book author, life coach, and travel writer, my online platform is essential. Because making money online allows me more freedom to do what I want, when I want.
Now, in what I’m calling the Joy-Seeker Project, I’m going to spend 365 days visiting 27 countries, 33 cities, across four continents, all in pursuit of living my life more fully.
How we spend our time matters, and what we do with this gift of life is our choice. Decide your life is worth living and commit to fulfillment.
Here are my guidelines for living a more passionate, purpose-filled life:
1. Refuse to Let Fear Hold You Back
Ask yourself what you are most afraid of. Is it really failing, or going broke, or what others will think? When we get clear about our fear, we can see all these other fears stem from the deepest-rooted fear: a fear of not living a life we feel connected to, the fear of not living up to our potential. You get to choose your fears. Don’t let them choose you. Let your fears motivate you instead of hold you back.
2. Align Your Choices with Your Values
The happiest and most successful people in the world make choices that align with their values. We have to meet ourselves where we are, not where we think we should be. I’ve been working on this dream for several years. Being able to live and work overseas for an entire year isn’t something that just happens. Each choice I’ve made has catered to my big-picture goal. I built up a strong business my leveraging online to reach more people and share my message across the globe. I’ve been consciously planning, saving, researching, and preparing to make the dream a reality for several year.
3. Invest in Your Growth
My go to online business coach, Marie Forelo, says, “Learners are Earners.” The more we learn the more we grow, but we need to commit to our education and invest in mentors, training, and resources to help us get to the next level. I didn’t know how to make a living doing what I loved until I took Marie Forleo’s B-School. It’s an eight-week online video-based training program, that shows you, step-by-step, how to build a unique and profitable brand, market more effectively, and turn your online presence into a money-making, world-changing machine. I took the online course in 2014, and my life radically improved. I sold my first book deal, I was able to leave crappy in between jobs that I took just to pay the bills, and I took my company fully location independent and moved to Hawaii for a few months to coach and write. The point is…
we become stagnate in our life and unless we are reaching for new tools and learning more, we won’t be able to fully live our potential.
The benefits of investing in my own growth and taking B-School are endless.
- I have the freedom to work from anywhere in the world.
- I make an impact, improving the lives of others.
- My anxiety, money woes and fear have been replaced with inner peace, love and success.
- I go to bed every day full of self-love and satisfaction.
- I am balanced, fulfilled, and happy.
Supporting you always.
Shannon
