You only live once, physically; so we’ve been told.  Spiritually, we are infinite; so I believe.  With that immortal physical reality, I believe it is crucial that we ask ourselves daily if we are truly living the life we want.  And if there is the slightest hesitation, may that be the cue to stop, review, and revise.

I think it’s easy to fall trap to the ‘comfortable way’ of life.  Having everything in order to stay safe gives people a false sense of security, so I believe.  The harsh reality is that we could be gone tomorrow.  All that planning for the future may or may not come so what are we waiting for?  In my humble opinion, the greatest sadness would be to be sitting on my death bed with the music still in my heart; those dreams I never pursued because I was too afraid to take the leap of faith and go for what I really wanted.  Will that be you?  Am I advising one to go out and be reckless and give responsibility the middle finger?  No.  Not at all.  What I ask of you is that you take a look at yourself, your values, your passions, how you are living, and ask yourself some honest questions.  With that information; become curious, creative, and pro-active about the changes and direction you want your life to go.  It might be subtle, or potentially big, or perhaps you are content with everything.  Just be honest, and then fearless.

I recently had the honor to listen to my friend speak of her journey in conquering cancer.  She was a professional world champion extreme skier who I had met her years ago living in Crested Butte, CO.  I had always admired her not only for her ‘bad-ass-ness’ but also for her captivating personality, motivation, and drive for life to make a positive impact locally and globally.  Four years ago, she was diagnosed with Brain cancer and her initial diagnosis didn’t look good.  However, she took her health and healing into her own hands and empowered herself to find the kind of treatment that suited her and that went to the root source and cause of her cancer.  She essentially conquered it through a Ketogenic diet and is stronger now than ever before.  I cried through most of her speech as it really hit home seeing and listening to a friend a few 10 years older than me face death; and then beat it.  You could hear in her voice and see in her body language a new person; softer and more in touch with what matters in life.  She said that cancer was the best thing that ever happened to her;  it made her wake up and see the miracles in every moment, everyday.

It wasn’t until this year, right before my 39th birthday that I had my own awakening and really started to look at myself, my health, my patterns, and ask myself those BIG life questions.  I had always played small, with bouts here and there of getting big, but always letting fear get in the way.  Health was a big motivator for this.  In order to take care of myself I had to quit my job, walk away from the people and situations that weren’t serving me, and finally; invest in myself.  I had the big mid-life scare and realization that I’m not going to live forever and hopefully, I’ll have another 40 years to live!  But that’s when I started asking the big questions and thinking ‘outside the box’ of the reality and beliefs I had been living all my life.  I took the leap of faith to develop and build my own business that aligned with my passions, I enrolled in a Yoga Mentorship Program, found a Natural-pathic doctor, made changes to my diet/lifestyle, cut down on my aggressive exercise, dedicated myself to the Dharma Center Monday night meditation practice, and developed a daily yoga and mindful practice.  Within three months, my life has completely changed.  I am happier, healthier, and more empowered than I ever have been.  And it has stemmed from asking myself those big questions.  I can only imagine where I will be a year from now.  When you open yourself up to the universe, believe in yourself, become clear on what you want, and ask for guidance; that’s when the magic happens.

So instead of waiting for a diagnosis or major life event to rock your world, why don’t you start now.  Life is too short; and you only live once.  What do you have to lose?  And what is it your heart desires?  Because guess what… You CAN have it all.

Women Radical Pursuits