Create Change

A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to dine at a delicious raw food restaurant in northern California. at a place called Cafe Gratitude, it should come as no surprise that it is customary for the waiter to ask guests to share with their table what they are grateful for. However, on this particular night, ours asked us to share “what we were creating”. As the rest of us pondered our response, a resolute member of our party announced “I am creating the exact world that I want to live in”.

Admittedly, I was a bit jealous of his answer and too intimidated to share mine. But, if I were sitting in the restaurant tonight I would say that I, too, am creating the exact life that i want to live, and that I am so grateful for the opportunity to do so.

This year has certainly been a transformational one for me. Autumn always marks a time of change, and this time of year has always seemed to be a transformational stage in my life as well. I remember last October well. There is one day in particular that sticks out. It was an ordinary Saturday, and I was enjoying some fall festivities. I didn't know at the time, but this day would begin a chain of events that would culminate exactly one year later...another October, another fall, another transformation.

So here i am, in the midst of the presence of autumn, and in the midst of probably the biggest changes of my life. In the past year I have begun many new relationships, both platonic, romantic and professional. I have gone back to school to follow my passion for health and wellness. I left my office job of two years with the hopes of turning that passion into a career. I moved out of my apartment, where I lived as a bachelorette for two years. And in two weeks I will be boarding the first of three flights on my way to Kigali, Rwanda where I plan to live for the next 6-9 months doing volunteer work. If you had told me a year ago the world that I would create for myself, I never would have believed it.

There are so many things that nourish our bodies, aside from what choices we make concerning food. When all the different aspects of our lives are in balance, this is when our body, mind and soul thrive and we are at our healthiest. Think about the different areas of you life (relationship, career, geography, physical activity, etc.) and recognize imbalances. What areas would you like to change, where is there room for improvement? How can you create the exact life that you want to live, in the exact world that you want to live it in?

Set goals for yourself. Write them down and hold yourself accountable for reaching them. Express gratitude towards the people or opportunities that helped you attain each goal.

We have the power to create the life we want and we have the power to change the things in our lives that we are unsatisfied with, but we all too often let fear hold us back. Every baby chick must face that first daunting flight. Some take off without hesitation, some need a little push, but in the end they all take that leap of faith, spread their wings and learn to fly.