A Pile of Legos and Unlimited Possibilities

Over the weekend, many people in my life were getting ready for today - the return to work. I heard a lot of comments like "back to the same old grind" and "I have a lot of stuff to do". The emotion that I heard was heavy and burdensome. Maybe that was my own filter.

My life is easy and peaceful right now. The gremlin would say "Sure, you don't have to deal with a boss or coworkers or customers, or that hassle of worrying about bills, kids, etc., etc..". True. It is easy to be peaceful - or is it? I am staring into a relative void where I can be 100% creative with my life. Not having a routine can be scary.

Over the weekend, we got together with our friends Anthony and Kathy. Kathy had not heard about my sabbatical, and was curious about what I am up to. She kept asking me what my routine was. I am committed to writing my "morning pages" per the Artist's Way book, to keeping this blog and the discipline of being present and aware. Everything else is open to intuition, creation and interpretation.

It is as if I am sitting in front of a pile of lego blocks, which represent my talents and experiences. I can choose which ones I will use. I have a purpose in my life. My goal is to use my talents, experiences and gifts to create in alignment with my purpose. We all have these choices before us every day. We seduce ourselves into thinking that we don't. We make choices every day, we often choose the same ones and wonder why our life isn't different.

For example, I have an amazing talent for sizing up organizations which is a great skill to have as a change consultant. It does not take me long to map out the politics, the climate, the challenges and the dynamics of the organization. This skill was borne out of my childhood need for protection - I could walk into a room and figure out where I could hide. We all do this. Today, I am making new choices. This blog is both an act of choosing not to hide anymore and tapping into my love for writing.

I have revealed here that I have always listened to my intuition throughout my life. When I was in my early 20s, I heard three things: Work very hard until age 50, save aggressively, and at age 50 I would stop working for the money and live according to my passion. I am 48 and right on schedule! Yes, my life is "easy and peaceful" - because I have created it. I look back on my life and I can see how everything has prepared me for this moment. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

What is your little voice telling you? How would your life be different if you paid more attention?

All the best! With much love and gratitude, Mj