Ask the Big Questions

I couldn’t tell you what year it was… maybe 15 years ago… I have a very distinct memory of riding up a chair lift at Whiteface Mountain with an old family friend. They were asking me what I was up to in life. My answer: I was hustling in grad school. I wore the busy-ness badge and carried the paying my dues certificate with pride.

“But are you happy?” They asked?

I remember being really uncomfortable with the question. I hesitated, and said something along the lines of I’ll be happy one day. It bothered me for a long while actually. It felt invasive almost. I had gone from a ski academy with crazy hours for any teenager to pull, directly to college, and then grad school without ever stopping to check in with myself to see if I was actually happy.

I wasn’t. I was caught up in doing what I was “supposed” to be doing. There was no bigger picture. I had no idea what my passions or purpose were. I didn’t even stop to ask really. I had zero connection with my inner being, I brushed my intuition off, and I thought my anxiety and stress levels were normal. I drank too much on the weekends with my friends to escape, or I went to the mall and bought clothes I barely even wore for some retail therapy. I felt sick physically. I was going into debt, and it was all chalked up to being normal. I mean, it’s the normal trajectory a lot of us take, isn’t it?

“Pay your dues.”

That is how I was programmed to operate.

And while I was angry about this when I finally “woke up, “ I know now and fully trust that it was necessary to lead me to where I am today. I’m no longer angry, and I no longer carry regrets. I accept it. It was the path that ended up freeing me.

I also see that my loved ones, who put those ideas in my head, had the most wonderful intentions and love for me. I especially understand this as a mother. To them, this was how they could ensure I had a good life and future. I fully appreciate the life, the opportunities, and love I received as a child. They didn’t view it as pushing off happiness, going into the rat race, accumulating debt, and living for vacations and retirement. There will be people who see my approach as flippant, and it’s cool. I’m probably not for them.

I’m going to throw out a wild idea: we can be happy now while also setting up happiness for the future. We can live fully now, and also be responsible adults at that same time. Nothing is black or white.

THE collective conscious is shifting, and I’m THRILLED to be a part of it.

I hope that one day living freely, abundantly, in alignment, and on purpose will be common place… that it will be something we start talking to kids about at an early age and emphasize as much as reading. That little ones will understand that they are creators of their own reality, and responsible for their happiness and wellbeing. That they will learn that abundance is their birthright, and it doesn’t have to be such a struggle.

What I want you to take away from my little story is this:

ASK YOURSELF THE BIG QUESTIONS. AND ASK THEM OFTEN.

What do I want out of life?

Where are my current actions leading me?

Do I like where I’m going?

Am I happy?

What are my passions?

What is my why?

Am I living life for me or someone else?

Am I acting out of fear?

What do I value most? Am I putting time into my values?

Am I spending time and energy on what I actually love?

Does my lifestyle promote my wellbeing, health, and spiritual development?

Do I focus on what my life feels like or looks like?

Get out your journal, and start writing without judgement.

Don’t go on autopilot. Don’t follow the masses.

Ask the questions, think for yourself, and don’t be afraid to live freely.

With love and all the vibes,

Lindsay