Remixing Life
I thought it was about time to talk about this remix on life.
Have you ever assessed your life to see if you're traveling along the expected trajectory?
Or analyzed the course you're on to understand if it's continuing to bring you happiness?
We may do this in small bits, but it's difficult for most of us to evaluate life as a whole and then begin making changes if we feel we have veered off course somehow.
Let's say you're involved in an activity such as a co-ed softball league, bowling team, or maybe even fantasy football league. You've been involved with the team(s) for years and you used to get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Now, you find it's a chore to get to practice, the time commitment has become burdensome, or you've completely lost your passion for it. Do you continue with the activity because you feel committed to it or do you eliminate it in order to re-establish joy and balance in your life?
This is a small bit of life that you may have assessed before.
Let's take another example. In this example, you're in a long-term relationship. A relationship that has brought you much joy over the years, financial luxuries, vacations, friendships, and more. But this relationship has also drained you. It has taken its toll on your family, your ability to pursue activities you enjoy, your health, your overall happiness. When you lay out the pros and cons of this relationship, do you accept the relationship status quo or do you seek to correct what has gone awry?
This is a larger life assessment that is harder for us to tackle because it means making decisions about things we may not be ready to face. It means facing change and that may scare us.
Change IS scary.
I'm not here to tell you it's not scary. I am here to tell you that it's worth it.
What led me to assess my own life?
A magnificent intervention,really. I was chugging along at my own pace (Wonder Woman style), ignoring health issues and signs of burnout, and then - BAM - I was hit by what felt like a freight train!
During recovery, I had to re-teach my body to function. My brain didn't remember things very well. I struggled to form sentences. My body had 1% of the energy it was used to working with. I walked at a snail's pace. I had never been more exhausted in my entire life.
Needless to say, I had a lot of time on my hands to think. And I thought a lot.
Have you ever assessed your life to see if you're traveling along the expected trajectory?
Or analyzed the course you're on to understand if it's continuing to bring you happiness?
We may do this in small bits, but it's difficult for most of us to evaluate life as a whole and then begin making changes if we feel we have veered off course somehow.
Let's say you're involved in an activity such as a co-ed softball league, bowling team, or maybe even fantasy football league. You've been involved with the team(s) for years and you used to get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Now, you find it's a chore to get to practice, the time commitment has become burdensome, or you've completely lost your passion for it. Do you continue with the activity because you feel committed to it or do you eliminate it in order to re-establish joy and balance in your life?
This is a small bit of life that you may have assessed before.
Let's take another example. In this example, you're in a long-term relationship. A relationship that has brought you much joy over the years, financial luxuries, vacations, friendships, and more. But this relationship has also drained you. It has taken its toll on your family, your ability to pursue activities you enjoy, your health, your overall happiness. When you lay out the pros and cons of this relationship, do you accept the relationship status quo or do you seek to correct what has gone awry?
This is a larger life assessment that is harder for us to tackle because it means making decisions about things we may not be ready to face. It means facing change and that may scare us.
Change IS scary.
I'm not here to tell you it's not scary. I am here to tell you that it's worth it.
What led me to assess my own life?
A magnificent intervention,really. I was chugging along at my own pace (Wonder Woman style), ignoring health issues and signs of burnout, and then - BAM - I was hit by what felt like a freight train!
During recovery, I had to re-teach my body to function. My brain didn't remember things very well. I struggled to form sentences. My body had 1% of the energy it was used to working with. I walked at a snail's pace. I had never been more exhausted in my entire life.
Needless to say, I had a lot of time on my hands to think. And I thought a lot.
- It's been 4 days. You MUST shower today... you're funky. Why exactly does it take sooo much energy just to shower?!?
- Why do we have a 2-story house? 17 steps. Not sure if I can make it. I wonder if my pulse will hit 200 before I get to the top? Is someone here to catch me if I pass out?
- Do the kids really need to eat today? Is there bread? PB? Jelly? OK - PB&J sandwiches it is.
- Shit. What time is it? 1pm. I just slept for 17 hours. Really? 17 hours?! How is that even possible?
- I don't sweat anymore. It's summer. I wonder what will happen if I get overheated? Hmmm... that could be an interesting experiment.
More than that, I thought:
- Who am I?
- What do I stand for and believe in?
- Am I working toward those things in my career?
- Does my career love me as much as I love it (I mean, I did just about give my life for it)?
- What will happen if I'm not a Business Analyst, Project Manager, or Practice Leader?
- How will my family manage if I'm not capable of providing for them?
- What will happen if I die?
- Can I make changes to be happy and healthy?
This pattern of thought led me down a deep, dark road of Q&A with Shauna. I had to figure out a lot of things that I wasn't prepared for.
Change. So many of us are very scared of this, but there isn't anything to be scared of. Change is brilliant. Introspection, Q&A with yourself, contemplation, meditation, and examination are all practices we should implement to make certain we are still living the life we want to live.
As a result of the answers to my own Q&A, I am making changes. I am remixing my life and I welcome you to it. I'm so glad you're here!
I encourage you to take time for an assessment of your own life to see if there are opportunities for some remixing. If you have a remix story, or feel encouraged by my remix, share your thoughts in the comments or shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you.
Cheers!
-S
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