It’s my pleasure to introduce to you a former colleague and rising star in the field of academic and professional coaching/counseling. Cheyenne is a multi-talented individual with a gift for helping other achieve their quest for success. You’ll want to take notes on this one! Enjoy!!!
– Dr. Kim
It’s Your Life: START LIVING IT!
How many times have you heard someone say, “I wish I would’ve” or “I’ll do it next month?” I was in church and the pastor said if you haven’t made any strides toward what you’ve said you were going to do, most likely you’re not going to do it! So, my question is: What will you do today that will help you achieve the life you want tomorrow?
We are born into this world with two plans. One plan our parents map out for us and then there’s the one God intends for us. Our parents enroll us in dancing school and karate classes; tell us which major we can choose because their dollars are sending us to college; and, strongly give us their opinions on what we should wear and how we should govern ourselves. However, at the end of the day each person has to live with their decisions about their lives. Now, don’t get me wrong; I do believe that parents should be our guides by instilling character, morals, discipline, and great judgment. But, as we age, there comes a time that we must make our own decisions and our own mistakes. It’s the only way we will truly come into living our own lives!
Unfortunately, many people are still living their parent’s goals and dreams. I was watching an episode of Chopped and during the introductory portion, one chef said his mom cut him off for years because all of his siblings were in the medical field. She wanted the same for him but he decided to pursue cooking – his passion. After hearing his story, I didn’t care if he won Chopped or not! I was so excited to see someone who opened the door to his purpose.
When I was in my twenties, I was always envious of young people who lived life boldly and unapologetically. I was always a follow-the-rules kind of girl, speaking properly and dressing conservatively. I believed in the words of Kelly Clarkson’s song entitled, Because of You (Hear it here https://youtu.be/Ra-Om7UMSJc):
Because of you I never stray too far from the sidewalk
because of you I’ve learned to play on the safe side so I don’t get hurt.
Because of you I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me.
Because of you I am afraid.
Even though deep down I was still a rule-follower, I was passionate about life. It took awhile, but guess what? I managed to step outside of the box and start living! Although this song speaks about Clarkson’s emotional distress caused by her parents divorce, the lyrics suggest that our parents may unconsciously instill their fears in us, causing us to live at 70% instead of the 100% God intends for us.
How long are you going to allow your parents fears to affect your life? How long will you let your family or friend’s opinions hold you back from your true calling? Life is about taking chances. It’s about failing and getting back up to try again and again and again until the goal is achieved. It’s about swinging as high as you can and jumping off the swing set. It’s about running in the rain and dancing in Home Depot because your jam came on the loudspeaker.
(Let me put this disclaimer out right now,: don’t jump off the swing set if you are not set up to do that…LOL.)
So, what does purpose have to do with living life? In my opinion, the pursuit of purpose creates our life’s journey to wholeness and true happiness. It is what we are put on this earth to do. Until you step out of the box and find your purpose, you’ll feel lost and your life will feel unfulfilled. So, DARE TO START LIVING! There’s a swing set or a Home Depot aisle just waiting for you……
exsuperwoman.wordpress.com 
I agree! In my early 30’s, I became disenchanted with corporate america. I was afraid to leave because after all, the job was well paid enough for me to buy a house as single woman, stash away savings and take some memorable vacations. But wow, I had the meanest spirit! I had to discover what purpose in life was, I had to discover who I was. Using those templates, I found a profession that I loved deeply, didn’t pay as much as corporate did. At times I even wanted to quit because funds got distressingly low….but I stuck through and now 15 years later, I am glad I did.