Hard Truths, Serious Self-Reflection, Change, and Growth
Real Talk…
This summer has been a season of hard truths, serious self-reflection, change, and growth.
It is not easy being honest with yourself… and I’m talking truly honest. Breaking through the days, months, years, and even decades of fooling yourself. The hard and deep-rooted truths that you shove deep down hoping they never surface so that you don’t need to face them. The ones you want to just dissipate into the abyss without acknowledging they ever existed.
This has been my struggle for as long as I can remember.
I had to face some realities in my personal and professional life over these past few months. It was uncomfortable. It was a struggle. I had to dig deep to identify the causes and conditions that led me to push these things down rather than facing them. This is the only way to get through and change. Ignorance and denial are not going to cultivate change. Identifying and facing the issues will.
I had to ask for help. (The hardest thing for me to do). I had to face the fact that my way wasn’t working; that I didn’t know everything. While I pride myself on being somewhat humble, my ego is way bigger than I realize.
The biggest struggle for me has been having to get a second job working in the meat department at Whole Foods. I feel like a failure. I feel like I wasn’t able to make my dream a reality. My extremism kicked in and I was in the mindset of “This is it; I’m done with design.”
Then after some advice from close friends and family, and some serious prayer and meditation, I realized that life isn’t linear. Plans change. I am not a prisoner of circumstances.
I can do both. I can keep building my dream while doing what I need to do in order to support my family. My all-or-nothing attitude is a self-imposed insecurity that has blocked me from success all my life and I won’t let it throw me off track this time.
So, if you are struggling with circumstances, life on life’s terms, and a non-linear path in life… just remember to breath. Ask for help. Pray. Meditate. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Most importantly, be truly honest with yourself. DO THE HARD WORK! DIG! IT WILL PAY OFF IN THE END!
