Options, optionality, opportunity. I’ve spent the past 8 months being open to whatever the universe delivers or nudges me toward. If it’s rest, I rest. If it’s travel, I travel. If it’s love, I love. If it’s writing, I write. But really my main focus has been to do less and just be. I made a decision to give myself through the summer to not think about work and just enjoy life. I created Vanilla Thought before the summer, so that gave me time and space to soften—knowing it would be there for me at the start of Fall.
At first I was uncertain about the right career set-up for me. Solely focus on working for myself? Create a shortlist of companies where I’d like to work? Work for myself and at a company? I needed to get clear on my current end-goal, imagine what it feels like to live it, and then take action. Getting clear on my goal—continue Vanilla Thought and also being open to a full-time position at a company I feel aligned with (key phrase “aligned with”)—gave me the freedom to relax. It took the pressure off myself to make something happen—feeling like I need to worry about whether or not I’m making progress or focusing on the right things. There’s space for the universe to take care of the how while I focus on acting, feeling, and imagining.
A few days ago I was walking my dog and thinking about that line from Forrest Gump “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” I really like a box of mixed chocolates, and usually they include a reference guide to help you find what you want. Caramels are my favorite (milk or dark, I love both). So I’ve gotten pretty familiar with how caramels look and can spot them without the guide now.
The thing about a box of chocolates is that you get all these options and then you have to figure out which one you want. Similarly, life gives different paths and then you get to choose/influence which ones you go down. I used to think that life was just happening to me instead of for me. But this year I realized that I always get to make a choice. I like Forrest’s line. It’s catchy, but I don’t always agree with it.
I believe that if I consider all the options and get really clear on what I want—in career, relationships, chocolate, life—9/10 times that’s exactly what I’ll get. Every once in a while i’ll bite into a cherry cream, but those moments make me even more focused on choosing a caramel next time.
