I’ve been realizing how often I treat enjoyment like something I have to earn.
This month, I’ve spent more time living than I did all of last year.
I traveled for a long weekend, spent a weekend celebrating my friend’s birthday, and said yes to visiting a place I’d never been before, even though I also had plans to go to a polo match that same weekend.
And each time I had to make the decision, the first thought that came to me was:
“You shouldn’t go anywhere, you have too much work to do.”
“You are going to fall back on your goals.”
“Fun comes after you reach your goals.”
Maybe this sounds familiar to you too.
I’ve been reading, researching, thinking about identity, beliefs, self-image, and change as I work on developing the Future Self-Portrait.
Different teachers may explain it differently, but one idea keeps coming up: You have to begin embodying the person you want to become.
Neville Goddard called it “living in the end.”
And I keep thinking...
How am I supposed to guide others if I’m not willing to practice it myself?
The woman I’m becoming takes her work seriously, but she doesn’t put her life on hold for it.
She spends time with people she loves, travels, enjoys nature, and gives herself permission to do things simply because they make her happy.
She doesn’t need to prove she worked hard enough to deserve them.
This is the part that I’m really learning, and I’m happy to have embodied it this past month.
I already practiced the “I have to hustle” and “I’m too busy,” but it has gotten me nowhere. It only left me feeling exhausted, burnt out, and like almost two years of my life passed by without creating meaningful memories.
Today, I’m practicing what I preach.
Is there guilt when I’m not working, and I’m out enjoying myself?
A tiny bit, but I expect it to be there.
That’s the challenge.
That’s my old self wanting to stay in control, while my new self is saying “Girl, we are having fun because life is way too short to keep waiting until everything is done.”
And is it ever done?
There will always be something to do, responsibilities, and reasons to tell ourselves, “Not yet.”
So, what is one thing you know your Future self would tell you to start doing now, instead of waiting?
