🎧 Listen to the Episode

If you prefer to hear the full story in a heart-to-heart format, press play below! Otherwise, read on for the full breakdown of my journey from the rush of corporate life to finding joy and alignment in the present moment.

💖 A Heart-to-Heart on Gratitude and the Gift of Now

If you recently celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope you had a chance to rest and connect with your loved ones. My family and I had a wonderful, heartwarming day, and I left that interaction feeling immense gratitude for everything I have.

This feeling, this sense of fullness, has really set the stage for me to talk about something I’ve been feeling deeply lately: the sheer joy of being present. I want to talk about gratitude and being present because it truly is a gift. It's a literal gift to be alive today—aptly called the present.

Lately, I find myself deeply present. I’m thankful for the day I’m having and the current moment I’m experiencing. Sometimes, I just look around and list all the wonderful things I see, and that simple gratitude fills me with joy.

For instance, when I walk outside to check the mail, I now admire the pretty fall colors. I appreciate the nice, cold chill of the autumn air, especially after a hot summer. I can finally enjoy bundling up in a cozy sweater and a big scarf—my absolute preferred wardrobe. When I am mindfully present in these small moments, I realize that everything is going to be okay.

I choose not to get caught up in the collective worries and anxieties of the world. I know there's a lot of heaviness and fear circulating, but the only thing we can control is how we react. And I choose to react by being grateful to be alive and for the safe moment I am in right now.

The Illusions of the "Rush, Rush, Rush"

This outlook did not come easily. This has been a long path of personal growth, because I used to be the exact opposite of present. I was always future-oriented, stressed about not yet having what I wanted, and living in a constant state of rush, rush, rush.

I think back to my grad school days—endless reading, essays, projects, an internship, a job, planning a wedding, job hunting... It was a lot. That experience, however, gives me a powerful perspective to compare to my life today.

After graduating, I worked in city government. The culture was intense, filled with ambitious people. But I always knew that work came second to my personal life. I didn't want to climb the ladder for more workload; I wanted less workload for a better work/life balance.

I was ready to settle in that job for 20 to 30 years, living the life society considers "successful." But deep down, it never felt aligned.

The Turning Point: Choosing Presence Over Promotion

Life intervened when I gave birth to my second baby in 2021. I had spent the previous year working from home, enjoying an incredible amount of time with my first child. While returning to work after maternity leave, my perspective had changed drastically. I realized how much of my first child's early years I had missed while working in the office.

After about a month back at work, I made the huge decision to resign. I was crying myself to sleep, knowing this was not the life I wanted anymore. I have zero regrets about leaving my career path to cherish the present time with my kids.

But I need to be completely honest with you: The solution was not just quitting my job.

The internal struggle didn't vanish just because I handed in my badge. I had been so busy for so long that I actually struggled to transition to appreciating the now. I had to do a lot of deep work on myself to figure out what my dreams actually were, and what an authentically aligned life felt like.

🌱 The Internal Work That Created My Present

This pursuit of a life rooted in presence meant actively confronting old habits and beliefs:

• Pursuing Dreams: I finally started pursuing my little art studio dream again.

• Confronting Self-Talk: To do this, I had to work through a mountain of negative self-talk and limiting beliefs. This difficult work, this shadow work, is what helped me build up my confidence and the belief that this new path is something I am truly worthy of.

• Creating Space: I became extremely intentional about where I give my time and energy. I learned how to effectively journal and I am meditating as much as I can.

• Cutting Distractions: I’ve cut out a lot of mindless social media scrolling and nonsense TV shows that were taking my attention and energy away.

• Focusing Energy: Instead, I’m choosing to focus that energy on my dreams and goals, on things that truly serve my growth and allow me to listen to my intuition.

I used to worry a lot about the future, constantly seeking the next milestone. But I’ve learned that achieving more doesn't necessarily lead to happiness. My biggest lesson through all of this was that the pursuit of "more" was distracting me from the bliss of "now."

🎁 Final Gift: Affirmation & Journal Prompt

Thank you for joining me today. I hope this look into my journey from anxiety about the future to embracing the present encourages you to explore your own relationship with time.

Take this Affirmation with you:

I am exactly where I need to be. I trust the pace of my life, and I am grateful for the gift of this present moment.

Your Journal Prompt for the Week:

Where in my life am I still chasing a future goal, instead of appreciating the 'things' I have already achieved and possess right now?