Written by Hello Wonderful Whitney,
It’s official. You are homeless. Let the adventure begin! (Go you!)
You did it. You moved out of your house. After the third time that Aaron insisted on bringing his new girlfriend over to your home, you realised it wasn’t going to work. You had hoped that both of you could live in the house until the lease was finished, but the emotional pain was too devastating. So you proactively advocated for yourself and took action. You packed up the entire house, took loads of junk to the thrift shop, hired a moving truck, rented a storage locker, and enlisted the help of a friend. Despite the pain and the struggle, the tears and the rain (Melbourne, did you really have to rain on moving day, really?!), you are finally out.
Five days. Five days from start to finish. And now you are free. Aaron can have his new girlfriend and an expensive monthly rental lease. You don’t need that pressure or stress.
I’m proud of you.
You find yourself at such an interesting point in your life, Whit. There is so much change happening all at once…it is honestly a lot to handle. Let’s summarise the key points:
Your long-term relationship is over
You are quitting your job
You are living out of your car
Basically, everything that has made you happy over the last three years is now changing or has disappeared completely. Soon you will have heaps of free time with nothing to do besides be with yourself. It’s almost like you need to learn to be alone again, to be happy and content with yourself. It is going to be a massive learning and growth process. It will also be a grieving process. You will have to come to terms with everything that has happened to you in the last month, allow yourself to feel the pain and the loss, accept those feelings as part of your journey, and then look forward towards new opportunities. You must grieve, then start the next chapter of your life.
The whole world is waiting for you…who knows what the next adventure will be! It’s actually quite exciting. Where will you be a year from now? All I know is that it is going to be a vastly different place from now. Your life will look completely different in a year.
What possibilities do you want to create for yourself? You have the opportunity to envision a new future for yourself, which is a very liberating thought. What do you want, Whit? Who do you want to be? Where do you want to be? What do you want to be doing with your life? Let’s really think about those questions…
Who do you want to be?
This is by far the most important question to consider. You have so much love to give. At your core, this is who you are: someone who loves deeply and wants to share that love with the world, especially for the people in your life who you deeply care about. You want to give of yourself freely and support others. This is who you want to be, no matter what you are doing in your life. Never forget that: you are love.
You also want to be your best self, to take care of your body and your mind. You are getting back on track with healthy eating and exercise (flex those guns, girl). You are still suffering from extreme anxiety, but you can eat more than a few crackers now (you have graduated to avocado on toast!). Clearly, you have a long way to go until your wellbeing is back on track. You are a priority, always!
You also want to be confident, to be able to speak out and stand up for yourself and others. You are strong, caring, and empathetic. Embody your values and actively live them every day. Be confident internally as well; have confidence within yourself and love yourself deeply. You are important, valuable and worthwhile and you have a lot to offer the world. Be you. Always.
2. Where do you want to be?
You have found a home in Australia, more than any other place in the world. Melbourne is your favourite city; it has your heart. This fact brings you so much joy and peace. You have never, ever felt this way before about a place. You have spent years moving from one location to the next, never truly connecting. Until now. This place, this city, these people… this is the place you love, the place you feel most at home. You want to be here!
And it would be even better if you lived near the water; it brings you such peace and serenity. The ocean reminds you of how insignificant your challenges are, while also renewing your spirit and calming your heart. You feel like your best self when you are surrounded by a beautiful environment.
3. What do you want to be doing?
As humans, we spend so much of our time working and it often feels like a grind. It’s stressful, pressured, and intense. These are not the feelings that you want to be experiencing every day. You want to do work that makes you feel content and happy. Sure, a job will be stressful at times, but you also do not need to be so consumed by it all the time. You want to slow down and just be. Enjoy life, be present to this moment, right now.
You want to be doing something that sparks your passion, allows you to serve others and give of yourself, something that brings joy, happiness and excitement. But, this question is about more than just work. You want to be creating, growing, learning, challenging yourself, exploring, loving… you want to be doing all of the things that make you, you. Every day.
Take risks, Whit. Now is the time to challenge yourself and see what you are really capable of and rediscover who you truly are. You have no responsibilities, no commitments. In every way, you are free. Read, write, learn, reflect, connect. Help yourself come back to yourself. Your life is about so much more than your job. YOU are so much more than your work. Give time to yourself.
More than anything else, love. Every day, live with love: for others, for yourself, for the earth, and for all humanity.
Whit Munroe 