I’ve been paying close attention to my horoscopes by astrologer Astro Tash recently. So far week after week I look back and they have been sooooo accurate!
My horoscope this week reminded me of the importance of taking a break and reflecting on how far I’ve come. The break? I needed it! Stopping to reflect on my journey so far? I think I needed that too. Or rather, I owed it to myself.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to keep on achieving, keep on thinking about what’s next, keep on thinking of new ideas and plans we can make something out of. A big one? We tend to put our focus on just how far we have to go, rather than how far we’ve come. So nasty.
So, this time I stopped and I looked back. I have come an incredibly long way. The person I am now experienced an epic amount of growth from the person I was several years ago.
I’d been working a full-time job since I finished school. It was such an exciting intro to adulthood and independence. But over time that changed. Every day it was the same routine, the same unnecessary pressure and stress. And honestly, looking back on it now, it was SO unnecessary. But we take it yeah? Because when we work, we are in that bubble of influence that encourages us to just suck it up and keep going, despite how unhappy we are. We put so much of ourselves into our work that we barely have the time to stop and think about how deeply it is affecting us. It's a recipe for disaster if you are somewhere you are not meant to be. I knew my time was about to be up with this shindig. I got tired of dealing with the same conflicts and I recognised that I was turning into someone who I didn't want to be. It got to the point where I was beyond overtired and I burnt out! It's scary to think that many of us won't take action until our health makes it loud and clear that we are on the wrong path. But like everything- it's a lesson. A serious one at that. I knew life was just too short to be that unhappy every day. I knew there had to be more to it. What kept me there? My comfort zone.
I thought I needed the 9-5 everyday job and the desired stability that came with it. My god can I laugh about that now. Not having stability is uncomfortable, but it forces you to push yourself into a brand new way of living. After leaving that routine I became grounded, content and my health flourished. It was a welcoming feeling, I’d been gasping for it for far too long.
My adventure began. I enrolled in uni, I dropped a day’s pay to become an intern and I found casual jobs where I could. My new mindset was to simply do my job- get in and out. No making any subconscious attachments that made me feel as though I had to give more than what I was getting. This new path led me to the big, wide, open community. I was able to meet many different social circles. I met so many amazing people all with their own stories of wild ambition, and yet it wasn’t daunting at all, it was so welcoming. I found myself working alongside absolute boss babes who did nothing but support and inspire others with their own journeys and ambition. It was incredibly uplifting. These people were wholeheartedly happy with the life they had created for themselves and that reflected onto those who were around them. These were my people to look up to.
I learnt that the universe rewards you if you ask, but best you let your actions do the asking for you. I learnt that you can never run out of opportunities for happiness. And I learnt that those who feel negativity towards you for putting yourself first, only have the time because they are not chasing their own adventure. My journey is still going of course, but up until this point, I acknowledge that I have come a long way and I credit that to diving headfirst into the unknown. And looking back it makes me proud. It’s true what they say, once you make big changes, opportunities present themselves, it’s a domino effect.
But all in all, I’d love for you to have a think about how far you’ve come. Share with us. Think about the person you were twelve months ago, five years ago, ten years ago. Think about what has changed, what hardships you have pulled yourself through, or what lessons you have learnt. In doing so, I hope you acknowledge your growth, acknowledge your lessons and openly feel proud of yourself. Because your achievements are worth celebrating.