“You cannot shift an old tree without it dying.” ~Danish Proverb

Dear Universe,

I think so many of us are craving a change in our lives.

Maybe it’s astrology, numerology or maybe it’s biology, but I see people around me looking for something else.

There’s the woman I met who is in her fifties and has decided to go back to school to become a nurse because she “felt called to it.”

There’s an acquaintance who wants to shift out of her full-time career as a lawyer to work on empowering women in other ways.

There’s my good friend who is exiting single life and ready to embrace a serious, committed relationship.

And there’s another friend who has excelled at his career for the past twenty years, but feels like maybe it’s time to branch out and start his own business.

I can think of a dozen more examples, but my point is I keep seeing people who are dreaming of—or actually are—tackling a major shift in their lives.

They are ready to jump into what’s next.

Here’s the thing I’ve also noticed.

It’s not easy for them.

Of course I wouldn’t expect it to be easy! It’s an incredible undertaking to change your path, go back to school or start your own business. (I can vouch for all of those!)

But I think there’s this misconception.

We see so many other people thriving who have made a massive shift in their lives, that we think it will be easy.

We think that once we are in alignment with our deepest desires, the Universe and our intuition, that things will simply fall into place.

But it rarely—if ever—works out that way.

Being certain of where we want to go next is a beautiful thing. It means we are in tune and following our genuine path.

Being willing to do the work it takes affirms how serious we are about fulfilling our dreams.

So why isn’t easy then?

The more I think about it, the more I realize it’s because we aren’t doing all of the work.

We work on changing our outside circumstances and think that’s all there is to it, but we forget to shift our deeply imbedded internal beliefs and patterns.

“Life is not about changing the external circumstances, to please your internal world, rather life is to change your internal circumstances so that you can accept, whatever takes place in the external world.” ~Roshan Sharma

If you don’t work on both—the outside world and your inside world—then the change you’re desiring won’t succeed or won’t last.

You cannot welcome new blessings, relationships, careers and create a new life for yourself, if you are still stuck in old beliefs, patterns and habits.

If you want to step into a different path, you have to be willing to become another version of yourself.

“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” ~Max DePree

We have to let go of limiting beliefs so we can believe in our own power.

We have to work on the things that are holding us back so we can reach beyond where we are.

We have to be willing to grow in personal areas of our lives, not just intellectual ones.

We have to be stronger than we ever imagined so we can tackle the inevitable challenges we will face as we push for this monumental transformation.

Creating the change you’re envisioning means bursting your comfortable bubble and being blasted off in dozens of directions.

One door will open another. One question will lead to so many more. One discovery will catapult you to hundreds of others.

The path is rarely straight and easy. Before you know it, you won’t even recognize how far you’ve traveled, where you’ve landed and who’s by your side.

Because be prepared. While certain people will remain by your side as you bloom in new areas, you might lose people along the way—but rest assured you’ll pick up others too. They’ll be teachers, spiritual gurus, guides, companions, life-long friends, and soul mates.

They’ll be awesome.

Trust me when I say you won’t even recognize your life. So what you’re picturing now? The future may look something like it, but most likely it’s going to be different.

It’s going to be more amazing than you can even imagine.

But you have to be ready to embrace all this epic change. You have to fearlessly chase the new life you desire, while peeling off layers of yourself that no longer fit.

You have to be ready to shed your old self to step into a whole new level of you.

You have to be ready to face your fears, your self-doubt and your worries.

“Every next level of your life will demand a different version of you.” ~Unknown

Is change possible? Can we make massive shifts and create different paths for ourselves? Can we make our dreams reality?

Yes.

Just get ready for a roller-coaster, topsy-turvy, unimaginable, unforgettable, emotional, soul-shifting, wild ride.

Get ready to feel like you’re jumping off a cliff into an unknown future, with nothing but a parachute and a backpack full of faith.

Buckle up. Your future awaits.

And I’m guessing you don’t want to miss it.

With Gratitude,