I remember a time when I dreaded Mondays. I wished the weeks away until Friday finally got here. Then, on Sundays, I started to get really down about halfway through the day, because I knew my mundane process was about to start over again. Looking back, I was not much of a human "being," and much more of a human "doing." I worked my 9-5 that I'd lost my passion for, tried to squeeze as much vacation out of the year as possible, and did whatever I could to escape my reality. This was me three years ago (and it went on for a couple of years before that as well!) I remember it like it was yesterday, but at the same time, I feel so disconnected from that lifestyle.

Monday of this week, I felt so incredibly grateful because I realized I actually look FORWARD to Mondays now. I look forward to everyday, because I'm living a life that I truly love. It wasn't easy to get here, but it wasn't hard, either. It just requires making different choices, and being conscious of every choice you make, until it becomes your new norm. There's a quote that sounds cliche, but is so true. You're always only one decision away from a completely different life. One small choice can snowball into a new life for you. It just requires thinking differently.

When I finally left the corporate world, and stopped doing things that weren't important to me, I didn't have a plan. I had faith, and I knew in my heart that God didn't put me on this planet to wish time (our most precious commodity) away. I firmly believe that He didn't put any of us here to waste time, when He gave us an unlimited supply of everything else except for time. He gave us gifts. He gave us passion. He gave us the capacity to love deeply. He gave us water that falls from the sky. He gave us natural resources. But He gave us a limited amount of time. So, why are we wasting it doing things we don't enjoy with people that we don't even necessarily like to be around?

I took a leap of faith, and I'm so grateful that I did. Since I left the corporate world, I met my soul mate. I do things that I enjoy daily. I have a FAMILY. I am currently sitting on the floor with my nine week old while she plays on her activity mat and watches Disney movies, while I am writing (doing something that I LOVE). I'm waiting for my husband to get home from a job that he enjoys and works on HIS terms, and we're going to spend the rest of the day doing things as a family that we enjoy. We sell campfires, something that we love, at events that we choose, with people that we love. We choose to spend our most precious commodity, time, together, instead of doing things we don't like to do.

On top of creating a family that I love, I've made some amazing friends, and I have traveled the country. We spent most of 2017 on the road. We worked on a train in Alaska last year. We spent a full month driving around the lower 48 and seeing things we never thought possible. We explored the last frontier, caught big fish, saw wildlife and mountains that most people only see in documentaries on Netflix, and truly lived life. I could never have even fathomed doing this if I was limited to my two weeks vacation in the corporate world.

When I think of my past self, I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams, that I'd take off and travel the way I did last year. A few years ago, my life was pretty average. I worked, worked out, went to school, and went to happy hour. My life was OK. Now, I'm grateful for the awesome life I live on a daily basis.

All it took was having faith, making different decisions, and not looking back. When you're living your life on purpose, you attract the right things, people, and opportunities. It took (and still takes) making decisions based on your individual (or family) values. It takes living each day on purpose. It takes ignoring what society says is important, and feeling your way towards what's truly right. Every single one of us has the capacity to do this.

My prayer for anyone reading this today is that you do something that you love, in the direction of where you want your life to go. Have some fun and enjoy the people that you love. Believe in yourself, and remember you truly are just one decision away from a completely different life.

Thanks for reading <3