Nobody Said It Was Easy

A man walked into his friend’s home, when he noticed a cat lying down on top of a nail on the floor.

“Oh my God!” he said. “Why doesn’t he get up from there? Isn’t there somewhere else he could be sleeping?”

The cat’s owner smiled and looked at his friend, “We have tried to give him different beds to sleep in, but he still chooses to sit on that nail. It hurts him, just not enough to make him move.”

There have been a few times in my life where I’ve been the cat sitting on the nail. I’ve had to choose between staying in my comfort zone or walking through the fire of trying something new, and erroneously, I’ve stayed uncomfortable in my comfort.

I have always feared and resisted change. I’ve been afraid of losing myself, losing people I love, of starting over, of trying and failing. It’s all in vain though, because in the end, I’ve attracted my fears and made it through alright.

Comfort–or the idea of it–is a trap. It is the killer of dreams. It is the deflation of passion. It is the false belief that you should stay where you are so that things around you don’t crumble. Well, whether you move or not, they’ll crumble if they were meant to.

Recently, I decided to uproot myself from my life in Miami and replant in Chapel Hill. For two years I had dreamed about the moment when I could leave Miami behind and follow my goals and ambitions up North. However, when the time came to choose, it was incredibly hard for me.

I had to choose between a dream opportunity in my field and leaving behind my family, friends, partner, and life, to start all over.

Nobody said it was easy….

Amidst the intense excitement and packing, I’d pinch myself daily to make sure I wasn’t dreaming my reality. The weeks leading up to my move I was incredibly nervous, and would call my best friend in the middle of the night panicking. I remember telling her one day: “What am I going to sacrifice for living the dream I so fervently manifested? Will I be lonely? Will I lose my friends? Will I destroy my relationship?”

It was even harder when Mario returned to Miami after helping me move in and I had to face the silence of my decisions and embrace the new life I chose. The homesickness and loneliness soon followed.

Nobody said it was easy…..

However….today….exactly a month away from my 24th birthday, I realize and accept that this in fact was the right decision. No more questions asked.

I was walking out of work and breathed in the beauty of a PURPLE sunset. It took me back to the moment when Mario and I walked into my new apartment, tears welling in my eyes, and I said “I did it.” It was the same heartwarming joy.

I’ve realized that sometimes in life, when it is time to make important decisions, it can be helpful to be a pyromaniac and take the risk at being happy. I’ve realized that doing nothing only leaves you with nothing–and that’s just not the life I want to live–I don’t want a life full of nothing.

When I look around at where I live, where I work, how much I’ve grown in only a month, and I embrace all the possibilities, I feel less afraid of the future and of changing.

I figure–life is all about embracing change and learning from it. Even the moon changes constantly, as nature’s little reminder that everything is going to be OK.

On this last month of 2017, take some time to be thankful for what you have, but also to ground yourself on what you truly want. Keep your head up and remember that you have the power to change every single thing in your life. You have the power to move forward and manifest the life you’ve always wanted.

So, my two cents for today:

 

If it needs to explode–let it.

If it needs to grow–water it.

If it needs time–give it.

If it needs to stay the same–leave it.

If you don’t like it–change it.

Do what you need to do……just don’t be a cat sitting on a nail. Live the life you are meant to be living.

With Love,

-Karla