One year ago I set out on a journey. My life was, for a moment, a white canvas. I looked upon my future, for the first time in a long time I had no idea what lay ahead. On Nov 9th, 2009 I left my seemingly perfect life in the US to live in Torino, Italy. It was one crazy decision, sell everything and move to a strange land -- new language, a new culture and even a new climate. What happened in the year I lived there has changed me entirely. Becoming a mom is always life-changing but add to that changing everything else in your life at the same time. All I had were my clothes, my mac and my hubby, everything else was different. I went from a three-bedroom home on a lake and a lot and half to a mansarda (a fancy name for a tiny studio apartment). I swaped my pimped out ride for the bus. I changed my shopping habits and became even more frugal! All to live that simple life I searched for so badly. You see, being rich is not about having the most money, its about living life within your means and savoring every bite. How can you do that? You can be happy for the low, low price of zero if you just take a moment to enjoy what you already have. What a concept!
White, what is white all about? It's the opportunity of constant reinvention. You have the power to change your life and you can choose to wait until that moment you say you will do it (ie. when I save X amount of money, when I marry so and so, when I have kids, when...) OR you can stop thinking and do it now. Just set a date and do it. Close your eyes for a moment and picture the one thing you have always wanted to do. Is it moving somewhere? Is it learning something new? Changing your career? Anything, whatever your picturing, what's stopping you? Granted, some of what you are envisioning may involve a great deal of work and sacrifice but what is stopping you from starting? From walking towards your goal starting right now? Our biggest hurdle is ourselves. We place all these conditions and parameters in order to take that leap. Why would we sabotage ourselves? Because we operate on FEAR! Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of pain. But haven't we all failed, been rejected and felt pain anyway? So if in the process of reaching for that one adventure we stumble, we fall and we have to start over isn't it worth just knowing that you gave it your all? To know that if you die tomorrow and have no regrets, isn't it worth that risk? It was for me...
I had plenty to risk. I was two months pregnant, I was climbing the corporate ladder and I was attaining wealth and status at a very early stage in my life. All of it is now in the past. I have my son now, I no longer work (part or full time) and status and wealth are no longer in my radar. I risked it all and now I feel like I have a chance to live the life I was meant to live not the one I was pressured into living. We all have crazy dreams and we all have dreams we can pursue. You know the difference and you have the power to pursue them. Your life can become a white canvas when you so choose, you can start over on your own terms. Don't wait until life throws you a curve ball and you HAVE to change it, do it now and don't look back.
Money might be your second largest hurdle. Its a necessary evil, we all need and without it it's hard to get what we want. If your vision is centered on that then maybe that's what you need to change. Money, status and wealth was our design. Happiness is deeper than money. People cover up their sadness with objects but lose their souls in the process. Reach for love, reach for peace and true joy -- these things are free and available for you to attain when you're ready. Make those changes, you know what they are. Stability in things is overrated. Live life light! Discard the things that weigh you down and reach for the sun. Learn to love your life, it's a blank canvas, you add the color.
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