I was raised to believe you have to do things the “proper” way. Even though I’m a rebel to the core and hate being told what to do, somehow, that “do things the proper way” programming was strong enough to pull me into the status quo for a while.
After high school, I went off to college and got a degree. Then I got a job, which turned into another job, which turned into another job, and then another job.
There I was, climbing the corporate ladder, making more money every year. Engaged to my then-boyfriend, living in the house that we bought together.
I had a “dream life.” Or at least, the version of the dream life I thought I was supposed to have.
But somewhere in the middle of all of that, I realized–Holy shit! I’m living the wrong life.
I knew there was way more available in life than I was claiming, and I knew I was meant for more than the mediocre life I was settling for.
I wish I could say that revelation alone forced me to up and change everything. But my old programming was strong, and it was subconscious, and it was keeping me stuck and playing small without me even knowing it.
It wasn’t until years later that I began to see what was really going on, and how my beliefs, feelings, and thoughts had created the wrong life I was living. (‘Cause you’re always creating your own reality, even if you’re not consciously aware of it.)
In August 2015, I committed to doing a daily mindset practice. I knew our mind is the most powerful tool at our disposal, but I also knew I hadn’t been using mine right.
I had allowed myself to operate on autopilot with old programming that wasn’t serving me in living the life I desired for myself.
That programming–aka my subconscious mind, aka my subconscious beliefs, thoughts, perspectives, and patterns–was running the show. And it had been for my entire life.
It was time for me to take back control.
I worked on my mindset every single day in some way shape or form from that day in August 2015 forward. I shined a light on all of the limiting beliefs and inner-stories and thoughts I had unconsciously allowed to operate in the background. I pulled them all out and I examined them to see what I wanted to keep and what needed to go pronto.
I reworked my entire mindset and consciousness.
And then one morning, I woke up and my first thought wasn’t something negative (as it always was previously; worry, most of the time). It was something abundant and expansive.
I knew it was working. I kept going.
Four years later, my life changed, like magic, right in front of my eyes.
My now ex-husband asked me for a divorce. I moved back to my hometown to be closer to my family. I did some hardcore inner work and reprogramming around my worth and what I deserve and get to have.
Not too long after that, I met the love of my life. I got the Jeep I always dreamed of. And then I burned my old business to the ground and rebuilt it exactly as I always knew it was meant to be.
Within five years of deciding to change my mindset and starting my daily mindset practice, I went from “I’m living the wrong life” to “This is my dream life.”
Of course, there’s always more to the dream, and there’s always more to reprogram and unlearn.
The inner work never ends. But if you’re willing to do it, you will eventually get to experience the endlessly amazing results in your physical reality.
And it just keeps getting better from there.
Dream life or bust,
jen
