One Step Is All You Get

I left America for Africa just over a year ago. Packed up my life and moved.

I didn’t know exactly what I was heading towards. I was just doing what I coach so many people through… moving towards something my heart was aching for. And had been for many years –  A one way ticket.

I’d like to share my biggest learning with you because it’ll remind you of a truth you may need reminding of today. But first… a quick review of essentially how this year went – just so we’re all on the same page regarding the complete and utter imperfection of this big life decision:

1) I knew my heart ached, and had for a long time, for Africa. So… first step… go to Africa.

2) I knew I wanted to learn French and be by the ocean. So… next step I chose a French-speaking country with a city on the coast ~ Senegal.

3) Had health challenges from the pollution. So I left my ‘perfect home’, French lessons, and what little clarity I thought I had about this adventure.

4) Felt very disoriented, and felt like giving up. So I paused. And didn’t give up.

5) Four countries later (yup, skipping a Lot here!), I knew that all the reasons I thought I was meant to be in Africa were not happening. So I chose to leave that beautiful continent and spend some time in Europe: Italy and France.

6) Remembered how much I wanted to get my masters degree, so explored different universities and programs, found a program in Amsterdam, applied, was accepted, and that’s the next year in place.

I’m thrilled.

And definitely did not see this coming.

Now – back to you.

If we were sitting together right now, with a cup of tea and a sandwich, I’d ask you what you want.
And you’d tell me some things. Because people always want something. Always.

And then I’d ask you what the first step was. And you’d tell me. Because everyone has an idea for that first step. And then you might tell me a bunch of reasons why you shouldn’t or can’t take that first step. And by the last bite of that sandwich there’s a good chance you’d have talked yourself out of that thing you want, convinced yourself that it really isn’t such a big deal, and you’ll get to it later.

So I want you to know this.

And this is really important.

Uprooting my life to follow my heart was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life. And I’ve made a lot of good ones.

My heart was talking to me for a reason.
As. Is. Yours.
And you know what’s so great about all of this?
It’s not difficult.
As you might have noticed from my brief synopsis above ~ I didn’t have it figured out when I took the leap.

If you ONLY know one step, then you’re completely and utterly on track. In fact one step is often all we get when we want something different.

One Step Is All You Get.

And.

One Step is All You Need.

Wait to know the whole plan and result, and you’ll be forever waiting. Because the idea is to learn to take a step without knowing what’s coming next ~ and to get comfortable doing that. It’s faith, trust.

How do you feel when you Really imagine taking that step?

What do you notice happens to your heart rate? Your breathing? Your thoughts?

There’s a lot of information in that feedback.

I had to allow my organized, somewhat predicable life to unravel. Just a little. Well okay, a lot. But that’s not the case for everyone.

So please. You know the step. Yes, that step.

Take it.

And after that, wait until you know the next one, and then take that one. And before you know it a year of your life will have passed and you’ll have all these memories and have met all these cool people, and watched yourself do and say things that you couldn’t have dreamed up.

And you’ll know that you’re more content than ever before because you just trusted yourself and went after something you’d always wanted.

And you’re worth it.

And your heart is worth it.

And your kids are worth it, because then they’ll do the same.

And your friendships are worth it.

And your health is worth it.

And how you’ll feel about who you are as you get older is worth it.

Plus, it’s a lot of fun. And sometimes it inspires others when we act all brave.

I promise you. One step is always enough. Life is short. No, really, it’s flying by. Only the part of your brain that’s stuck in a loop thinks that saying is cliché.

I gave up a Lot because that is what I felt was asked of me. But it’s not always the case, in fact from what
I’ve seen ~ it’s rarely the case. So yes, there’ll be stuff you have to give up ~ including parts of yourself that no longer serve you. And yes, you’ll feel sad about the losses of those things and some people.

But in exchange you get to come back to life. To feel more energy, inspiration, and to have a reason for your existence. You’ll reconnect with your own purposefulness and reconnect with your essential value and worth.

You also get pretty happy on the inside. And some of the old mental chatter goes away. Which is also nice.

So what do you want?

Now is the best time to take just one step towards it.