“Green Means Go” Image by WikimediaImages
I’m noticing more and more that often in life, you just have to “go for it”. We all have those things that we keep saying we’d like to do at some point or that we should really start doing more. Of course there are sometimes financial or even time management obstacles that interfere. I do believe, however, that most of the walls stopping us from doing what we want to do are built by us. Sure, it’s intimidating to break from our comfy routines and go for something new or different. That first leap is always the hardest.
Go for it. Make the call.
The human brain is often illogical. We create stories in our heads about “what might happen if…” or “I’m just going to wait because…”. Sometimes we know that we literally just have to make one call to make something happen, but the thought of actually calling makes our chests tighten up. I mentioned in my previous blogs that I recently started taking drum lessons and have gotten on a wait list for a therapist. Learning to play a full drum kit has lived in the back of my mind for years. Most of my friends go to therapy and have been recommending it for years. All it took was me pushing through thoughts of “maybe one day when…” and just making the call.
Be ready to go. Stay ready to go.
Think about how many of the most important opportunities you’ve encountered in your life could have gone another way under slightly different circumstances. Going for what you want isn’t always about taking big leaps. Sometimes it’s just about staying open and making yourself ready for when opportunity strikes. I’ve recently heard someone describe dating as an adult in this way. There’s an energy that people can pick up on if you make yourself available to opportunity, and conversely if you close yourself off to it.
Green Means Go
The thing is, your life is happening right now. It’s great to have lofty goals that will inevitably take time, but it’s up to you to make as much of your life joyous as possible. Of course there are things we have to do that will not be fun. Much of the human experience is having to deal with hurdles that life throws at you. Why then would you NOT want to spend any extra energy you have working toward things that make you happy? The light has been green for a while. Time to go.
Sometimes Veg, Sometimes GO
Trust me, I know from experience that anxiety and other mental health qualms can make this extremely difficult. Life can be exhausting. There are times when all you want to do it throw on a comfy tv show you’ve seen a million times and snack. First of all, you should absolutely do that as well (it’s called self-care, babyy). If you do, however, find yourself in one of those moments where you’re deciding between a cozy choice and a productive or just new and exciting option, I would challenge you to pick the latter. Allow yourself to remain open to possibility. Be uncomfortable.
You can say “later” perpetually, or you can go for it now.