Find Your Excitement Again Through Life’s Changes

I recently had someone say to me that they needed “courage to stop working.” They knew it was time (perhaps past time) to start considering retirement, but they had a belief that “Change, for me, does not come easy, I guess.”

Change is hard for everyone...though some people have learned a little resilience and make it look fairly easy.

Change means going into the unknown, and we as humans don't really like that feeling very much.

Change requires us to look at what's really going on within us (mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual) as well as what's possible around us.

When our world shifts, either from end of career, kids flying off on their own adventures, relationship status redefined, and/or health scares, a fork in the road appears and we have an opportunity.

Depending on the view, this opportunity can be exciting or bleak. In the case of the conversation I was having, I asked the person, “What does ‘stop working’ look like to you?” What followed was an interesting exploration of fears, feelings, and stories that showed up.

Change Can Help You Find Your Excitement Again 

If you’re asking the question, “What does <insert shift here> look like to me?” and there are fears that show up, take a look at them.

Are those fears really just excitement that’s being held back and turning into anxiety? Wondering about ‘if it doesn’t work’?

Are they old stories that you took on, believing they were real because someone in ‘authority’ said so?

And, if they were true back then, are they really true today? Were they ever REALLY true in the first place? Or just a way to keep you in line, controlled, or quiet?

Answering these questions allows you to reassess and make decisions about who you are and where you want to go in your life. You get to be the captain of your life instead of letting old information head your navigation system. Life provides a wealth of new information each day and it’s up to you to heed or ignore it.

Old Stories Can Hide What Truly Matters 

So many of our fears are just emotional constraints from previous experience and generational trauma. When we step back and reassess these stories, putting them in today’s environment, we can see what’s true for us today.

This creates the brilliance that is “the pivot”. Imagine, if you will, that you’re an architect and you’ve made plans for a beautiful building on an amazing cliff overlooking the ocean. You were taught exactly where to place foundations and set up the framework for buildings in mountains. All is going according to plan. (The old story)

Then one day, a storm hits hard. The waves crash into fissures. Water gets trapped. The temperature plummets. The water turns to ice pushing on the cliff walls. (New information)

You have a choice, start building where you said you would (old story) or reassess the land structure and pivot your plans (new story). The land ‘looks’ stable, so you could start building. But underneath, the cliffs are compromised. They might hold, but they might not. 

Yes, there are a lot of hours, expectations, and emotional ties to the plan…but is that enough to continue moving forward when you know it’s not going to work for you?

Many old stories can be released and new stories written through a new lens of your own perspective and personal experience. This will spotlight your personal desires and interests which will, in turn, shed light on that BIG Dream just waiting in the shadows.

Follow the Clues and Find Your Excitement Again 

This exploration shows you the clues of what you want in your life, without having to know it all right now. Be curious. Follow the trail. Find your excitement again. This is your opportunity.

Sometimes finding your BIG Dream isn’t about chasing something entirely new. Sometimes it’s about recognizing that the old map no longer fits who you’ve become. Life changes us. Experiences change us. 

And when we allow ourselves to question old stories, reassess what’s truly stable, and follow what sparks curiosity or excitement, we begin reconnecting with the parts of ourselves that may have been buried beneath expectation, responsibility, or fear.

You do not have to have every answer today. You simply need to be willing to notice the clues.

If you’d like support reconnecting with your inner voice and exploring what may be calling you next, download my The BIG Dream Visualization and give yourself space to reconnect with the dreams, desires, and possibilities waiting quietly beneath the noise of everyday life.