The most puzzling, frustrating question is: “Where do I start?”
You see all these woke people on instagram and facebook who just have their shit together. They’ve got it on lock; the world is their oyster and they’re manifesting the life of their dreams without batting an eyelid. They are doing the deep inner work and sharing the moments when everything shifted for them.
Yet, you still can’t seem to figure how the fuck they did it. Where did they start? What did they really do? Why am I not seeing the progress they are… or any progress at all for that matter?
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I asked these questions. How many times I tried and tried and tried, and I started and stopped, and felt like I was succeeding until I fell face first into the mud. And now here I am – I’ve started.
BUT HOW?! I just did. Everyone just starts – and here’s a little secret: you’ve already just started too.
For me, I hit my breaking point; I had enough of where I was and what my life looked like, I had enough of feeling like shit mentally and physically, and I had enough of seeing what felt like everyone else achieving the life of their wildest dreams while I suffered in the four tiny walls of my slowly shrinking cubicle.
However, because I know that still does not answer your question, I will elaborate.
A W A R E N E S S
Start here. Start with the awareness of where you are, what isn’t working, what you want to change, and where you wish you were. Nothing will ever change if you don’t acknowledge it – and that includes all the shit you do not want to acknowledge. Let it speak.
& for a little extra motivation, the fact that you are here, the fact that you are even asking where to start, means that you have already begun to cultivate awareness #winning
Here are some journal questions to help get you started:
~ What does my current reality look like? What does my day to day consist of?
~ What do I feel isn’t working? What is making me feel unhappy, unfulfilled, and craving something more (insert any of your relevant synonyms)?
~ What do I want to change – what is currently a part of my day to day that I want to be different? What would I rather be doing instead of that?
~ What does my dream life look like?
~ What would my higher self be doing to achieve that dream life? What actions would he/she be taking?
~ Why is that not my current reality?
~ What is holding me back from making that my reality?
There are NO right or wrong answers to these questions. The point is to cultivate that awareness, not even to do anything about it (yet). You can’t change what you haven’t identified.
This awareness ALONE is going to create change for you. You are going to begin to feel a stronger natural pull – a pull towards wanting to do more, wanting to create more & change more in a positive way. You are going to want to figure out how to get your ass on this journey.
The act of raising your awareness – of cultivating this awareness in itself – wakes up your higher self. It gives her (or him) that little bit of power she needs to come out of hibernation, and before you know it, she’ll be chiming in more and more.
J U S T ~ S T A R T
Now that you’ve begun to grow this awareness of your situation, your feelings and emotions, your reality and what you feel is not working for your highest good – you can “really” start. Take a look at the answer to the question about what you want to change, and what you want to create in your reality… What can you do to move just one tiny step closer to that dream reality of yours? Just pick ONE thing you can commit to every day to move the needle, and start there.
This can be as simple as (actually) getting dressed every day, reading a self development book (or any book for that matter), listening to a podcast, doing yoga, meditating, journaling, going for a walk in nature, etc. It can be anything – but it has to be something. Preferably something you are not already doing, in the pursuit of the person you want to embody (enter your higher self).
If you feel like you need a kickstart, check out my personal development post, where I share some more ideas, and encouragement in what can initially seem like a daunting journey.
The real key here is step by step; slow and steady wins the race. All these woke people didn’t just become woke – they started with one small thing to create a small change, and they kept going; they kept making changes and they kept pursuing actions that made them feel good, that made them feel like their dreams were in arms reach. And because of that, their dreams are theirs for the taking… they always were.
J O Y ~ P R O D U C I N G ~ A C T I V I T I E S
This is a phenomenal place to just start. Activities that bring you pure joy are the shizzz. I’m talking melt all your worries away, put a smile on your face so big it hurts, bring you that feeling of pure peace & freedom. The activities that make you stop giving a shit for a little bit.
For me, it’s hiking or being in nature; it’s blasting high vibe music and dancing until I can’t breathe; it’s shoving my face in my dogs face to tell him 76 times in a row how much of a good boy he is; it’s reminiscing about all the unfortunate mishap memories of our childhood, while crying of laughter with my sibs; & it’s scream singing in the car with so much passion I pop blood vessels.
Find what does it for you, what really gets you on a soul level. Don’t get discouraged if you find a few things that don’t tickle your fancy first, it’s all part of the learning & growth process – it’s all part of your journey.
p.s. that’s not my dog, but isn’t she pretty?! // IG: @chef_nukka
R E M E M B E R
This is a marathon, not a sprint. We do not want to embody the hare here, but instead the tortoise. Don’t do what I did and try starting everything up at once, you’ll send yourself into a spiraling panic of ‘where did I put the oracle cards, crystals, sage, self-help books, yoga blocks, & treadmill I don’t even remember buying?!’
This level of internal change, which then breeds external change, does not happen overnight – it does not happen after one small change, and it does not happen because we simply wish it to happen. It happens over time, as we build upon our pyramid of changes, as it raises us slowly but surely to the top of our sky-high pyramid. It happens because we wish it to happen so strongly that there is no other option but to do something about it – to create a reality that feeds into our wildest dreams. It happens because we actually do something about it.
There will be setbacks, and you will feel at times as though it’s hopeless and you simply can’t do it – but you can. Just remember, one small step at a time.
With love, light & good vibes,
Ash xx
