You Can Have It All…One Step At A Time
“You can have it all, just not all at once.” Oprah Winfrey
HAVING IT ALL
Lately, I have been hearing conversations about “having it all” and people asking if you can have it all. The optimistic person in all of us says, “YES.” I agree, but what does that look like and what does it look like for YOU? I recently had a client talk about “having it all” and how to manifest that in their life. I thought about the quote from Oprah. “Having it all” looks and feels differently for everyone and it is up to each person to explore it. It is not a one and done… it is a process which lasts a lifetime. For years, I struggled with the “have it all” mentality as a young professional woman trying to climb the corporate ladder, getting married, eventually raising a family, staying heavily involved in my church and trying to juggle the demands and needs of ALL of them. I am sure at that time I felt like I had “checked the boxes” and was living the dream. Is that all there is? NO… there is more. My next chapter in life involved a divorce, raising my children as a single parent, building my career and starting a life-coaching business. This showed me how I was still evolving into a woman who still dreams, still accomplishes things and still desires to add more to her life. I think the key word is “evolving” as you “have it all”… one step at a time!
I see it all the time on social media… people promoting their great life, financial freedom, freedom in their schedule, owning their own business… AWESOME! That is their path of “having it all.” That is not my “having it all.” In my head I thank them for the “encouragement,” and I use it to help me to continue to think outside of the box and keep dreaming big. I don’t get jealous of “their life.” I use it to pull on my gifts and talents and then adjust it to my life and stay in my lane. There is a place for all of us on this great planet!
HAVING IT ALL OR HAVING A FULL LIFE
I am a big believer in words and how they impact us. If the phrase “have it all” adds stress to you, then change it. How about replacing it with “having a full life.” By changing those words, does the “word picture” look different for you? Does the pressure ease up a bit? What does that phrase “having a full life” feel like and look like to you?
I love what my sweet friend Kathleen recently shared with me. She said, “if you have it all, share it with those that don't.”
You Don’t Have To Be A Gardner To Plant Seeds
Every day you are planting seeds of greatness into your life. YES, you are! Some seeds take root right away and start to grow and manifest in your life. Other seeds may take more time to marinate in the soil, absorb the nutrients, then start to grow and appear in your life. I always say, “don’t despise small beginnings.” Those small beginnings teach you to be patient, mature, flexible, tenacious, appreciative, and grateful to name a few. Those small beginnings are part of your “having a full life” journey. They are part of your story, but not the whole story. Keep planting those seeds.
I don’t consider myself a baker, but I have watched enough cooking shows to pay attention to when they talk about adding ingredients to the recipe. There is a science to why they add certain ingredients (dry / wet) at different times and how you add them so you don’t change the texture of the batter or the outcome of the recipe.
I look at “having it all” or “having a full life” like a recipe. Those different stories and experiences in my life are the ingredients I add to make my life rich and full. Each ingredient adds flavor and substance to my life and tells my story. Our lives are filled with daily experiences, daily lessons and daily triumphs. "Life" happens to all of us, but it is what we do with it that matters.
THE DIFFERENT SEASONS OF YOUR LIFE
I live in Michigan, and we experience four seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer. Each year those seasons may look a little different and their duration is different. Sometimes it feels like winter is hanging on longer than I would like, other years it feels like spring lasts a minute and the hot summer is upon us. What is my point? We experience different seasons in our life. Each season is different: careers, marriage, starting a business, starting a family, etc. Those seasons make up your “having it all.” My life is full because of the seasons.
My life, as well as others, has had its share of hard times, up and downs, many sacrifices, unfairness, etc. And yet, I am “having it all” just not all at the same time. Why, because I am on a journey… I am running a marathon not a sprint. If your goal is to be a millionaire, that is an awesome goal. How you get there is the journey. Once you reach the millionaire status, is that “having it all?” You can definitely check that box, but there is so much more, right? What can you do with this millionaire status? How can you help others? What more can you do? It's deciding what is important to you. What do you TRULY want? Your life is about choices and balance.
It's about deciding what you want from this life. Life is about adapting to whatever crosses your path every day and dealing with it accordingly. What makes it full for you? Do you want to have it all? GO FOR IT.
Do you want to climb the corporate ladder? Go for it.
Do you want to make yourself financially secure? Go for it.
Do you want to be married and have a family? Go for it.
Do you want to live on a lake? Go for it.
Do you want to start your own business? Go for it.
GO FOR IT and remember: “You can have it all, just not all at once.”
If you truly want in your life balance, peace and financial security, then start making that happen for you. Start making your life FULL. Follow your heart, your intuition, your peace, your joy… will you then have it all? Only you know the answer to that question. Go for it!!
I still want my house on a lake, financial stability, I want to spend my life with someone who loves me for me (Have you ever seen how Garth Brooks gushes over his wife Trisha Yearwood?) and I look forward to watching my children’s lives unfold…. my life is FULL today… even though I am waiting for the next chapter to unfold.
YES, I can and I do have it all, just not all at once. I add the ingredients of my experiences into each day. I am at peace!
