I Stopped Telling Myself These 4 Lies and Found Joy

Honest. Simplified. Perfect. Straight to the point. Love it!

Original post here

By Oneika Mays

I started yoga teacher training last week. It feels like the "official" start to a new career and life. Embarking on a second-act career was something I secretly thought of doing over ten years ago, but it’s hard to think of walking away from something that you and everyone around you thought was your identity. 

With that trapped mindset, I spent 10 more years convincing myself that I wanted to be someplace where I didn’t. You can tell yourself a series of lies so the story makes sense. If you’re lucky (or get pushed) you can make a break for it. It won’t be easy, but anything you love is worth fighting for. 

When I got swift kick to take a long, hard look at my life, I decided to stop lying to myself and get busy making changes. What did I have to lose except a life that wasn’t bringing me joy? 

Here are four lies I stopped telling myself to find joy: 

1. You’re too old to do what you love.  

I thought that at 40 I might be crazy to embark on a second career. The truth is, I’ve never been happierand it shows. I just saw a story on Rodriguez, an unknown American rock icon who wasn’t rediscovered until he was 70. Or Tim and Nina Zagat, who launched Zagat guides in their fifties. I stopped telling myself this lie and it set me free.

2. I have to wait for the perfect time. 

There is no perfect time for anything. And the truth is, I needed an uncomfortable push to realize that I was more ready than I thought to start my own business.

3. Everyone will be supportive. 

The truth is some people think that what I’m doing is risky or indulgent. One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is that I have to rely on my own instincts and pleasing everyone can’t be on the list of things that concern me. 

I have a great support system of friends and some family members that truly understand what it means to be an entrepreneur. You can’t be your own boss if you can’t bet on yourself and trust yourself in the face of doubt.

4. I need stuff. 

I thought that I’d have to sacrifice a lot to start over. But guess what? I didn’t need half of what I was able to let go. My old life was was unsatisfying. I didn’t realize how much I'd been using stuff to fill a void. 

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not living like a monk. Things don’t have the same weight that they did. I’m enjoying being in my own skin more so there’s no hole to fill.

 

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Now there’s nothing in my way. My life has never been more terrifying and thrilling, but most of all it’s all mine and the truth. How can I not be doing the right thing? Namaste