Say YES! Add Adventure to to Jump Start Your Life

“The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Last month, a close friend said YES to a life adventure after two emotionally tough years. The grief from the loss of her longtime partner, combined with the collective world pandemic, had left her emotionally exhausted. She traveled to the East Coast to visit friends, and while there, one of her friends had just taken an assignment in LA. Right then, she offered to sublet her NYC apartment for a year. When my friend called me to discuss this decision, there was excitement and energy in her voice again.

She said YES! Then the work began. Preparations to move from her countryside home in Northern California to a small high-rise apartment in Upper Manhattan was daunting. She worked feverishly to get things cleared out, leased her home, and packed 4 suitcases, 2 carry-ons and a dog. I offered to fly back and help her in this new beginning. We’ve shared many beginnings and endings in our 30-plus years of friendship, and I didn’t want to this miss this beginning.

Here’s what I learned from her adventure and how it applies to our own jump starts in life.

1. It all starts with YES! When a great opportunity shows up, we need to say yes and figure out how to make it happen.
2.  A big YES requires clearing out and letting go of old stuff, routines, and the familiar.
3. Recognize you will be uncomfortable in the beginning. As the unfamiliar becomes more familiar, it gets easier. Every day, I saw my friend became more confident as she figured out things unique to city-living.
4. Time, self-care practices and rest are all essential.
5. Build fun between the “hard work” of the new journey. We went to a Broadway play, walked through Central Park,  and ate and drank at several new restaurants.
6. Ask for help.

Adventure is less about travel or change and more about how we choose to view what’s happening and how we respond.

Adventurer is one of nine energies to live a life fully. Click here to learn more .

How can you say “YES!” and add adventure in your life today?