The Grass Isn’t Always Greener on the Other Side
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Life has been interesting over the last two years. I’ve had some opportunities that I didn’t believe were possible become my everyday reality. I have written for places that I used to read and dream about writing for. I’ve traveled over 250,000 miles to speak at conferences and companies all over the world. I’ve coached over 60 people on how they can build their lifestyle entrepreneurship dreams. I’ve been on some dream podcasts, made a couple of bucks and built a little bit of a following. It’s been a good two years.
I worked hard to get here. I busted my butt for four years dealing with setbacks on top of failure. For years, it felt like I couldn’t move the needle. For years, I felt stuck in the middle. I would see others having so much success, and I always wondered why I couldn’t seem to break free to more profitability and opportunities. 2015 was the year that I reached that tipping point after four years of struggle.
Today, life is good but it’s brought on a whole new set of challenges. I travel a lot these days. I’ve spent a lot of time away from those that I love—that has been VERY hard. I thought with being away and alone I would have more opportunity to write and coach, but that has not been the case. There is always something to do and it’s thrown me off from my regular schedule. I’m writing this post on a Tuesday in Panama City, Panama and on Friday I’m traveling to Medellin, Colombia. To make that trip, I have to cram a lot of work into a few days while getting ready to speak in Colombia.
I don’t want you to think that I’m complaining. I’m content and grateful to have these opportunities. I love the life I live now and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. The point of this post is to help you see that while you may look at the things I’m doing and want the opportunities, they come at a price.
We All Have Grass
Each of us has our set of challenges we all have to deal with. Each of us faces different struggles at different levels of our dream-chasing journey. You already know all of this. You already know that the people who end up being successful find a way to move past the struggles. Yet, the struggles—the challenges and the trials—somehow derail too many dream chasers.
Success creates freedom and the opportunity to make an impact—that’s a beautiful benefit. But, to get there (and once you get there) the problems don’t go away. You will have a whole new set of issues to deal with, and they will make you want to quit what you’re doing.
On Monday, I hit that point. I was overwhelmed with all the trainings I was doing. I was overwhelmed by the distance from the woman I love. I was tired of being in a place where English isn’t the primary language. I was frustrated at the amount of email I had and all the things on my to-do list. I called Delta and changed my flight to leave Panama on Monday—two weeks earlier than planned. I just couldn’t deal with it anymore.
Today, I’ve calmed, but I can see it’s an adjustment and a part of this journey. I still feel tight and like I could snap at any moment. I’ve been listening to music, I’ve been getting advice from my mastermind group, and I’ve been focused on doing one thing at a time. It’s helped me move forward towards the goals I’ve set for this year.
Wherever you are, whatever you’re facing, know that you CAN get through it. You can create a plan that leads to you accomplishing your goals. You can overcome the challenges and setbacks, and you can even overcome what happens when you reach a certain level of success. There’s a whole world of lessons and opportunities waiting for you. I hope you take advantage–especially this year.
What are some challenges you are currently facing?
