"People can help you in many ways throughout life, but there are two things nobody can give you: curiosity and drive. They must be self-supplied.
If you are not interested and curious, all the information in the world can be at your fingertips, but it will be relatively useless. If you are not motivated and driven, whatever connections or opportunities are available to you will be rendered inert.
Now, you won't feel curious and driven about every area of life, and that's fine. But it really pays to find something that lights you up. This is one of the primary quests of life: to find the thing that ignites your curiosity and drive.
There are many recipes for success. There is no single way to win. But nearly all recipes include two ingredients: curiosity and drive."
James Clear
This week, I came across this quote from James Clear. It was a perfect summation of my thoughts lately. I recently had some changes in my schedule that allowed for more free time. At first, I was excited about my free time, as I am usually on a very structured schedule, but after a few days, it began to feel weird. Something felt like it was missing.
I usually have an event, or a project or something that I am working towards in addition to all of my regular routines. After reflecting on my change in mood, I noticed that I feel less motivated and less driven to do things when I am not working towards something bigger.
If you are not working towards something, it is easy to lose track of your purpose. It is easy to feel out of sorts or blah. It can feel like you are just going through the motions of life without a clear reason why.
I interpreted the quote as, curiosity is something that is essential for all of us to have. If we are not curious, we become trapped in the mundane. We don’t ask questions, we accept things as they are and we leave little to no room for exploration.
Drive is what keeps you going, it is thinking about where you want to go in life. It includes reflecting on what are you working towards and why. It is not always going to feel like you are at 100% , but the pursuit itself is what is truly important. In the midst of processing these thoughts, I signed up for a meditation and mindfulness course. The first quote I read was written by Mary Oliver, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
It made me think about my path in life. From when I was a child, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I remember vividly playing school with my grandma. I never really thought about why I was driven to the field, but I know I enjoyed teaching someone something new. My favorite part of teaching is when a student realizes something for the first time, or figures out a challenging problem on their own, or asks for help when they tried all of their strategies. It is seeing a student take ownership of their learning and feeling in order to make sense of the world.
Those things bring me an immense amount of gratitude because it is evidence that what I am doing is working. I am truly teaching wonderful little humans how to learn and navigate through life in school.
After more reflection, I realized that I started life coaching because of a similar reason. I was curious about the field of self improvement during a low time in my life. My curiosity fueled my sense of wonder and learning. I began to take ownership of my own life, feelings, desires, goals and purpose.
I realized, that I had knowledge in an area that many people are seeking guidance in. More and more people are struggling with anxiety and overwhelming feelings and it is hard to know where to start.
It is truly gratifying to team up with individuals during their journey of self discovery. I am able to share moments when they realize a solution to a challenging problem and truly look within to understand why they have a certain mindset or way of thinking. Looking within is scary, uncomfortable and it can feel overwhelming. But doing it with someone, allows you to feel safe, seen, heard and understood.
I am so grateful to connect with people that are on their journey of self improvement. It is so powerful to hear other stories of pain and growth. My mission is to empower others to find their inner voice to find who they truly are underneath of past conditioning and beliefs that no longer serve them. My mission is to empower every person who tries to fit into the mold that someone else has created for them. I want to inspire, empower and provide accessible tools and information to help you on your journey of self discovery and growth.