Image by Julie Rose from Pixabay
There is a wonderful little book that I have recommended to so many clients and students over the years called How to Survive the Loss of a Love.
Often I’m suggesting that someone pick this book up when they are looking at the end of a long-term partnership type relationship, like marriage. And most likely that’s what you thought when you started reading this.
But don’t get stuck in a box and think this is the only type of “love” that comes to an end.
Love comes in all shapes and forms, and this book becomes a most appropriate tool when we lose anything that takes our time and energy.
Sometimes I find it appropriate to use the idea of ‘loss of a dream
For example, at one time in my life I took two years of an Interior Design Degree program. I didn’t complete the third year because I realized that although I loved the work, I didn’t like the business. It was the loss of a dream, which in reality turned out to be a lost love.
I cried and didn’t know what I would do with the rest of my life. (Sound familiar?) I didn’t eat much and felt miserable going about my daily routines. Then I got good and angry and started blaming everyone around me for my “failure”.
Finally, I got over it and realized that it was all part of my journey through life and I was able to appreciate that some of my experiences were brilliant and maybe others weren’t so good!
There were parts of Interior Design that I loved, and in fact still do.
However, I didn’t want to do it everyday.
I can celebrate parts of it, just like looking back at an old relationship with a boyfriend or partner.
Once you allow the grieving process to do its work, moving on and letting go of the hurt, you move to a place of appreciation of the good stuff.
Studying interior design allowed me to put together knowledge from a fine art background with psychology courses and CAM healing studies. To open the door for me to write and develop the Creativity & Expression Program, Color Therapy Levels One thru Three.
Which in turn, led to teaching these workshops at Algonquin College in Ottawa in the Palliative Care program. Which in turn led to beginning the School of Complementary Therapies.
So often when one thing comes to an end, we close the door behind it and think that it is gone for ever.
We learn and grow through living life and loving, and then integrating those experiences into who we are.
We learn that loving is: loving what we do.
Sometimes it’s easy to see where we are going when we open the door to doing what we love. Sometimes the path has a few more bends, curves and forks than we realize. The key here is to actually going ahead and doing something.
Keep moving!
Have you ever sat down and said ‘I’d love to do what they are doing?’ and then done nothing about it.
I challenge you to look at the things you love in life.
One way of doing this is to find a little time for you, say an hour or two. Then make a list of all the things in life that you are grateful for. The first time I did this exercise, about 25 years ago now, I sat with a pot of tea, some candles lit and a beautiful new journal.
Image by Andreia Joldes from Pixabay
I decided to write 100 things for which I am grateful. Whew! It took a while, but at the end I had the most delightful personal testimonial to how great my life is! That’s not to say there aren’t some horrid moments, but why focus on them? From this list I definitely got some clear indications of what I love and from there the journey to doing what I love for a living began.
So, start today! Begin with discovering what you love and then start to take the steps to begin doing it. If I can help you with this, please contact me for an appointment. As an Holistic Health Consultant and Life Coach/Facilitator in Complementary and Alternative Medicine I have helped hundreds of people through my personalized Live Your Fabulous Life programs to achieve their goal of “do what you love and the money will follow.”
If you’ve been looking at our website for years and subscribing to our newsletter knowing that the CAM field is what you love and that one day you are going to start taking courses, I ask you this question “Is one day here yet?” Start now, and begin doing what you love. The money will follow!
