6 Tips to Make a Change and Create the Life You Want

I love the series, Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth. I spent countless hours watching it with my husband. If I were to press play on my streaming device and watch it continuously, it would run for two and half days straight. It was full of rich acting performances, based on a time when things may have seemed simpler, but we know were extremely hard times that existed in modern, mid-century Europe.

The format of the series was based on a group of midwives living in a nunnery and experiencing life through their individual set of lenses; a beautiful depiction of the joys and pains of womanhood.

One of the lines that struck me while I was watching:

“The shell must be broken before the bird can fly.”

As I began to make changes in my life, I had come to realize that I was that bird in a shell. I had put myself in a box, and fully believed that the same box that had trapped me was based on what others’ perceptions of me were. I had given permission to other people to determine my worth. Over time, I began to feel really uncomfortable in that shell and knew that I must break out of it. But how? How would I break free from the life that I thought I wanted and had worked really hard to create?

Here are the steps that allowed me to break free from myself:

1.) I PRAYED

I landed on my knees and surrendered myself to God, asking Him to help me change. I allowed a spiritual journey to commence my transformation, and I found a Bible study to see what God had to say to me.

I had no idea what I was doing or even how to pray. I just began to speak to God and allow Him into my heart.

2.) I FOUND A THERAPIST

I didn’t want to admit it, but I needed an experienced therapist to help me work through my past and to help me figure out why I was making the choices I had made. What I discovered about myself was heartbreaking.

I had spent most of my life searching for acceptance and accolades so that I could prove that I was indeed a survivor.

3.) I HEALED THROUGH COMMUNITY

When my therapist suggested that I attend weekly group therapy sessions, I was freaked out. What did she think of me? Was I so completely messed up? No, none of that was the case. What she knew about good therapy and what she knew about me was that my soul needed community.

It was there where I learned how important it is to have others come alongside you when you need to deal with tough situations. I will be forever grateful and bonded to my “group therapy girls” and I owe a ton of my personal growth and development to them.

4.) I ATTENDED A SPIRITUAL RETREAT

I took a weekend for myself and left my husband and two children to fend for themselves, traveling to a Benedictine Abbey. I attended a female-only retreat with a group of ladies that I did not know in order to experience a time with God and myself. Soaking up the serene environment of a monastic community was nutrition for my soul.

I pondered deep, reflective questions, I recorded my experience in a journal continuously for 36 hours, I and marveled about in nature. I felt the Holy Spirit as I listened and learned from monks. It was there that I heard God speak to me in a way that I had never experienced.

5.) I SPOKE MY DESIRES INTO EXISTENCE

For so long I had pushed away the desires of my heart. I had just succumbed to life the way it was, and I did not think that I was brave enough to make big changes; however, once I started to speak my truth, out loud, and on purpose, my world began to change in ways that I could not have imagined.

6.) I WAS BRAVE. Here is the hardest part…Trusting myself

As I began to do the hard work and my personal truth began to be revealed to me, I had to accept the call. I had to be bold and brave and willing to take the risks. Standing on the edge is, most possibly, the most difficult place to stand.

Quite frankly, I was tired of standing on the sideline watching my life just happen on accident. So, when the nudges came and the instincts arose, I had to be willing to seize it- fear and all.

Here are my questions for you:

What are you waiting for?

What is that thing that is keeping you from living your best life?

What dreams lie ahead for you?

Perhaps you feel called for more. Just try one of these steps, perhaps you can begin to break free from yourself.

I can help you break free from the box that makes you feel stuck. Let’s Chat!

https://katiegibbons.com/contact-us/