Ahhhh, the summer air is fresh with playfulness, joy, freedom, visions of carefree creativity, lightness of being.

… Do you feel like you’re only looking at the fresh and playful through the smudged window of a stuffy room? 

Once upon a time, you may have had a grander vision of incredible possibilities. But over the years perhaps you felt pushed along. The daily responsibilities, the chores, the to-do list have kept you busy. You’ve done your best to keep up with your family, home, self-care, career, social life, and the disruption of a pandemic. Each day with some productivity is a win. Who’s got time to want more out of life? Maybe one day, when things are calm, and you magically gain the freedom of extra hours, you’ll re-evaluate. So, here you are - in the old, lumpy, reclining chair of comfortable dissatisfaction looking at life through a smeared window. 

As your legs stiffen, you feel deep in your soul that there’s more to YOU. 

Yes, you’re doing well. Yes, you’re a productive member of society. Yet, there may be essential parts of you, woven into the fabric of your being, that are currently stagnant and still. (In fact, your simplest interests may be ignored.)

If you stretch, shake, and open to the truest parts of you, how would life brighten? 

Your vision for a more deeply meaningful life is unique to you. What does deeply meaningful mean for you? What does it feel like? How do you envision it? Smell it? Taste it?  Is it free - light - bright - bold - solid - textured - sweet?

We want to live fully immersed in our best life.

How do we address the subtly annoying comfortable dissatisfaction?

Grab a pen and paper, and think with ink… 

• Notice it

Notice the activities, routines, and thoughts that make your body tense or your mind angsty. 

• Face it

Turn squarely toward the feeling. Look directly in its eyes. With curiosity, look for the root cause - it may be a situation or it may be your response to the situation - it may even be someone else’s expectations for you that don’t sit well. 

• Intend to move out of it

Welcome your strongest wisest self to walk with you as you move into the freedom of being more true to YOU. Watch your thoughts and actions and choose the ones that feel like you. Every day, state your clear intention to move out of the comfortable dissatisfaction and into your authentic joy. 

• Accept that you were in the dumpy, lumpy recliner chair of dissatisfaction

Don’t waste energy wishing you weren’t. Use your time and mind palace to move forward. Keep the lessons from the situation and release the tight-fisted grip on regret. 

• Trust in life

When you’ve noticed what you’d like to change and how you’d like to embrace yourself more fully, and you’ve set your intention to use your power on your own behalf, trust that the right opportunities will show up. Trust that choosing to be more fully you benefits you, your people, and the greater good. 

It is perfectly possible that you’ll find yourself choosing to keep many of your current life situations and responsibilities - but you’ll add the depth and brilliance of who you are to the way you show up in the previously ordinary unsatisfying activities. 

You continue to have choices. May your decisions bring you joy, creativity, and freedom.