Hello!

I am popping into your mailbox because you subscribed to my list or downloaded one of my books.

Last week, I explained that I was switching email providers, starting fresh with my list, and reintroducing myself and what I do. Today, I have a story for you.

The quick and dirty is that I am a life strategist, and as such, I am ALWAYS looking for ways to overcome challenges and uplevel my life. However, life throws curve balls, whether big ones (like divorce, death or diagnosis) or small ones that are annoying. This is a story of a curveball and a surprise opportunity.

This winter, my daughter and I planned a campervan trip to Iceland. Everything about this trip seemed hard. Despite that, I pushed on. When my daughter had some health concerns, and we lost medical coverage, I explored other insurance options. She was admitted to the hospital for testing, and we learned she could still be covered. As the departure date neared, I was distracted and couldn't pack. I am a planner and an organizer, so this bothered me. Then, there was some issue with the airline and strikes, but they announced a few days before departure that the strike was over. We scrambled to pack and allowed ourselves to get excited. But, in my gut, something still felt off. I ignored it.

SURPRISE! Despite the airline announcing that things would be fine, strike averted, the mechanics walked off the job, and the airline started halting flights. I watched the number of cancelled flights grow and realized I would have to cancel reservations in Iceland to avoid cancellation fees and lost deposits. We had a rolling list of plan Bs, crossing them off the list as our departure got closer and new plans failed. And I pondered the nagging in my belly.

Long story short, we never made it to Iceland. It was going to be an epic trip of waterfalls and unbelievable landscapes, memories, and adventure. Instead, this week, I am purging and cleaning my garage and house and maintaining a pretty solid "off work" policy to give my brain a refresh.

Yes, I was incredibly disappointed. Yes, I was mentally in a hole for a day or two. Yes, I was annoyed I had to make all these calls and emails to cancel a dream trip. But I also felt that there was some reason we were not to go—something that I couldn't see from where I stood and may never know about. I trust that not going was the best option for us now.

So, instead, I decided to use this week to confront the fire in my life. I have been very busy since my mom's passing, and my attention has shifted; I have too many open tabs. Many systems that used to keep my life running a little more "happily" have broken down. A surprise job and schedule change impacted my bottom line. I did what I could to patch things together to make it work. I needed time to think and consider how to restructure. As I limped through most of last year in a new role, learning things I never wanted to learn, it was clear although I ended up enjoying some of what I was doing, the way it was put together was not sustainable. I've talked to friends and gotten some advice. I life strategized myself. I have a new plan. This week, I have begun dismantling my old life and businesses and creating new ones.

It may not look different from the outside, but I can promise you it will feel incredibly juicy to me. No lies, though; it is also extremely messy in my life right now, but I am focusing on the results.

Something to Think About

1. Where in your life can you establish a system that supports your effortless progress toward your goal? (Doing this little thing daily will reap huge rewards).
2. How do you want life to feel?
3. What can you let go of to bring in new energy, opportunities and experiences?

Until Next Time,

Jennifer Sparks, B.Ed., M.S., PGD

www.stokepublishing.com

www.jennifersparks.ca

LINKS:

Jennifer's Course and Resources

STOKE Publishing + Author Services

JENNIFER SPARKS, Life Strategist + Speaker

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