Today I read my blog stories… It’s been 3 long years since I’ve written, but for some reason I have been drawn here.

For me January is a time of both reflection and renewal. A time to take stock and kick start this beautiful life… and come back to me.

A good friend of mine recently messaged me and told me of his “fuck it, life is short plan”… and I have to say the plan is so attractive. Perhaps that’s what prompted me to take another look at me, and what I’m doing… at who I am… and what I truly want. What mark do I want to make? Do I want to make a mark at all? I know we weren’t born to just pay bills and die… so what of it…

Life is short, no matter how long we live… but our time to really live often gets impeded by so many factors; health, wealth, apathy, responsibility, joy and pain. Living to the fullest can be such a cathartic choice… but what does choosing it look like, in the midst of all these other factors.

To me it looks like baby steps… making a conscious decision to move forward with your passion… to bravely take that step however insignificant it may seem… no matter how long it takes and what tangents and roadblocks occur… to keep inching forward no matter what…

It looks like coming face to face with your authentic self, with your desires and demons all intertwined in the craziest dance… and challenging the fear to take the easy way out by withdrawing completely. To keep trusting your instincts as they light the path to your true self… to follow the path, even when it gets uncomfortable and when you don’t understand it… having faith that it will lead you to be your best self. Teasing out those little strands of curiosity that seize your attention… following the threads… embracing the discoveries… feeling the awakening….

It’s time to be open. To be ready. Ready to live it. Breathe it, deeply. And challenge anything that gets in the way… It’s time to fly!

* Erin Hanson