Your Journey Awaits

“All journeys have secret destinations 

of which the traveler is unaware.” 

~ Martin Buber

I don't believe that it is everyone's calling to hang upside down from a zip line, to raft in the whitewaters of the Ocoee River in the Cherokee National Forest or to hike to a mountaintop in the Smoky Mountains. Blogging about life, goals, fitness, diet, motivation and adventure isn't a part of everyone's journey, either.

And 10 years ago I certainly didn't imagine that any of this was going to be part of my own life's journey.

At that time I was a morbidly obese, severely depressed, emotionally abused and incredibly isolated woman whose spirit was beaten down and trampled.  I felt I was living someone else's life because I was not following my own heart, my own dreams, and I was not honoring the authentic me who was buried deep down inside of me and stripped of her own voice, goals, dreams and desires. 

On April 15, 2005 I made the decision to escape from that life and to start on a new journey toward the life I knew was waiting for me.  The one where I was free from all the piles of everyone else's garbage that was dumped on top of me, and free to explore the world through my own eyes - to find my own calling.

I think once you make the decision to start on a path toward something better, you need to remain a little flexible and let unexpected good things happen.  Once you set some goals and start taking steps toward them, understand that there will be terrific and unexpected events, people, opportunities and adventures that will be presented to you that never would have been presented to you if you did not start down that path!  

If you seize those moments, those opportunities and adventures will lead you to secret places you didn't know existed and to new goals, dreams and desires you didn't even know you had!

For instance, after moving out I met someone who led me to finding a new, better job.  At that new job, I met people who led me to explore health and fitness a little bit.  I joined an online support site to quit smoking.  Quitting smoking led me to be able to breathe again and start physical activities. Getting active and starting physical activities attracted active, fit friends whose friendship led me to try many new things. The process of losing the weight and turning my life around led me to blog. Blogging has led me photography because I want better photos on the blog!  It has also led to a desire to write a book.  

Throughout this leg of my journey I have discovered countless people, places, adventures, stories, and moments I could never have had if I didn't decide one day I wanted something better for my life and just put one foot in front of the other with the belief that I would find my way.  I have discovered courage I didn't know I had, strength I didn't know I had, and have completely rewritten the ending to my story.  

You don't have to change your entire world like I did.  

But if you are not happy with any part of your current situation, know this.  Once you step on the path toward what you DO want, you will find so many cool things you don't even realize you want!  And things you'd never find by playing it safe and staying stuck.

Take one step out there toward your goal .... dare to dream ... dare to believe ... and your journey will take you to places that are hidden from you now...but are right out there waiting for you on your path. 

Carly