Thrill Yourself

I quit setting goals. Not because I've recovered from being Type A (from what I can tell, that's a hard-wired condition). I found something more powerful. My "I would be thrilled if..." list. Until that list, my goals were decidedly realistic. I unwittingly reverse engineered what I thought was possible. Even when I thought I was pushing myself, I was in the box fabricated by my current circumstances.

I wanted to dream bigger.

Over the last five years, my "thrilled" list has changed my life. I've reached millions of people with my ideas, won on the competitive body building stage, reached what I thought were my financial goals (spoiler alert: it hasn't been the nirvana I expected but I wouldn't turn it down), and travelled further and loved deeper than I had thought possible.

Three or four years ago, my list included, "I have ease in my relationship with alcohol". I was tired of the constant rules, "one glass a day" or "only on weekends". I was tired of my spirit nagging me that booze didn't fit with my grand vision for my health and wellness. Tired of planning the when, where, and with whom of my next glass of wine. I am coming up on two years without alcohol. I would never have set the goal of abstinence because I imagined that to be one big rule. Turns out, I'm at ease without booze. The "one day at a time" struggle is not my experience. My experience is freedom, ease, and physical and spiritual wellness.

This is not a "get sober" pitch (in part because I love me the occasional toke and psychedelic trip). It's a pitch for thrilling yourself. Whatever that means to you. 

Photo of baby robins born and raised on my front porch - also a thrill!