One day, I woke up knowing I had settled. I loved my life - where I lived, what I was creating for myself, and though I loved it, I realized I was holding myself back with the great deception of comfort.

If you read my post about my life changing surgery, then you'll remember how my desires came back to me as I was playing music. Recently, I committed myself to another life changing decision - to move across the country in pursuit of my dreams. 

People say "I am brave" or "Wow, it takes courage to do that." I see it differently.

My life experiences have showed me that by holding out for our ideas of what we want (our limited mindsets), we miss out on what we could never imagine for ourselves. This is why my relationship with God has been paramount to my adventure. I live by spirit, I walk by faith, and I am led by Love. I have learned to trust in that which is unseen and is felt in truth. 

Are you unconsciously or consciously holding yourself back because of your comfort zone?

Here are three things you need to create a life you never imagined (in the best way possible):

1. Faith

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

When is the last time you walked blindly following faith? 

By this I mean, when is the last time you felt and imagined something that is not yet existing, and have believed in your heart for it to come to fruition?

The miracle of faith is that we create our realities with our perspectives because faith is in our responses to circumstances, it is not determined by them.

For example, if you have faith it will be a good day, it will be. If something terrible happens, is your faith destroyed? If so, then you didn't have faith, you were relying on circumstances to prove it would be a good day. You were relying on expectations, i.e. your limited idea of what a "good day" looked like. So you see, faith is a mindset.

What if you removed your parameters and expectations for life, business, and love, and walked by faith? How would you respond to what is going on inside and around you?

2. Trust

We put trust in our employers, our paychecks, even our furniture everyday.

We trust we will receive a paycheck at the end of the week. We trust our chairs won't buckle under us. One recent whammy of a realization I had was that for so long I've trusted in what isn't instead of what is, and this isn't trust at all; it is fear.

For example, I've trusted people for what they wouldn't do instead of who they were. Can you relate to this? 

Seeing what isn't there instead of what is has been a great gift to me. I am able to look at things and immediately recognize what's missing and how it can improve. While that's great for business, it's awful in relationships and life!

From a young age, I taught my mind to protect myself with this technique. If I can see what people aren't doing, I could prevent from being hurt because if I was not trusting and holding myself back, how could I be hurt? This has attracted awful circumstances and people into my life. And until yesterday, I accepted that as the right way to "trust". The only problem with this is trust is never in what something or someone is not, but in everything something or someone is.

Now I know, I never trusted, I feared. 

I used to "trust" that things wouldn't happen instead of being realistic and surrendering my expectations. Now I know, trusting in things not happening is living by fear and is not trust at all. Trusting comes from a place of fullness and love - it acknowledges everything and everyone as they are, accepts it, and responds from a place of love, not fear.

In business, life, and relationships, trust is everything. But you can not have it without love.

What areas in your business, relationships, or life that you need to trust more?

3. Love

The greatest gift we have is love. It is ever present and never fleeting, it is powerful and creative, it is everything. 

As a woman, I refute everything society and Disney has taught us about "love". Love is not a human coming to our rescue, it is not getting our expectations met, and most definitely is not a fairy tale. 

I wonder how many of us have expectations and ideals for what love looks and feels like that we miss out on so many chances for love in our everyday life?

Love is a response, a choice, it is a force you yield to and is something you do not seek, but always have.

Without love, how can you have faith or trust in any of your dreams?

Without love, how can underdogs become successful business owners and world leaders?

Without love, how can we ever get out of our comfort zones to risk attaining what is destined for us, instead of what we expect for ourselves?

The Truth About Risk

The beauty of risk is there is no threat of loss in breaking out of all you expect and are familiar with, it is not a risk because you have everything to gain. By staying in your comfort zone, by thinking small, by not sharing your gifts and talents with the world, you are risking living a life not meant for you. 

So, I ask you - how will you build your faith, trust in what is, and let Love lead you wildly in your response to what is happening around and inside you?

Let me know in the comments!

Lots of Love,

Caitlin