As 2021 began to draw to a close I decided to undertake the Freedom Trail mentor and coaching course with our very own Mark Thomas. I felt that having completely changed my life I needed to check in with myself and give myself the time and space to reconsider how I make my living. Having left my business after 20 years, it was a big step into the unknown.
Mark asked me a question. If he were to hand me the ‘keys to the kingdom’ what would it be like? That stumped me! So, Mark phrased it differently: ‘what would be my dream day’? Wow. I found it challenging to identify how my dream day would look. I realised at that point I didn’t dare to dream. My dream day seemed so out of reach because I’d trained myself to just keep my head down. I’d forgotten how to look up and see a different view.
I became stuck on this section of the Freedom Trail because I didn’t realise what ‘freedom’ meant any more. Mark asked me to identify which parts of my perfect day made me feel great. So, I started to build a picture of a good day and I began to realise the great. My dream day was coming together.
When you are young you daydream. Maybe you had a poster on your wall of a pop star Or a car that you plan to own when you’re older. I bet when you were asked at the age of five what you wanted to be when you grew up it wasn’t an accountant, or in HR, or an IT specialist. More likely it was an astronaut, or a famous model, or a film star… Then you go to school, take exams and reality hits big time!
I was quite diligent when I was young and I had a desire to complete things as well as I could. I am sure it had something to do with my childhood, something that Mark helped me identify. However, despite my studious ways I recall when I was 14 I had a meeting with a visiting ‘Career advisor’. I proclaimed confidently that I wanted to be in PR although I wasn’t exactly sure what it entailed, but I was fascinated by the concept. It was the 80s and as the Career ‘Advisor’ stated, it was ridiculously difficult to get into and to forget it, far safer to be a secretary or work in a bank. Turns out I did both. Neither of which satisfied me. A soul nurturing year of freedom in Australia at the age of 20 seemed unleash something in me and when I returned to a cold November in the UK I fell into a job as a receptionist in a PR agency. I took to it like a duck to water and the rest is history!!! I now have thirty years of marketing communications experience under my belt.
So, when was it that I lost my ‘keys to the kingdom’? Probably sometime in my 30s when I had a gorgeous daughter who was totally reliant on me. And then a bunch of people relying on me to bring in enough money to pay their mortgages/rent/bills etc. Diligence and taking the safe route kicked in big time!
Now that I am free again to follow my own path, I feared that I had lost the knack. I wish I had given myself the time and space before exiting my business to start the ‘dream day’ thought process. I’m so glad and grateful for Freedom Trail. It’s never too late, nor is it ever too early to dream.
Ask yourself the question, what is my dream day? And then take the first step on your very own Freedom Trail.
