Happy February! How's your month going? I'm back from my vacation in Cyprus now and on my way to speak at a conference (nothing like getting right back to work!). I hope the first week of February has been exciting for you too!
This month, I decided to do something a bit different. I've decided to focus on the topic of love, and I'll be sharing tidbits of "love"-ly wisdom with you all month.
Before you groan, bear with me. Love has gotten a bad reputation in the "career" and "analytical" world - but I believe it has a very important place indeed.
In fact, I believe you need to prioritize LOVE over everything else.
Here's my lesson from prioritizing love.
7 years ago, I moved away from my family, friends, job and community.
I didn’t do it for another job.
I didn’t do it because I wanted to or because it was to follow a dream.
I didn’t even do it for myself.
I did it for love.
{Insert cringes from every independent woman reading this here}
This month, I’m talking about love. Today, my story centers around romantic love but it could just as easily revolve around love for adventure, a career, a dream, a hobby or a passion.
When I moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta for romantic love - this new boyfriend named Troy - everyone was shocked. Myself included.
I was ambitious and had big dreams for myself.
I had big dreams of working in Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney.
I thrived on adventure. Career growth. Personal success.
I loved my (Vancouver) Island life. And I had a strong network and community to prove it.
What the heck was a fierce, independent woman like me following a man?!?!
(Note - I wasn't that "independent" as my parents are quick to point out but I sure could rock to the Destiny's Child song like I was one).
So what was a woman like me doing following a man?
Why was I giving up on everything I had?
Most importantly, why was I giving up on my dreams?
I was following my heart.
I was leading with love.
This is something not a lot of people understand. In fact, our society often frowns upon making decisions leading with love.
My well-intentioned friends staged interventions for me. (Literally. I'm shocked there wasn't a camera crew there to capture the tearful denial I must have appeared to be in).
Even my logical brain couldn't comprehend it.
But somewhere deep inside, in my intuition (that I didn't even know I had), it felt right.
7 years later, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
It was the right decision for my love (the romantic one). Troy and I are now very happily married. By moving to Fort McMurray, it allowed him to continue the career he loved and share the home he had made as we built a home and a life together.
It was an amazing decision for my career. I was promoted quicker than I ever imagined. And the experience and mentorship I got was unparalleled. The only thing that grew faster than my career was my own development and sense of self.
Financially, it was a fantastic move. We became self-made millionaires, own amazing real estate, and I’ve grown my business from a place of abundance.
Living in Fort McMurray taught me about community. I gained an incredible sense of neighbourhood, commraderie and support.
Being away from my family, I learned the true meaning of the saying "friends are the family you choose for yourself." And boy, have I chosen a fantastic family of friends.
It was a (surprisingly) great decision for my sense of adventure. I learned to drive a big truck, drive in the snow, and survive -40 celcius winters. I ice-fished, quadded, snowmobiled, went chicken hunting, and learned to snowboard.
And travel?! Travel, I did. Together, Troy and I have been to almost 30 countries. We’ve had countless backpacking adventures, and, at the same time, stayed in some of the best hotels in the world and eaten in Michelin-starred restaurants (I'm a complete foodie!).
Our adventures haven’t just been about us. Our adventures keep us connectedwith those we love. We were blessed to be able to reply “yes” to wedding invites and watch our friends say “I Do” in the Yukon, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, and even China.
7 years later, I sit in our amazing home in Vancouver, living the life I would have imagined only in my wildest dreams 7 years earlier.
I tell you this NOT to brag. My intention is not to boast or to impress you.
My intention is to show you what's possible.
And to show you what can happen when you lead with love.
Today, I live in downtown Vancouver.
I have a career and a business I love.
I don't worry about money.
I've travelled the world and continue to.
I am surrounded by amazing friends. (Literally surrounded - friends from home to the West and Fort McMurray friends to the East and beyond!
These are all the things I said I wanted.
These are also all the things, 7 years ago, that I worried I was saying goodbye to. Or sacrificing. Or giving up on.
But it turns out, when you put love first, everything else falls into place.
When I say you need to prioritize LOVE, I'm talking about the kind of love that uplifts you. Inspires you. Makes you joyful to think about.
The kind of love where sacrifices don't seem like they are.
There are many different types of love in the world.
If your energy, your love, is positive, it will never steer you wrong.
To be clear, I'm not talking about the love that makes us feel guilty. Or the love that exhausts us. Or love that makes us feel we are never good enough for.
Don't prioritize any love that takes advantage of you or takes you for granted.
In fact, I’ll argue love shouldn’t guilt/exhaust/belittle/drain us. And, in any of these situations, you are not leading with love.
Even though my story revolves around romantic love, when I’m talking about love, not just talking about the person you love.
I'm talking about what it is you give your love to. Which could be a person.. or a cause... or a dream.
I’m talking about the energy you bring to the relationship, regardless of what thatrelationship is with.
If your energy, your love, is positive, it will never steer you wrong.
It will not be without challenges. It may not be perfect. In fact, it will probably be messy.
But it will always be worth it.
So this week, as you get going on your to-dos and tasks and activities, I want you to reflect and ask yourself:
- Where is your love?
- What’s your intuition telling you? What if you made that decision leading with love?
- What in your life is bringing you that energizing, joyful, passionate love?
- And how can you create more of that love? Every. Single. Day.
Follow your love.
- Lisa
Success Coach
www.lisamichaud.com
PS. Love is awesome. It’s what we all need more of. It’s what the world needs more of. For the month of February, each of my blogs will share insights about love to bring more of it to your life and our world.
Let's celebrate love!