Where the magic happens

In early 2014, I woke up to a truth which had been staring me in the face for a long time.

Something fundamental needed to change in my life.

Ever seen 'The Matrix'?

It's where humans are living in an artificially created world, asleep to the truth that they are actually captured by machines and imprisoned in a manufactured reality.

I love one of the quotes in the film about making a choice:

“You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you just how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

Stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking a leap of faith can be like choosing the red pill. You hang on for dear life. Your senses become alert. You see the truth and the reality of where you are. Nothing is the norm any more and you have no benchmark to say that you’re doing ok because suddenly there are no limits. You're adrift in the world without an anchor.

So many of us wake on a Monday morning, look in the mirror and pack away our spirit, the essence of who we really are. We take the blue pill. The weekend is over. Play time is finished. It’s time to knuckle down and be a responsible adult for the next 5 days.

It used to feel like I was selling my soul for those 5 days. Monday to Friday, I was the professional grown-up trapped in a reality of my own making. Wishing and dreaming of something different, sensing that there was another way, but too constrained and too afraid to rock the boat and change my reality.

I finally chose the red pill and cut my ties to the cubicle life of 9-5. I no longer received a salary every month and work was no longer something which took place over 37 hours, Monday to Friday.

Being freelance means that I often forget myself and work late into the evening or over the weekend, and that's ok because I'm doing something which I love. To be honest, I struggle with using the word 'work' to describe what I do.

Back in the days when I was sitting at my cubicle desk, dreaming of a life outdoors, I would pin up inspiring quotes and pictures to keep me sane.

One of my favourites was taken from the Howies website, knowing that one day I would be inspired to take that leap of faith:

Find your love

“You know that dream you carry around with you each day?

It's kinda important.

Wasn't it what you were put on planet earth to do?

They say everyone has a calling, can you still hear it? Doesn't it eat away at you?

That treadmill you are on, did it ever get too much? Did you ever wonder what it would be like to do your thing? Did you ever feel time was passing you by?

Just how many days have you left before your last? Did you ever wonder about stuff like that?

Did you ask yourself 'what was stopping you?

There is never a right time.

You will be too old. Too young. Too something or other.

When was last time you took a risk?

Did you remember how alive it made you feel?

There are no guarantees of success. It's not called a leap of faith for nothing.

It's not too late, honest. Jump.

You might fall. You might fly.”