Forget-Me-Not

“Don’t you dare forget me,” she whispered as she took one last look at the city. She hopped in her car and drove for miles before realizing that she didn’t really have a plan. All she knew was that she’d be back to tell a story worth remembering…

***

Lately, I’m finding myself in a situation where I want to escape. I want to be the girl who can hop on a plane and fly far away to live a life of adventure. However, I slowly snap out of this daydream and realize that maybe my  plan isn’t very practical, or responsible, but damn, I sure as hell think about it a lot.

The more people I confide in, the more I realize that a lot of my friends share the same desire to escape from a world constructed by others. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really enjoy the fact that I now have the opportunity to create my own future. However, I’m finding that a lot of young people had hoped to make a change through their jobs, but the only place we seem to find a roadblock is within the job itself.

Maybe no one warned us. Maybe we were just excited to make a change with all that’s going on in the world - but the question is how? How do we make a positive impact while ensuring that happiness is at the forefront of our goals?

A good friend of mine recently said:

“Everyone says “Oh this is the time to put in the hours,” and I get it, fine. But also the notion to give up current happiness just doesn’t make sense to me. Happiness shouldn’t be a destination you eventually get to - it should be a lifestyle entrenched in your day to day no matter how small or large in scale.”

I truly believe that we are the creators of our own destiny and it takes a strong mindset to determine what is valuable to you. It’s also up to you to decide how you’re going to create that value for yourself and others. Truth be told, not every job is going to make you feel connected to your values or guide your moral compass - but it's how you perceive your current opportunity.  

Personally, I’m grateful for where I am in my career. Sometimes, I question what is is that I’m doing and it gets really frustrating, but I step back and evaluate where I was a year ago and damn, the growth was real.

However, I struggle for wanting to be remembered for a number of things. One of them includes my accomplishments through my career, but I don’t want my career to be the one thing that defines me. We are so much more than just a title on LinkedIn. 

When I look back, I want people to remember me for being resilient and confident. A trailblazer for young women in business. I want to redefine a status quo and build bridges between law, business and entrepreneurship.

The road to this path of blossoming like a beautiful “forget-me-not” flower has been tough. Balancing 8-10 hours a day at work plus trying to blog and launch a start-up while remaining sane has me questioning if it’s even possible to become that person that I’ve envisioned for myself. While I constantly put happiness at the front of my goals, I wonder if it’s ever enough.

While navigating uncertainty may be tough, here are few things that have helped me to cope:

1. Make a change
   Whether that change is small or big - make it count. Last year I had to move to the city to be closer to my goals - it was a big move, but it was worth it.
   

2. Recall all of the things that you’re grateful for (and make a habit of it)!
   Every week, I list my top three positive things with my close friends - this helps us to share some light into each other’s lives. I also keep a small notebook and list three positive things each day for the last two years. It helps me to remember that life is pretty good.
   

3. Create a support system
   You can have multiple support systems. Perhaps find one within your friends, your workplace and maybe even for your side-hustle. Support comes in all different shapes and sizes. Shoutout to the women of Wild Collective for being an incredible support system! https://witchinthewild.ca/pages/wild-collective
   

4. Stay humble and hungry
   Be kind to yourself and don’t give up - even if things seem uncertain now, if you continue to reflect on why you’re doing it, and find the motivation from within in, then you can go as far as you want with your goals - it’s all up to you.

So, while you may be navigating uncharted waters - whether it’s your career, love, or life in general, always remember your “why.” Why are you doing certain things? What do you want to get out of it? How would you like to be remembered?

Here’s an excerpt from one of my favourite books - Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg - hope this helps you in your journey to living a life full of meaning:

“Learn to accept uncertainty as an important first step to true self-discovery. To start finding your path, begin listening to that inner voice. Tap into what you think and feel, what you truly care about. Don’t worry about finding your passion and life’s calling immediately. Those usually take time. But do avoid becoming a passenger in your own life.”

***
Inspiration for this week’s article comes from the beautiful forget-me-not flower:

The name 'forget-me-not' is enough to evoke curiosity in the minds of those who come across these flowers. They fill the surrounding with their fragrance when the sun goes down, making the evenings and nights all the more lovely with their presence, telling us all through their scent that these tiny sweethearts are around and that we must "forget them not."

Read more: https://gardenerdy.com/what-do-forget-me-not-flowers-symbolize