“Just do it…..just do it Jude”, Yvette said emphatically.

That was about three years ago. She was encouraging me to book a flight to Korea, my dream destination. We were in her kitchen drinking coffee and having a morning rap session when I told her I had come across an amazingly cheap ticket.  She knew me well enough to know that if she didn’t press me, I wouldn’t go.  That night I woke up at 3am and booked the flight, “why not”, I thought.

Just do it.

When I say, “just do it”, I don’t mean “IT” (I know, what am I a 12 year old boy? Ha ha ha), I mean life, LIVE, just do it. Today I am 51, yes, old enough to give some good advice. Just do it. I came into this world naturally shy, introverted, a spiritual seeker, empath, creative, artistic, romantic, intuitive, gentle, kind, quirky, strong, adventuresome individual, but given to fear.  Fear was a shadow I lived under for most of my life, like Pig Pen in the Peanuts, it followed me around. When I was 17, I declared to myself, no more and with that my journey of self-discovery and battle to overcome fear began.

Fear did not leave me instantly at 17, it has been a long process of undoing. But I think the process would have gone more quickly, had I known myself better; listened more to myself than the outside influences that the world subtly pushes. So I ask you, do you know yourself? The most important lesson I can share with you is this. LIVE, live the life you were given to live. That means live as YOU. You are here on this earth for a reason; to be you.  The world needs you in your fullness.  You will be most satisfied when you are showing up each day as you in your fullness.  Are you being you? Or are you living the life you were subconsciously programed to live?  You know the one that goes like this:

Be good. Go to school. Listen to your teachers, adults, authority. Don’t talk back. Don’t ask questions. Follow all the rules. Follow societal norms. They, whoever they are, are right. Think like everyone else. Look like everyone else. Dress like everyone else. Talk like everyone else. Be like everyone else. Go to college. Get a job. Get married. Have kids. Have pets. Have grandkids. Work like a dog. Retire. Die.

You know, THAT, life. Or some version of it…there is an acceptable range of variance of course.  You can choose your political party, religion, fashion, music, job and such, but we are not taught to listen to ourselves, to question, to think differently or to believe that we can change the world, well, we believe we can, but only so much.  We don’t believe we can change the “system” and often we don’t even believe we can change our own lives.

I am here to say, just do it, why not! LIVE as you. It is NEVER too late to change course, to start over, to live the life you dream of inside of you, to live according to who you truly are. We are Source energy, star dust, part of the Universe.  We have the ability to imagine and create a beautiful life and a beautiful world. The magic happens when we journey inward and discover our amazing selves, begin to believe and have confidence, our essence is love and we were made to give and receive love.  It begins with loving yourself; to love yourself, you must know yourself and embrace every part.  There is only one you. Don’t compare.  Be brave. Be you.  Just do it.  Bring YOU forth into the world and wildly live your dreams.

See the places you want to see.  Sing the songs. Taste the food. Feel all the feels. Dance. Fly. Create. Laugh. Love. Risk. Try. LIVE

Take it from 51 year old me. The only regrets I have are the things I didn’t try to do. The times I held back because of fear, because those are paths I never explored. Experiences left undone. Unlived. So put on your exploration gear, strap on some courage and LIVE. Just do it!!! Why not?

I used to be paralyzed by fear.  Shedding fear, has set me free to fully explore myself, life and the world.  In the last year, I have been to Korea twice, Toronto, seen plays with family and friends, traveled to new cities with my children, skyrocketed my business, loved, laughed, cried, sang, danced, and lived and lived and lived.  JUST DO IT.  Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Namaste, Judy