As difficult as 2020 was for me, 2021 has felt a lot like 2020 on steroids. I don’t want to complain, and this isn’t about getting into a comparison game about whose life is the most difficult.

I’m simply being honest. 2021 has been F’in hard so far. You may be having a similar experience and I want you to know that you’re not alone.

There have been times when I’ve developed amnesia and completely forgotten most of the tools and skills that I’ve gathered over the years – the kind of things I can so readily use with my clients but can forget about when I’m personally “in it” chest deep.

I’ve toe-dipped into doubt and negativity and had more than one day when I just wanted to go to bed at 2pm.

I’ve pressed pause on more than a some of my usually busy workdays to create time and space to just feel and cry and rage and grieve.

I’ve given myself permission to sleep more, create more white space on my calendar, bring in additional support and let my ambition take a back seat to the very real and necessary things that are happening.

I’ve put forth some serious effort to ensure I have things in my calendar to look forward to, that I’m moving my body every day, that I’m doing all of the things I know help me to feel sane and healthy and strong.

When it comes to all of that, I’m doing a really, really great job.

I remind myself every day that I AM handling things beautifully. I AM taking excellent care of myself and my son. I AM navigating everything that 2021 is bringing with some serious courage, mastery and brilliance.

And, in all honesty, there is a part of me that feels completely dissatisfied with this. There is a part of me that still desires more. There is a part of me – a big part, actually – that knows without a shadow of doubt that even amidst the pressure cooker that 2021 has been for me thus far, that my life still gets to be extraordinary.

This might sound like crazy talk. It might sound like I’ve read one too many self-help books, or that I’ve donned the rose-colored glasses and have taken a deep dive into the deep waters of fantastical thinking and spiritual bypassing.

Or… what I’m saying here might rouse that same part of you that knows your everyday reality can be extraordinary, too, no matter what is going on in your world right now.

Yes, there are some life-changing things happening in my life. Some of them have forever changed my family in devastating ways. Some of them have ignited depths of anger and sadness that I’ve never felt before. Some of them could easily carry me away and keep me in very dark and lonely places.

But they’re not. Instead, I am being carried by…

My belief in what my life gets to be.
My clarity about what I’m here to live.
My unshakable knowing that my life gets to be so amazing.
My trust in myself and in love.
My courage to face and feel it all.
My willingness to be cracked open and grow.
My understanding that I am stronger than all of this (damnit!).

All of this is giving me permission to dare and dream and discover how my life is already extraordinary, and how it can become even more so, even when things feel so challenging and difficult.

Because it can.

If you’re feeling the impact of 2021 and yet you still know that your life is and gets to be even more extraordinary, ask yourself the following question:

When do you feel the most extraordinary?

How you answer this question will point you in the direction of what’s going to take you towards remarkable, exceptional, amazing, and wonderful.

Whatever doesn’t take you towards extraordinary gets to be examined, delegated, upgraded, let go of completely, or some other strategy that will lead you toward the outcome you desire.

When life gets super stressful and when you’re feeling stretched beyond your known capacity, it’s easy for your perspective to shrink, your thinking to get small, your coping mechanisms to kick into high gear, your healthy habits to evaporate, and your belief systems to get shaken, not stirred.

When you take a step back and focus on what’s important – letting life be extraordinary (your definition of extraordinary, no one else’s) – you’re able to see the bigger picture again. You’re able to recognize that you’re being strengthened. You’re able to choose between contracting out of fear or expanding from a place of courage and trust.

From this bigger picture perspective, you’re able to take up the audacious act of really, truly, honestly, fully living again.

And this – living your extraordinary life no matter what – is what I wish for you.

 

PS:  Craving community, support, and resources to help you navigate this topsy-turvy world we’re all living in? Here are some ways I can help:

1) You can access some of my most popular and inspiring writings here.

2) Download both of these powerful Free Resources here.

3) Grab your free copy of “The Art of Choosing Yourself” here. ​

4) Join my free private Facebook group here.

5) Schedule a conversation with me by emailing: alicia@aliciamorrow.com.

Sending you lots of love! xx

Alicia