September 5, 2008 | Posted in: Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully
Have you ever had any “I’ve Had It” moments? Those moments that you know are the turning point of your not tolerating something one more time? It’s the time you make a decision that your life will change from that moment on. It all starts with awareness, then a decision, and finally action towards something else.
I’ve experienced several of those moments recently and looking back at turning points in my life, they stemmed from those moments that I decided in faith and not in fear that I would no longer tolerate the current status quo.
Here are some of my moments:
- Saying goodbye to the W2 life of a j-o-b and hello to the entrepreneurial lifestyle. You don’t get vacation days, you don’t get sick pay, you don’t get your medical insurance covered, but you get your life. I preferred not to be held hostage to other people’s policies for a dental plan to gain my freedom and create my own security.
- Ending toxic relationships – business partnerships, bosses from hell, jerks, personal connections, firing clients. If people are making your life harder rather than easier and they bring you more stress, hurt, hardship, and disrespect than peace, love, happiness and support; then I make some hard decisions and walk. If your sanity or self worth are short-changed in the presence of particular people, lace up your running shoes and exit stage right. Some people are meant to be in your life for a reason, a season, or forever. It’s our task to decide which one it is and gracefully let go if the answer is not forever.
- Not tolerating airport shuttle vans. After over 20 years of traveling 3-8 times per month, being herded like cattle, whiplash at every turn and being subjected to every hotel and terminal stop, I decided to ride in the backs of cars and hire a sedan service from now on. My nerves, my time, my comfort are all saved because of it. What is your time, comfort and sanity worth to you?I’m thinking I should have made this wise decision about taking care of myself in this matter years ago.
- Never again staying at hotels with slippery polyester bedspreads and deluxe velux blankets. Life is too short not to be ensconced in down with nice sheets and pillows. It’s worth it to me to feel supported and cared for when I travel. If we don’t take care of ourselves, who else will do it? I’ve decided I like how I’m treated at some properties over others and I just feel better when I’m in that type of environment. Being welcomed into clean, fresh, polite, friendly, lush environments is rejuvenating after a stressful day.
- I will only live in an inspirational environment that supports who I am becoming as well as who I am now. I won’t tolerate being trapped in my home because of the hot or cold climate. That means surrounding myself with beauty, peace, quiet, great climate,wonderful people, fabulous views and with a simplified palette of the things that bring me joy – namely photos of people and places from a life well lived. How does your environment support who you are now or who you are becoming? Or is it a mere reminder of who you used to be, old ways of thinking, old styles, past lives of who you used to be? I once craved a house full of European antiques. I collected them when I lived in Europe for 10 years and then had to build a house around all of them when I returned stateside. After living with my dream for 20 years, I recently decided they weren’t me any more and divvied them out to friends and dealers. Now I enjoy my fun, simple, minimized furnishings that speak to my style of Comfortable Vitality. It’s refreshing.
Making decisions based on the faith that your situation will be better for it, that you can manifest what you need that supports you better and believing you deserve it can take you to a new level of living. Making decisions based on fear that you can’t afford it, don’t deserve it, what will people think, who do you think you are, or fear that if you let go of one thing another something better won’t appear, doesn’t serve you well.
Become aware of your “I’ve Had It” Moments and recognize when your tolerance level has hit the high water mark. Then take action to change it so you can energize your life for the better. You can’t live to your greatest fulfillment if you keep tolerating things, people, places, situations that don’t support you in your true path. I believe these things are put in our lives to irritate us into making a decision to choose otherwise and to choose our right path that leads us to a better life.
What are you choosing to do? What are you choosing to walk away from or not tolerate any more? What are you choosing to walk toward after you’ve experienced one of those moments? What are you scared of if you are ambivelant about walking away? When you feel stuck, it’s usually because you won’t yet let go of the old before embracing the new. Recognize any patterns of your stress or physical, mental or emotional discomfort. If the patterns continue, those are clues leading up to an “I’ve Had It” moment…. you will know what to do. Then make a decision and take action.
Gaia Hart
As the CEO (Chief Energizing Officer) at Hartful Living including GaiaHart.com and BizBuilderCards.com; I’m a Messenger and Mentor for women entrepreneurs, connecting them to their capacity to energize their work and their lives in the art of living Hartfully. At BizBuilderCards.com, you can make a living through giving with greeting cards and gifts to build your network net worth as an additive to your current business or an easy way to send gratitude and kindness to the world.
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