Seeing Your Life the Way You Want It

Have I got a story for you

I was walking my dog Loki (he’s a husky, so gorgeous but also sooo difficult lol). We took our usual route that goes from my house at one end of a long road, all the way to the other end and back again… It takes me about an hour to do the whole thing. It's a pretty boring route for dogs (sorry, Loki) but for me, it fills me with utter joy. My daily dog walks always remind me of a story that starts…

The week I decided to end my first marriage.

I won't go into the sad details of the day I decided to leave but I will tell you that I asked my then-husband to move out and go to his mother's house for 4 weeks, to give me time to get myself organised, find somewhere to live and make a plan.

I was so scared. I had no money of my own, I had never paid a single bill myself, I had no real career prospects, I was a mum just working 2 days a week in a local clothes store and I had literally just burned my life down (on purpose)

I not only needed to set up a brand new life for me, but I also needed to be able to give my little boy (Charlie was six at the time) a great life too.

When life is so bad you think you won't survive it.

During those 4 weeks whenever I felt like I couldn't cope, or was sick to my stomach with fear, I would get in my car, drive ten minutes down the road to a small affluent area on the outskirts of the city. I'd drive down a long winding road under a canopy of trees and look at the houses that lined each side of the street. Beautiful, imposing one-of-a-kind homes, the kind that sit back from the road usually behind electric gates.

Every time I would drive the same road, I would see a house I hadn't seen before. I’d drive annoyingly slowly and pick out my favourites. All the time telling myself that everything I was going through was absolutely the right thing. And because of it, one day I will live on this road.  

Imagining myself living on this road wasn’t comforting because the homes were grand. It calmed my nerves and my doubts because I could imagine myself happy here, I could literally see myself walking the pretty tree-lined streets, passing through the gates into a home, and at that moment I could feel the happiness inside me greater than I could feel my fear.

And life today..?

Well, you probably guessed already… today I do indeed live on that road alongside all the beautiful homes and gardens... And I do walk the pretty tree-lined streets with my dog every day and every time I approach my house ( I don't have electric gates lol but I do have some little steps and a beautiful front garden) I still feel enormously happy.

I don’t live in one of the million-pound mansions (maybe one day) but I appreciate their presence around me as much as I did when I drove here ten years ago.

I love where I live. I love how happy I am in my life here and I love that at the worst time in my life, I saw the happiest version of myself living here in the future. I believe to this day, I made this happen.

Your Reminder!

And with that said, let this be your reminder this week to see your life the way you want it, no matter how unrealistic. To know the importance of your happiness over your fear and to always have the courage to make your dreams come true.

Have a great week.