Happy #ThrivingThursday, beautiful human.
Imagine this, real quick, with me…
You’re taking your shoes off because you’re about to step onto the beach sand. Its gritty texture fires up the nerves in your feet as you wriggle your toes into the deliciously warm grains.
Take a deep breath in…and out. Ooooh, your lungs enjoyed that.
Shoes in hand, you stroll towards the water’s edge. You look down, observing your left foot sinking into the sand…then your right. You glance back and notice the path your footprints are creating.
The water is icy and wakes your mind right up. You let it ebb…then, bravely, allow it to flow over your feet again.
No distractions. Just presence. Just feeling.
But those boulders on the far right are calling. So you take in another breath and head towards them, drawn to their quiet, grounded strength. These are stones that have endured both the brutal crashes and the gentle embraces of the waves, on repeat.
You finally arrive. The rock is warm beneath your feet, a welcome contrast to the sharp bite of the ocean and the crisp air. You find a spot and sit down, placing your shoes on the rock beside you.
Looking out towards the ocean, with the magnificent mountain range behind you, a wave of gratitude washes over you.
Grateful for the goodness in your life.
Grateful for the love you experience.
Grateful for the fulfilment you feel…and the possibilities ahead.
Is life going smoothly? Probably not. But in this moment, you feel supported.
“What a privilege to be challenged by a life you created on purpose.” Author unknown
Now close your eyes and feel that for yourself.
This was my experience last Friday, sitting on my favourite boulder on Camps Bay beach after facilitating a team culture and engagement session in Cape Town the day before.
And yet… I know life doesn’t always feel like something we’ve consciously created.
Even now, there are areas in my life that feel completely out of control.
Sometimes it feels like you’re just getting through the week – doing what needs to be done and figuring things out as you go.
And if that’s where you are right now, I see you.
But that moment grounded me. (Not forgetting the grounding force of nature itself.)
Because even the smallest shifts towards living more intentionally begin to change how life feels.
Not overnight and not perfectly but gradually until one day, you look around while there’s chaos, and you’re able to truly feel grateful for it all.
Heads up that when you start making choices that are more aligned with you, even in small ways, life doesn’t necessarily become easier – it becomes a little more demanding. A little more stretching and a little more revealing AND also far more meaningful. More spacious. More full.
You’re no longer living on autopilot. You’re choosing how you show up.
You’re shaping what you want your life to feel like.
And that’s where everything begins to shift.
If you’ve read my book, Living ON Purpose, you’ll recognise this idea of moving from living by default to living more intentionally, not in a perfect, all-or-nothing way, but through small, conscious steps.
And if you haven’t read it yet, remember that you have access to a downloadable sample here.
(Or order your physical copy directly through me / download Kindle)
So today, I want to leave you with this:
Where in your life could you make one small, more intentional choice this week?
Not to overhaul everything… just to begin.
Because sometimes it’s not about already living “on purpose”, but about starting to create your life… one choice at a time.
You can listen to the full audio that inspired this reflection here: [IG/FB]
Watch yesterday’s WellBeing Wednesday on BTS episode on 919FM, where Paul and I chatted about this, here.
I adore you. Thank you for BEing here.
Your biggest cheerleader and guide,
Petra xxx
