From a very young age I was always ready to go with the flow. There was this innate acceptance of how life would play out: graduate from school, go to college, get married, and have children, raising a family while continuing to work professionally hard with the goal of climbing the corporate ladder and being able to retire comfortably.
When I graduated from high school, I did not have any questions considering what I wanted to study … while all my friends were discussing about their future careers … medicine, law, economics, I had the brilliant idea of studying Marine Engineering … it made sense to me being a Panamanian with the importance of the Panama Canal always present.
I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in New Orleans where I met my husband, we married when I was 24, we had our first son when I was 27, and my second son when I was 30. During all this time I worked constantly as a marine engineer for which I feel an incredible passion. I was 30 and life was going as planned. I kept looking forward, ticking-off all the life to-do boxes, convinced I was on the right path…
Then I turned 35 years old and one day it hit me! I needed to reflect on my life, to take a little time to see where I was, to reconnect with myself in a profound way. The chosen path was never questioned, but how much I was enjoying my day to day was. I felt a terrible fear when I understood that the years had passed, and that when I looked back, there were immense moments of joy, but also great parts of my time being more in a constant wake up, work, housework, kids time, sleep and repeat … I realized my soul wanted to enjoy my day-to-day. I wanted to be aware of my life, to maximize every minute of it. I wanted to know if I was living my life to the fullest.
After talking to my husband for several days I decided that it was up to me to put the time and effort into creating a sense of awareness in my life. To discover and create techniques and ways of seeing my day to day, not as just another day, but as a unique day. I studied several Life Coaching courses, I read several books about mindfulness, sobriety, and self-improvement in my life and to the lives of the people I love the most. I saw with a magnifying glass the parts of my life that I wanted to change and those that made me feel more proud and I decided to keep my goal of always trying to improve as a person, not as a wife, or as a mother, but as me, as Mari. Being able to face the person I am and accepting her is my goal every day, every morning, and every moment.
After almost 5 years I feel that my life is in the now, in this moment, as I write this post, as I cook dinner every day, as I made my bed, as I earn a promotion, as I hear my husband and my sons telling me that they loved me and appreciate me. My resolution every day is to have a full life that occurs every day. Throughout this search for acceptance, awareness, and mindfulness, I have improved my relationship with myself, my husband, my children, my parents, and my friends. I got my certificates as a Life Coach with the mission of helping other women find their Purpose of Life and Happiness.
We all have the right at some point to stop the speed train of our lives and reflect about the past, recognize our present, and envision our goals for the future.
I love this! I felt this same thing almost 2 years ago. The realization that I wasn’t enjoying my life to the fullest sent me on a search for peace and acceptance of ME. Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you for your comment! Yes it is a journey of self-discovery for sure!
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I think most people feel similarly at some point but the fact that you’re acting on it is incredible! Can’t wait to see what comes next
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Thank you! Working towards everyday awareness and happiness is never-ending, but very rewarding at the same time.
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What an amazing journey! Choosing to follow your heart and become a life coach is so brave.
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Thank you! I believe in our pursuit of happiness and wellness 😃💜
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This post is inspirational and good to read. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you so much for the kind comment!
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I relate to your post so much. Great read! Thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts.
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Thank you for kind comment.
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I’m in my mid-twenties, and I’ve already started to shift my focus from what I’m doing next, tomorrow, next weekend to what I’m doing here and now. I’m trying to feed my soul and focus more on what makes me happy. Thanks for the wonderful read, and best wishes on the continuation of your self-discovery journey.
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Thank you for your comment and sharing your journey 💜
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Nice blog
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Thank you so much!
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My pleasure, followed you ☺️
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This was a great post! We all, at some point in our lives, have a moment that stops us in our tracks and forces us to reflect. Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you! Being aware of our life journey is so important!
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Self reflection is very important indeed. And what a cool job you have! 😀
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Thank you for such nice comment!💜💜
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This is a beautiful post! It’s all very well to tick off all the boxes, but your soul needs to be fulfilled too. I’m glad you had this shift in your journey and are making every moment count. You sound like an amazing person!
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Thank you for your comments. Having goals in life and accomplishing them is great we just need to make sure we are fully enjoying the process. 💜💜
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I totally loved the blog,
I loved it too much and completely agree with what you’ve said, all of us need some reassessment in our lives!
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Thank you for your kind comment. Is not an easy journey at first but the more aware we are the more grateful we become 💜💜💜
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This! I think we’re all guilty of this sometimes. Make a plan, set a goal, work towards it and continue to ride that wave without checking in if that original plan/ goal is actually something we still want. It’s important to check in with yourself often enough to know! x
Sophie
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Absolutely! We need to learn to slow down and reflect so we can be aware of where we are going and have the courage to be honest and make changes if needed 💜💜💜
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Thank you for sharing your experience. I find it hard to focus on these things daily. I will have the thoughts and “try harder” but there is something really hard about being mindful of it on a daily basis. Thank you for the reminder!
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Thanks for your comments… yes, it is a practice that takes time and patience especially when we are multitasking almost all day! Baby steps are exactly what we need sometimes
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Good one, That helped to a great deal on self-reflection!
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It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
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love this post 😍😍
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Thank you so much 🌼🌼
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