Aligned, Authentic & Alive

What exactly is lifestyle design? What is the point in this blog, and what is my message that I am trying to share? These are questions that I have been pondering for the past 6 years. You see, when I created Lifestyles by Laura, I had the vision of creating a space where people could come to receive some inspiration and share their stories of lives they have created that may not follow the mainstream path. A space to identify the type of life they may want to design, living intentionally and in alignment with who they are on the inside.

One reason for having this vision is that I found myself in my 30s, childless, single, and wanting to switch my career and travel the world. Which then led me to want to sell my house and get rid of everything I had worked so hard for, in order to continue these travels. In this experience, I released and let go of the expectations I had placed on myself to have my life look a certain way by a certain age...and in this process I discovered a sense of freedom I hadn't known existed.

And everyone thought that I had lost my mind. I don’t blame them. Why would I leave behind this seemingly great life of comfort and let go of everything that I had been told I should want? I get it. I thought I had lost my mind as well…until I realized that it was in losing my mind (or rather the beliefs that had been instilled in me through society) that I embarked upon a journey to discover my true self. That self that lived inside of my heart. My soul. She wanted to come out, to show the world who she was…but how could she do that if she didn’t even know who she was?

We are told that we should strive for the same things, and yet we are also given the message that we are unique and have special talents or gifts to express to the world. And if you choose not to follow the path that has been set out for you, you may be called brave, or courageous. Just look at all of the attention that Elizabeth Gilbert and Glennon Doyle have received for leaving behind seemingly ‘perfect on paper lives’ in search of something greater. What if I told you that there were many others who are leaving behind the scripted life for something that their heart truly desires?

Please do not hear this as a knock on a traditional life path. I have many friends who are incredibly happy and feel fulfilled. Rather, consider this an invitation to those who feel as though there is something more they are seeking. Perhaps you are noticing that little niggle or twinge inside that although you have built the life you were meant to, you have the desire for something more.

That something more may not actually require a huge life change. It may look more like an updated coat of paint. Adding some throw pillows that bring a touch of colour to your neutral room. Or you may be looking to knock your whole house down and start building from the foundation up like I chose to do. All of these take intention. Support. Guidance. I have had many mentors, coaches and counsellors along the way. This does not need to be a solo journey (unless you want it to be).

I want to acknowledge the amount of privilege that I have, in being able to make these life choices. Yes, it has required accessing the courage to take the leap, but there is the inherent trust of a safety net to fall back on. I also know that I have this deep sense of responsibility I feel in many ways to live this fullest version of my life. Because I can. Not only a few generations back in western cultures, women had limited rights. We are currently seeing the devastating reality of this lack of rights being fought for in other parts of the world.

And here we are, living in the western world with the ability to design a life that feels aligned. To set goals we want to achieve. To plan vacations with friends, or venture out on solo journeys. Go after the career change that we desire, or start that business we have always dreamt of. To hire someone to design and build a home we feel safe in. Just like we hire people to support in building this home and providing a blueprint for how it is done, why don’t we do the same with our life?

You have the ability to design whatever type of life you want to, whether it be through taking physical actions or shifting your mindset. My question to you is…what type of life do you want to create? Rather than looking to the external world for how to live your life and who you should be, let’s tune in to discover who we are and then express that self outward. That’s the world that I want to live in. That’s the reason Lifestyles by Laura came into creation. Would love for you to join me on the journey, continuing to build a life that feels aligned, authentic and alive.