After an awesome response to the re-release of my eBook Get Unstuck last week (THANK YOU! - find it here if you haven't snapped up your free download already), I'm thrilled to be sharing the love today.

So, to celebrate the launch of Nicole Perhne's new eBook Celebrate Your Spirit: 7 Soulful Ways to Spark Your Heart & Guide You to Peace, Nicole is sharing an original piece with us today. You can download Celebrate Your Spirit (for free - yay!) right here. 

La Dolce Vita. It means the sweet life. It’s a sunny Monday morning and the clock behind me tells me it’s just past 10 o’clock. 

I’m sitting in Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral Beach, an iconic landmark and one of my favourite places on earth; I can hear the chatter of diverse patrons around me brought together by culinary delights and café lattes, the sound of clapping waves froth in front of me and as I tilt my head back I see beautiful winged creatures circling below the endless stretch of blue; there’s not a cloud in sight today. Swoon. 

I can’t help feeling grateful. Content. Blissed out. Inspired to be alive…

..Until the many opinions and judgments of others start swirling around in my head, about how on earth it’s possible I’m at the beach- on a weekday - working - at a location as picturesque as this no less.

“Why aren’t you at work?”

“Gosh you live a cruisy life, don’t you?”

“How are you always at cafes on your laptop?”

“A health and life coach? What the heck is that?”

I’ve heard all these questions (aka judgments) before and more, some from people I know well, others mere acquaintances.

I used to be as quick to defend and explain myself, as they were to comment on my circumstances, until I realised their comments, which were nothing more than green-eyed ones dressed up as misguided sarcasm or ‘concern’ weren’t about me at all, but rather a reflection of how they felt about their work situation and ultimately, satisfaction (or lack thereof) with their own lives.

When people are quick to judge or comment on other’s situations, it’s often a projection of how they feel about the situation, or how they would feel living life in such a way, and you know what? That’s fine; it’s their life.

I only wonder if they are truly happy and are following their heart instead of a paycheck.

Nowadays I smile at the multitude of comments I receive about spending hours on my laptop at a café or the like, let them wash over me and every now and then when I feel it appropriate or when welcomed, I’ll offer a humble yet resounding, “you could do this too if you wanted, it’s all about choice,” or “are you happy in your job, really happy?” response. 

Neither of which are efforts to be condescending or retaliate, but merely a woman trying to crack people open, challenge their ‘one dimensional’ thinking; encourage them to look at their inner world before remarking on the external one.

My current circumstances are the culmination of countless hours spent daydreaming about how I could be spending my time if I wasn’t chained to a desk; years spent wondering what just might be possible if I was willing to take a risk; to leap and let the net appear on the way down.

Then actually leaping.

So how is it that I can work from my laptop at the beach mid morning, on a weekday, doing something I love?

Simply because all those years ago I made the decision to live a grand life, not a mediocre one and to live life according to my own values and morals, nobody else’s.

Note I said, “Simply…” not easily.

“Nothing in this world worth having ever comes easy.”

Getting to this point in my life hasn’t been a walk in the park. Just like everyone else I have had to overcome minor and major adversities.

However, I had the courage to at least give it a go; to push the envelope just a little bit more each time even when I felt like giving up.

I had the strength to ask myself all those years ago, ‘Is this the life you really want to live?’

I knew in my heart of hearts the answer was a resounding “NO” so I made a promise and commitment to myself to change my circumstances and start working towards the life I really wanted, and I got cracking! 

“When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you.”

We often allow scarcity thinking to hold us hostage or stop us from taking a chance, throwing ourselves into the deep end and grabbing life with both hands. 

What if we allowed ourselves to turn scarcity thinking into abundant thinking?

Knowing that when we make a decision to improve our circumstances, our life, that the universe will rise up and conspire to make that happen for us, no matter what that is.

You just have to trust, take the leap.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently…

..Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs

All those years ago, there was a fire in my belly that was yearning to be ignited, a stirring in my soul begging to be released, a swelling in my heart that was beckoning me to let it run wild.

Those feelings, those little inklings and intangible yet undeniable flitters in your stomach and soul; that is your intuition. Take note.

My intuition kept speaking to me loud and clear until one day I couldn’t turn the volume down and finally decided to listen.

I haven’t looked back since.

“Would you like anything else to drink miss?” the friendly waiter at Bathers Pavillion says to me.

All I can do is smile.

The opinions of others have gently rolled over me and washed away just like the sweeping of the waves over the sand laid out in front of me.

Have I completely ‘made it’ as a successful entrepreneur yet?

Maybe, maybe not. But maybe the bittersweet truth is this; that we never truly get to a point where we can sit back and say “I’ve made it,” because instead we pragmatically realise we are making it, consciously, continuously every-single-day; mastering the art of living life how we want to live it, how we deem and see fit, resting on our laurels until we dream up the next big one and take the world by storm.

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

So thrilled to have Nicole sharing this inspiring piece with us today. Tell us in the comments, did this post resonate with you? How did Nicole's story make you FEEL?