I was talking to my dear friend, Janie, before our yoga class this past week about the changes both she and I had experienced in our lives, not just due to chronology but, more often by life just happening. Notice I didn’t say, life happening TO US? We 
chatted about how, when I met her 20-something years ago, she was all in doing her “corporate thing” and I was all in doing my “climb the ladder to success” thing. We enjoyed the fact that both of us were now empty-nesters and neither of us was doing, professionally, what we imagined those many years ago. In fact, even our personal lives had shifted. Why? Without giving it much thought and with a sweet smile on her face she simply said, “life happened.” But that wasn’t even the most profound part of our brief conversation.
I shared with her that when I give presentations to large groups or even just share a bit of my story to friends and acquaintances, it is almost an “out of body experience” – as if I’m talking about another person or fictional character in a novel. She concurred, relating her own experiences. “Darlene, remember when we had laid out our life plans, set the goals, kept the spreadsheets, etc? Look at us now. We let life lead us.”
Boom. There it was. A mantra I have used thousands of times in the past 12 years. A mantra I have already said at least once today. A mantra that I will share with my children (and as a reminder to myself) in the future.
Let Life Lead You.
It all ties into last week’s message about not sweating the small stuff.
I now take the chance. I now keep the faith. I now try new things. I now get out of my comfort zone on a regular basis. I now eat the chocolate – dark chocolate, of course!
I now get out of life’s way and keep my “head” corralled as much as possible. Nope, not going to overthink it, if at all possible.
What to do when life throws you a curveball or a whole bowl of lemons? Take some deep breaths, trust the journey and let life lead you. Don’t get me wrong, SHE friends, you must do your part in making that lemonade or even building a franchise of lemonade stands. But my path, my goals and my destinations have changed several times, personally and professionally, in my 50 years. Sometimes on a turn of a dime.
The best thing I did? Well, truth be told, I prayed a LOT.
Then, I became more in tune to the God-winks and serendipity life was showing me and I LET LIFE LEAD ME. Just typing it here and saying it out loud calms my breath, lowers my shoulders from my ears and brings a gentle smile to my lips. Leading life is overrated. Let life lead YOU.
Note from the SHE Files: Let Life Lead You