Brett Sayles

Instead Of Admiring Everyone Else’s Masterpieces, It’s Time To Start Painting Your Own

In the age of self-help books, Spotify podcasts, and endless opinions, sometimes we can be susceptible to subscribing to other people’s life philosophies instead of creating our own map of the world. The whole purpose of your existence on this blue planet is for you to have your own unique human experience. Your odds of being here during this precise time in history, with your particular body full of your specific DNA, in this exact place in the universe, are 1 in 400 trillion. So instead of admiring everyone else’s beautifully curated masterpieces, it’s time to pick up your paintbrush and start creating your own. You are the artist of your destiny and can paint your life any way you wish.

Explore Different Perspectives

I would have never considered living in a van or solo backpacking around the world if I didn’t first explore my possibilities. We are so lucky to be here during the information age. The options are right at our fingertips with a YouTube search or TikTok fyp. But we have to have the courage and self-awareness to explore all of our possibilities and to start crafting our ideal reality. Start interacting with people you wouldn’t normally talk to, read books, roadtrip, try new foods, learn a language, take a dance class, create those new neural pathways, and expand your mind. Stay open to the unknown and welcome those new perspectives that life is more than willing to share with you.

Reflect On Your Experiences

After backpacking around the world for half a year, it took me nearly twice as long to fully try to process those life-changing experiences. Grab a pen, buy a journal, and take some time to reflect. Contemplation of new perspectives, experiences, and life philosophies is one of the most beneficial practices you can do for self-growth. Try to figure out those transformative life lessons and what matters to you. Knowing what you like, what you want, and your “why” can have some amazing effects on the trajectory of your life.

Integrate Your New Values

This is the time to “walk the walk” instead of just talking about your new experiences and epiphanies. You need to apply them to your current reality to see any lasting change. It’s okay if you stumble. It’s okay if people challenge, question, or disagree with you. It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out perfectly. Not everyone will resonate, but you will attract the people that do vibe with your higher state of being. The greatest victory is that you plucked up the courage and took the leap of faith into the unknown for the sake of changing, transforming, and attempting something innovative.

Enjoy The Ride

You have permission to be a human being. Bask in your glow up, embrace the chaotic energy of your life leveling up higher than you ever could have possibly imagined. Because nothing amazing was ever created without some gumption and challenging the status quo. There will be clarity on the other side of your chaos. The masterpiece of your life will be better than you ever could have imagined. In the words of Heath Ledger, you can change your stars.