On my journey as a wellbeing coach, I’ve realized that we often begin in the wrong place.
We focus on what’s wrong, what’s missing, what hurts, and what needs to be fixed. We talk about stress, burnout, exhaustion, illness, and everything we want to escape.
But what if some of that stress and suffering comes from how far we’ve drifted from ourselves?
What if part of our exhaustion comes from living too long disconnected from the self we long for? The self that feels more alive, more whole, more honest, more aligned with who we really are?
Real change starts with a vision.
Not just any vision, but one that moves us. One that wakes something up inside us. One that feels vivid, true, and alive. It could be tied to who we used to be. The younger self who felt full of life, carried big dreams, had endless energy, and believed in possibility.
Or it could be tied to becoming someone we’ve never fully been yet. A freer self. A braver self. A more fulfilled self. A self we can sense within, even when we haven’t fully lived as that person yet.
Either way, the longing is real.
I think that’s where so much of the quiet unhappiness begins. The source of stress and illness lies in losing touch with what we truly want. In the buried old dreams or in the silenced new ones. In the slow disconnect from what makes us feel alive.
That kind of disconnection wears on us. It drains energy, dims hope, and leaves us going through the motions. Over time, it shows up emotionally and physically.
Wellness is not the absence of disease or the opposite of illness (World Health Organization, 2014).
Wellbeing exists in the presence of meaning, purpose, desire, hope, and a life that feels worth living. The path to wellbeing begins when we start asking the right questions, like: Who do I long to be?
Because so much of our stress, exhaustion, and even illness comes from living disconnected from our true selves. And longing is trying to bring us back to our true selves.
So go ahead. Dream up your vision. The bolder, the better.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to explore the two places that give my life meaning and purpose and help me stay connected to that vision.
My art and coaching are safe places where I ask questions, search for clarity, and help myself and those who join me get closer to the one we long for.