It's totally okay if you're building a life you didn't plan for. We often grow up with a vision of how our lives should unfold—specific milestones and a clear roadmap. But the reality is, life can take unexpected turns, and sometimes we find ourselves in places we never anticipated. In this episode, I reflect on how I ended up hosting The Life Shift podcast, which started as a passion project but became something so much more meaningful. If you're feeling like your life has taken a detour, remember that this isn't a sign of failure; it's a chance for growth. So go ahead and give yourself permission to embrace the surprises life throws your way—who knows, it might just lead you to something even better than you imagined.
Takeaways:
It's completely okay to navigate a life that doesn't align with your original plans; we can embrace the unexpected.
Growing up, many of us have a clear picture of where we want to be, but life often takes us on a different path.
Embracing detours in life can lead to discovering new aspects of ourselves that were previously unknown.
You have permission to create a life that feels authentic to you, even if it surprises you.
Recognizing that your current situation may be better than your original vision is a powerful realization.
Ultimately, giving ourselves permission to reshape our lives is a key step towards personal growth and fulfillment.
Transcripts
Speaker A:
Hey, this is.
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It's okay if bite sized permission slips.
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I'm Matt Gilhooley, and today's permission.
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It's okay if you're building a life you didn't plan for.
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Most of us grow up with a picture in mind.
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This plan, a roadmap.
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At this age, I'll be here, and by that age, I'll have this.
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A career that looks like this and a life that feels like that.
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But it doesn't always follow the plan.
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I never plan to host a podcast to share these stories about life shifts, to find purpose in conversations that started as this passion project.
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And yet here I am, doing the work that feels aligned, creative, meaningful, even though it wasn't part of the original plan.
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Maybe your life looks different than you imagined.
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Maybe you took detours, you pivoted.
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You discovered new parts of yourself you didn't even know existed.
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That's not failure.
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That's growth.
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And that's being open to becoming something that you were always meant to be.
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You're allowed to build a life that surprises you, that evolves with you, that doesn't match the script you once believed in.
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So if today you're standing in a life you didn't exactly plan for, that's okay.
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It might just be better than what you imagined.
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So if you're up for it, tell yourself, I give myself permission to build a life that looks different than I planned.
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That's your permission slip, friend.
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Tuck it in your pocket and I'll see you next time.
