Live Now. Level Up Later

One of the reasons I created this business was because I kept seeing a pattern—one I was caught in myself.

We’re all out here living a #goals life… on Instagram.

We save workouts we don’t try. We pin dream kitchens we never cook in. We like and comment on the lives we wish we were living—while quietly wondering why we feel so far from them. We scroll through the highlight reels of creators, coworkers, and even cousins—convinced they have some secret we don’t. Maybe they make more money. Maybe they’ve got better connections. Maybe they just got lucky.

That’s what I used to tell myself too.

But when I finally stopped making excuses and got honest with myself, I realized something:

It wasn’t luck. It wasn’t a trust fund. It wasn’t even just better money management.

It was self-will. It was action. It was the fact that while I was dreaming about a different life, they were living the best version of theirs.

Let me explain.

The Real Reason You're Stuck Isn't What You Think

I used to think the gap between me and “them” was something external.

They had the right job. They knew someone at the airline. They were naturally more disciplined, or organized, or stylish.

What I didn’t realize was that the real gap was how we were showing up in our actual lives.

I’d spend hours wishing, hoping, wondering, waiting.

They were living. Right now. As best as they could.

Tina couldn’t afford Europe yet—so she explored every park and museum in her city.

Amanda couldn’t buy the exact outfits she pinned—so she thrifted similar ones and styled them her own way.

Sarah couldn’t eat at Michelin-starred restaurants—but she turned her kitchen into one every Sunday after watching food documentaries.

You get it?

They didn’t wait to “arrive.” They lived like they belonged.

If You Can’t Live at Your Level, You’re Not Ready to Level Up

There’s a verse that says, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

We love to ask for more—but we don’t want to manage what we already have. Why would you get a mansion when you don’t take care of your one-bedroom apartment? Why would you make millions when you can’t balance a budget? Why would you fly to Turks and Caicos when you haven’t even touched the beaches that are a two-hour drive away?

Here’s what no one likes to say:

Growth takes time. But it also takes stewardship. If you can’t live fully where you are, what makes you think you’ll magically do it once you “make it”?

A Story of Living It Anyway

Take Keisha for example.

She dreamed of a luxury spa day—complete with eucalyptus steam rooms, champagne, and white robes. But her bank account said otherwise.

Instead of staying stuck in longing, she got creative.

She set her alarm for 6am, dropped eucalyptus oil in the shower, lit a candle, and played soft music. She soaked her feet, made lemon water in a wine glass, and wrapped herself in the coziest robe she owned. Then she journaled and meditated before starting her day.

No, it wasn’t the Four Seasons.

But it was intentional.

It was nourishing.

It was her way of saying, “I’m not waiting to live well.”

How to Reframe Your Thinking and Start Living Now

If you want to stop waiting and start living, here’s where to begin:

1. Redefine Success

Success isn’t a number—it’s how fully and freely you live. Choose experiences over appearances. Quality of life over quantity of things.

2. Live the Feeling, Not Just the Fantasy

What is it that you actually want? Peace? Excitement? Comfort? Connection?

Start building that feeling into your current life, even if the setting isn’t what you imagined.

3. Get Inspired, Then Take Action

A vision board is cute. But it’s just paper if you don’t move your feet.

Ask: What’s the smallest version of this I can do today?

4. Make Growth a Daily Practice

Psychology tells us that we attract what we embody. It’s called behavioral activation—when you act as the kind of person you want to become, your mindset and life begin to shift in that direction.

In other words: your life grows as you grow.

Final Word: Seeds Don’t Bloom Overnight

We live in a world that celebrates the results—but not the rhythm.

We want the harvest without the planting.

But anything worth having takes nurturing. It takes patience. It takes motion.

So start where you are.

Make the risotto.

Thrift the outfit.

Light the candle.

Take the local trip.

Live life on your level—and level up as you go.

Because wishing won’t get you there.

Living will.

The Reflect and Realign Workbook Companion gives you the tools to move from clarity to consistency.

Learn how to anchor yourself in the now, take aligned action toward your goals, and stay present through life’s pivots and pressures.
Because your future deserves the version of you who’s all the way here.