Embracing Authenticity: 4 Steps to Living in Your Purpose

Ever feel like you're living someone else's dream, even when you're successful? Join me, as I open up about my transformative journey from a travel content creator in St Martin to discovering a path that truly lights me up. Despite being damn good at promoting my tropical paradise, I found myself yearning for something more meaningful. In this episode, we explore the importance of aligning your actions with your true desires, the inevitable struggles of making significant life changes, and the excitement and joy that comes from pursuing what truly lights you up.

Are you ready to take the steps needed toward the life you've always dreamed of?

Chapters

• 0:00 Living a Life of Purpose
• 8:15 Embracing Change and Purpose
• 16:15 Following Your Passion and Inner Voice

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Living a life of purpose isn't always easy. It's messy, it's scary and sometimes it feels like you're just figuring it out as you go, but honestly, it is also freaking amazing. There's nothing more fulfilling than knowing you're on the path that is right for you. When you're living authentically, you, you know. When you're living authentically you. Welcome to Paradise Perspectives. I'm Rizal, the traveling island girl, and I'm here to help you start living your best life, no matter where you're at, whether you're dreaming of traveling to exotic destinations, starting a business or even making big life changes. This is the place for you. Big life changes. This is the place for you. From the beaches of the Caribbean to your own backyard, we'll explore how to shift your mindset, find your purpose and take bold steps towards the life you deserve. So grab your favorite drink and let's dive into some real talk about living your best life, one sunny day at a time. Hey there, my friend, and welcome back to the Paradise Perspectives podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Whatever you are doing right now whether you're in your car, maybe you're running some errands, maybe you're on your way to work, perhaps you're on a morning jog whatever it is that you are doing while listening to this podcast. I am so grateful for you lending me in the air right now.

Speaker 1: 1:26

Anyways, today I want to have a real heart-to-heart about something that's been on my mind a lot lately, and that is living a life of purpose and how we can align our actions with what we truly want. In other words, how do we go for the life that we want to create for ourselves? Trust me, I'm going through this right this minute. So, fair warning, this episode is going to be a little personal. Actually, it's going to be a lot personal. So if you have been thinking of doing a little pivot yourself or you feel like you're up for a change, this conversation is worth listening to, so let's dive right in. But before we do so, I need to give you a little bit of my background story so you can understand where I'm going with this. All right, for the longest time three and a half years to be exact my focus was all about travel tips, and especially travel tips about my home island of St Martin, and as a local, I got a lot of local insight. Naturally, but before I actually started sharing tips about vacationing on the island, I was a travel content creator. I was actually, to be more precise, I started as a blogger, a travel blogger that would share her stories about her travels in the hope of inspiring and empowering women through travel. That was the whole point of where I started with this nine years ago.

Speaker 1: 2:58

So, when travel came to a stop because of COVID in 2020, and, if I may be honest, I was also very disappointed with our tourist office I felt that they were not doing a good enough job to keeping the island on the minds of potential visitors and, if I'm honest, I also was a little concerned about where this pandemic was actually what this pandemic was doing for the island. You know, a lot of businesses were going out of business. A lot of little small shops were closing down, so I felt I needed to do something. So I took all of my talent and I learned some new skills to make videos to promote the island, and I promoted it my way, but little did I know that it would take off the way it did and I would become the unofficial guide to St Martin. Promoting the island comes easy to me. I am damn good at it, if I say so myself, but it was never my passion and if there's something that I learned, it is this. You may be really good at something, but that does not mean that that thing is your passion. All right, so there I was, being the unofficial Saint Martin guide and I started giving private tours because people were asking me to after watching my videos. So that meant that I was now completely dependent on being on the island. So whenever I actually traveled, I was not making any money because I needed to be present on the island to do so.

Speaker 1: 4:36

So I tried consulting, but let's be honest, a lot of people do not want to pay a local for the information that they or us automatically have in our heads, and it's surprising, actually, how people do not want to understand that this was my only income. Most people expected me to just give them the travel tips, like I was doing, and the recommendations, like how I was doing it in the videos, and help them plan their visit to the island for free. Most also even thought that I was getting paid by YouTube, you know, because if you live in the US, that's a normal thing, but we in St Martin St Martin is not eligible for monetization, so we get zero cents from any video, no matter how well it performs. So, anyways, for a long time I thought I would have to continue doing what I don't love, because why change it if it's not broken? And I'm good at it right, so I might as well keep on doing it. And if you've been listening to this podcast from the beginning, or if you go back to the earlier two seasons, you'll see that I even constructed this whole podcast with the idea of sharing local tips for the Caribbean Islands and you know, hence the name Paradise Perspectives. That's how it all started and don't get me wrong, I love sharing about the islands, the best spots to visit, the hidden gems. I love sharing all of that.

Speaker 1: 6:05

But recently there is something to be said about not living according to your purpose. I was not showing up authentically and that made me quite unhappy. So it was clear as day to me that I had two options I could either continue doing what I was doing and be miserable, or I could pivot from what people grew to know me for and go into something completely different. But that totally lights me up Now. If you have ever found yourself in that situation, you know that a big change like this is both exciting and absolutely terrifying at the same time. I mean taking my brand from the comfort of the mundane, yet familiar, to something people did not associate the brand with at all, like personal transformation and you know all of the stuff, like self-growth, mindset shifts and breaking free from fear. Those are all things that can be really, really scary to start doing like, really scary because it is so outside of my comfort zone. It is something that I haven't tried before, but yet I feel like this is exactly what I need to be doing.

Speaker 1: 7:20

The past few months, I have been slowly guiding my brand to a mix of my two biggest passions, which is travel and personal transformation. Travel has always been more than just hopping on a plane for me. You know, every trip I take changes me in a way or another. I learn something new about myself. Every time I travel by myself, I overcome some kind of fear and I grow. I feel like travel has been my greatest teacher in life, seriously, and I know it can be that for others as well. So why not talk about how travel can be a tool for self-growth and transformation, instead of just focusing on where to get the best local meal in St Martin, for instance Though, let's be real, that's important too. But here's the thing, and this is why I'm sharing all of this personal stuff with you today.

Speaker 1: 8:15

Pivoting makes things shift and it is terrifying. It's stepping into the unknown. I'm sitting here thinking what if this flops? What if people stop listening, because it's not what I signed up for? But at the same time, I know that deep down, this is my purpose, and you can hear it in my voice as I'm going, because I get so excited when I'm talking about this. Now, how do we align our actions with our deepest desires? How do we actually start living a life that feels fulfilling and purpose-driven, even when it's scary? What I did is I broke it down into steps to make it easier for you. So if you are finding yourself in a similar position and you're about to make your very own pivot in life or career, I hope these steps will help you.

Speaker 1: 9:10

Step number one listen to that inner voice. You know that little whisper, the one that tells you what you really want to do. Yeah, it's time to actually pay attention to it. For me, that voice kept saying you've got more to share than just travel tips and recommendations. You can help people actually break free from their fears and find their purpose and live the life they really want. The problem is we often ignore that voice because of a little four-letter word fear. Fear has the power of holding us back from going after what we want, and as I find myself in the middle of this pivot of my own, I can tell you you will find more evidence that you cannot do it and much less evidence that you absolutely can.

Speaker 1: 10:02

I was afraid of shifting my brand. I really was. I was afraid of what people would think, but here's what I have learned the longer you ignore that little voice, the louder it gets. So step one is listen to your inner voice. What is it trying to tell you? Step two take small but scary steps. You don't have to leap off a cliff or jump into the deep end of the pool like I did. I know I'm a very impulsive person, and when I feel called to do something, even more so, and so I often just throw caution to the wind and I just go for it.

Speaker 1: 10:43

But sometimes it's about taking the small steps, the little, small, scary steps. One little, small, scary steps. One little small, scary step at a time, like for me. This third season of the podcast is one of those steps. I'm sharing something different in this new version of the podcast and who knows how it's going to be received. I have no idea, but I'm doing it anyway because it aligns with where I want to take my life. Maybe for you it is starting that blog you've always wanted to write, or signing up for a class that's completely outside of your comfort zone. Or maybe you want to travel solo to the Caribbean, but you're afraid to do so. Whatever it is, take one small step at a time. Take it from me. You will be surprised how much closer you actually get to your goal with every little successful, little step you take, and not to mention how confident you will feel every time you achieve one of those steps. Speaking of steps, let's move on to step number three.

Speaker 1: 11:47

Accept that fear is part of the journey. Oh boy, fear. Let me tell you I have had a lot of it, especially lately. Who am I kidding? I continue to have it a lot, even right now.

Speaker 1: 12:03

Okay, me actually recording this episode is scary. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear that I'm not good enough or that I don't know enough, fear of making stupid little blunders. Because English is not my first language, honey, I can give you a whole list. I've had all of the fears our first language, honey. I can give you a whole list. I've had all of the fears and I think we all feel that when we're trying to live a life that truly matters to us. But here's what I'm learning Fear is part of the process.

Speaker 1: 12:33

It's not about getting rid of the fear completely. You will never be able to do so. It is about moving forward despite of it. That's where the growth happens, when you actually step outside of that comfort in your life. Take my current situation, for instance. I decided to move to Portland, oregon, for two months. What a fudge, right. It is something I've always wanted to do, wanted to do and, although it is scary as fudge mainly because I don't know if I can sustain myself for two months away from the island with no savings. Yeah, I know, please don't try this at home. I feel like I I just dove right in and I didn't. I did this irresponsibly, if I may be honest. I feel like this was not the most responsible way of doing things. I should have actually saved up, but I felt such an urge to do this, so I'm doing it, and I'm doing it super scared, all right. So if you are feeling the same way towards something you feel that urge. I really urge you to just do it and do it scared. On.

Speaker 1: 13:41

To step number four, our last step for today Align your actions with your purpose. This, this, is where the magic really happens. Once you have tuned into your inner voice and you have taken all of those small, scary steps, you've got to align your daily actions with your bigger vision. What does that mean? You need to be on the same frequency as the person you want to become, the person who is actually already living the life that you want. You need to ask yourself what can you do today, tomorrow, this week, that brings you closer to living your purpose? For me, it was incorporating more transformational coaching into my content. I even went as far as to take a transformational coaching program. I taught myself to do life coaching and to do transformational coaching. So that's another offer that I do right now, and it is sharing also my own struggles and going really personal with the stuff that I'm going through, like the fears and the changes, and living authentically, because in doing so, I am able to help others do the same.

Speaker 1: 15:00

Okay, so, now that you have all the steps, what are the main takeaways from this particular episode. Living a life of purpose isn't always easy. All right, it's messy, it's scary, and sometimes it feels like you're just figuring it out as you go, but honestly, it is also freaking amazing. Okay, there's nothing more fulfilling than knowing you're on the path that is right for you to you know when you're living authentically you. So if you're feeling that pull, that little whisper telling you there is something more for you, please listen and then take those small brave steps. Do it, and do it scared.

Speaker 1: 15:44

And one other thing life becomes very enjoyable when you're doing something you love. Take it from me. Your energy changes and you start calling in other people who are on the same wavelength, and that's what I'm hoping this episode does as well. Believe me, life is so much better when you're living according to your own authenticity. All right, my dear friend, that's all I've got for you today. I'm actually all right. It's taking everything out of me.

Speaker 1: 16:15

So much energy goes into this episode because I am just so full of this. You know this is my passion right here. I am just so full of this. You know this is my passion right here. Anyway, thanks for hanging out with me today and letting me share this personal journey with you. I am so happy you decided to listen to this episode. I really am, and if you're going through something similar or if this resonated with you in any way, drop me a message.

Speaker 1: 16:41

Let's talk about this. You in any way dropping a message? Let's talk about this. All right, it is time for me to go look for something to munch on, because your girl is starting to get hungry. All right, now, should I make myself something and save my money, or should I just go for a pizza from the place down the street that has been calling my name for days? I know, decisions, decisions. Until the next time, darling, keep listening to that inner voice of yours. Take two small scary steps and go live the life you've always wanted. That's what life's about. My name is, aka the traveling island girl. Ciao, adios, tot later, bye.