“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” -Oprah Winfrey
Welcome to My Living Spree!
The blog has been a long time coming ya’ll. It was on my heart to write this blog for at least 3 years, but of course I never acted on it. Have you ever heard of imposter syndrome? Well, I had a terrible case of it! Basically, its when a person is unable to internalize their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” Why would anyone listen to what I have to say? I’m no real blogger, I hate writing and grammar and I have no experience in this field. And if you really know me, you know that I am the most technologically unsavvy (I made that word up lol) person you will meet. The thought of having to deal with technology updates and the like literally gives me anxiety!
I’ve played by the rule book all of my life. My constant mantra was, “go to school and get an education so you can get a good job.” Therefore, I excelled at the top of my class at an International Baccalaureate High School (a.k.a. junior college 0_O) and graduated from Top 20 Vanderbilt University, not once but twice, with a Bachelor’s of Arts and a Master’s in Nursing before the age of 25. Then, I landed a certification in not one but two specialities (just in case I couldn’t get a job as a Midwife, I could always work as an Family NP). I played it really safe. Don’t get me wrong, women’s and/or children’s health was always in my heart and still is now. But, choosing a safe career over creativity was the easier and faster route to get me where I wanted to be. And a “for sure” way to become what I thought was “successful.” I was wrong.
The catalyst
You may be wondering where I am going with this. Basically, I became tired of living day to day without that spark, that flame that I knew I had inside of me. Let’s be clear, I love my job and my career (not leaving anytime soon either!), but I knew there was a part of me deep down inside that wanted to explore the more creative Ashley. In 2015 things changed. At the time, I had not traveled for at least 3 years and I said to myself, I have to come out of this hiatus! Traveling is one of my passions. I literally come alive when I travel and I felt like that would be the beginning of rekindling the flame inside of me. This became the catalyst to my living spree!
What is my living spree?
I first heard the term living spree in Kanye’ West’s song “Good Life.” In the verse he says, “let’s go on a living spree, they say the best things in life are free.” When I heard it, I immediately wanted to define the term for myself (I’m always Googling something). The definition of living, “the pursuit of a lifestyle of the specified type or being alive.” Then, the definition of spree, “an unrestrained indulgence in or outburst of an activity.” My living spree is a chance to inspire others to live their best lives— indulging in any and everything that makes them feel alive, or even the lifestyle they’ve always dreamed of. My own personal living spree is not limited to travel, but self-discovery through fashion, self-love, and empowering women to become who they were destined to be and much more. We all serve a purpose on this Earth and so many of us have no idea of what that is. I can say I’ve discovered mine and it’s so much more than the degrees, career, accolades, trips, blog, Instagram pics, and the like (pun intended lol). It’s bigger than me.
What is your living spree?
I challenge you to discover your own living spree. It may be going back to school for your master’s degree, starting that business you’ve always wanted, taking acting classes, taking the MCAT, starting your own school or taking on a leadership role within your professional career. Whatever it is, I challenge you to stop and consider yourself, what you want, and what you know to be true. Do more of what energizes you and give yourself a chance for once. As you embark on this journey with me, I hope it inspires you to begin your own living spree. My prayer is that by the time we leave this Earth, we all would have lived our best life—A life of purpose, fulfillment, and true happiness from within. No stone left unturned. One of my good friends said something to me a couple of days ago that I will never forget. She said, “You can’t find yourself if you’re not looking.” So, let’s go on a living spree!
