I recently had a two-hour cup of coffee with a dear friend. We chatted about being women of a certain age and the many things we’ve been involved with throughout our lives. We covered everything from work activities to kids to business to church and beyond. And then she said something profound:

I feel like the train is going right past me and I can’t get back on. I don’t know how to get back on the train.

How many of us:

• Feel like there are things in life passing us right by that we wish to be part of (I’m not talking about FOMO here)?

• Feel like we have let things go that were important and we don’t know how to get started again?

• Say yes to things we don’t really care that much about and no to the things we really want to be doing?

At least one of these statements probably resonates with you. If all of them are reaching a point deep in your heart and soul, I’m REALLY glad you are here and reading this.

Here are five steps to getting back on the train:

1. Get clarity about which train you want to get on—is the train going a direction you WANT to go in life? A good clue for this is your core values and fulfillment.
2. Find the right seat on the train. Is it comfortable? Yes, I realize sometimes we have to be comfortable in the uncomfortable. But this is about a seat that matches who you are and where you are on the train right now.
3. Give yourself permission to start somewhere. Just taking a step on the train gets you going. The all or none mentality may not serve well here. This is about getting started.
4. Let go of the past mental tapes about your previous train rides if they aren’t helping you move forward. The station is in the rearview mirror. So are your past trips. Capture what may have been useful and integrate it into now.
5. Be fully present with the journey, the experience, the seat, the passengers and anything else that keeps you in the here and now. People are in your life for a reason. If you jump the train too fast, you may miss something. Everything that is right here, right now is for YOU. This is your journey. It sometimes helps me to journal about it because I can capture even the littlest insights.

I would love to hear about the train you are getting back on right now. I wonder if we’ll meet on the same tracks!

Keep SHINING in Your Brilliance!