Life Is Meant to Be Experienced

My podcast guest this week is the poster child of defying expectations and chasing the things that light our souls on fire. 

For years, Robyn Robledo had been the typical high achiever – seeking validation in the form of extrinsic rewards like winning college scholarships or seeing her child on the best soccer team once she became a parent. Many of us can probably relate to this – especially when we get to a professional setting and feel like we’re constantly running after the next promotion or pay raise. 

Everything changed for Robyn when she decided to teach herself how to surf while in La Jolla for a yoga teacher training. She realized something she had been missing in her life: fun. She began taking their motorhome to the beach during the week and camping out there with her five kids. Eventually, her husband asked whether they might just want to move to the beach full time. It worked well, and Robyn began dreaming about a fully nomadic life. She had a vision of spending her days on the open road and having adventures with her family. 

Now, she and her family spend the majority of their time outdoors and live full-time in their RV. The benefits across areas of their lives have been tremendous. Robyn continues to cultivate her mindset of curiosity and exploration, and she has even launched a coaching business to teach others how to live authentically as well.

Try it yourself:

• Take a baby step. When people see me on Instagram summiting some of the world’s most challenging peaks, it’s easy to think I’ve been an expert climber since day one. But I didn’t just wake up and decide to climb the Seven Second Summits; it was a long process of training and climbing much smaller mountains to build confidence and skill. Robyn’s journey of self discovery and learning to defy the norm similarly didn’t happen overnight. She started by going to a yoga teacher training and slowly discovered what would really light her fire on a day-to-day basis. Don’t get so paralyzed by the pressure of your desired end result that you never even begin moving toward it. What is the smallest possible step you could take toward the life you want to live? Start by dipping your toe in and see what happens.

• Write down what your story has been until this point. I love how Robyn explains the importance of writing down and appreciating our own stories. To understand her approach, think about life as a boat. We so often let the wake of what has happened in our past dictate the route our boat takes going forward. We don’t recognize that we are at the steering wheel and can change direction any time we wish. Write down what your life has been like up to this point and celebrate it with gratitude and appreciation. Then, realize that it has no power to define your future. You are in command. 

• Consider who else would benefit if you started pursuing what makes you happy. Particularly for those of us who have children, there are years or even decades when it can feel like our lives are not fully our own. The thought of doing something that lights our fire feels selfish and fills us with guilt. Reframe that. Think about how many people would actually benefit if you started maximizing your experience of being alive. Robyn’s five children have absorbed the energy of her outlook on life and gained the permission to chase the things that make them happy. Even if you don’t have children, the same would be true for significant others, friends, neighbors, social media followers… really anyone who is part of your orbit.