My parents are in London this week visiting James and me. (Make sure you follow my Instagram stories for the behind the scenes as we travel to the Cotswolds – I’m on iheartmylifenow.)

I can’t help but reflect on the difference a few years makes (well, 7 to be exact). I knew I had to share this story with you in case you’re in a place I once was…

Lost
Confused
Broke
Impatient
Worried

In case you’re new to the IHML community and don’t know much about my story, I’m an Ohio girl who moved to London on a whim in 2010. I worked part-time as a nanny during my first year in the UK while I was getting my Master’s in Non-Fiction Writing.

In August 2011, my parents sporadically came to visit me, and I may have been less than honest about my current situation in London.

Because I’ve always been independent and because I didn’t know I was going to see them, I had pretended that everything was exactly as I had hoped it would be.

But the truth was, I had been scraping by on my student loan money (that didn’t go very far in London), and I was miserable. Although at that time, I had literally just met James a few days prior, I was lonely and confused.

I knew I was meant for something big but still had no idea what that was.

Although I was thrilled to be in London, it was like the puzzle pieces still hadn’t come together — I was waiting; still unhappy, still confused, and still broke.

The moment my parents stepped into my studio flat that was the size of a closet, I felt like a failure.

Oh, and I literally cried at every dinner together. (I’ve never been able to hide my emotions!)

On the last day of their trip, I sat with my dad in front of a church at the corner of Kensington High Street mapping out my game plan for my future. (To be honest, there wasn’t much of a plan there.) I had to ask him to borrow $5000 to get by.

I had to face the facts, I was lost.

I have so much compassion for that girl. Looking back, I don’t really know how I did it. At 25-years-old, I moved to another country, completely alone. Of course I felt a bit lost.

I don’t regret anything in my life, but I wish I knew some of the things I know now, and I wish I had been kinder to myself.

For example, if I had only known how to trust that everything would be okay and understood the power of my mind, it would have been a lot less painful.

I wasted so much time waiting, worrying and wishing. I focused on what was going wrong, not what I wanted.

Ring a bell?

My parents visit 7 years later is a reminder of how much has changed. Things are completely different now. In fact, this trip was part of a Christmas gift we gave them. They have been so generous with me (understatement of the century), so having space for them to stay with us and getting to spoil them while they are here feels pretty darn good.

Why am I sharing this today? We all learn by others showing us what’s possible, and I want you to know that this isn’t just possible for me — it’s possible for you too.

I want you to know that regardless of your current situation, you have the power to transform your life.

And in case you’ve never heard me say it before, everything you want, also wants you!

What if you lived your life believing that?

What if you trusted that it’s all working out?

What if you knew without a doubt that it was all on its way?

And what if you allowed yourself to enjoy every moment? (You might as well since you won’t ever get it back.)

Maybe you resonate with that today too. Maybe part of you wanting to make a lot of money and be wildly successful is so you can give back to your friends and family.

It’s possible. Keep believing. Keep showing up. Keep taking action.

You’ve got this.