✨ “What If It Is Possible?”
- Michelle Petrowski, CFP®
- May 8
- 4 min read
(An Invitation to Dream Bigger, Start Smaller, and Live Freer)
What if anything was possible?
What are you waiting for?
The career? The house? The car? The partner?
You can live in abundance right now—no matter what’s happening around you. Just like Viktor Frankl, a concentration camp survivor, shared:
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing," Frankl wrote in Man's Search for Meaning, "the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." - Viktor Frankl
I read this so many years ago during a dark time in my divorce and has truly impacted my life.
This morning, I was sitting on the swing in the backyard, tucked under the covered patio, having my coffee. Holding the warmth in my hands, I savored the aroma of the Italian beans my partner Allan had thoughtfully shared with me. I sipped the foam I had carefully steamed myself, closed my eyes, and listened to the birds. It was 70 degrees in Phoenix in May, and as I gently swayed on that swing, I wasn’t thinking about the never-ending to-do list (believe me, it’s long!). I was simply present. And deeply grateful.
In that quiet moment, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude. Honestly, it brought me to tears.
Because I realized: I’m living a life I once only dreamed of.
A life where I can write, teach, and work from anywhere - (I've been able to be in NY 5 times alone in the last 8 months to be with daughter and my sister's family)
A life where I control my time and money—instead of the other way around.
A life where I can take 8 a.m. walks with friends, attend 7 a.m. Rotary meetings or even local Chamber events…because I’m not commuting 2–3 hours a day anymore.
A life where I’m more than just a wife, mother, or employee.
A life where I have time to nurture relationships, connect with my community, and make an impact in our world.
It might not sound like much to some—but to me, it's everything. Because as I peel back the layers of who I thought I had to be, I’m discovering who I really am.
Maybe this sounds strange, and I don't intent to sound cringy, but I believe it’s worth sharing—because it’s my truth. And I know it might be your truth too, or at least the one you’re longing for: a life that you can design. In a world where we’re more “connected” than ever, it’s easy to feel disconnected from what truly matters.
Have you ever felt like there had to be more? Like you were searching for something to fill you up?
Here’s what I’ve come to know through my divorce:
I/We get to choose who I/we are being in each moment.
And that “beingness” shapes how I/we experience life—right now.
Too often, we fall can into the trap of:
Do ➡ Have ➡ Be
We think: if I do enough, I’ll have enough, and then I will be happy.
This is a construct that consumerism has created, that we learn from family, society, and culture and that can influence us unknowingly
But what if it’s actually:
Be ➡ Do ➡ Have
What if we had a vision, started with the end result and then determined who we needed to "be" to have that outcome. Then we start by choosing to be fulfilled, confident, or joyful—and then take action from that place?
Last night, a colleague told me she had just sold her home, downsized, and is now buying a place in France where she’ll work part of the year. It all started with a dream… and then a plan. By bringing her daughter into her business last year, she created space to travel. With the time difference between Europe and the U.S., she can take morning walks, work in the afternoons, and finally stop doing it all alone and work abroad.
She allowed herself to ask, "What if it is possible?". She had a vision, then made the choice: to be confident, certain, and optimistic. And she took steps to create the life she truly wanted.
Allan and I have that dream too—to live and work abroad for part of the year. So, we’re starting to research, learn, and plan what that might look like for us.
Let me ask you:
What have you longed for? —only to realize, maybe you already have it?
What do you want to create, but haven’t taken that first step toward yet?
Have you ever caught yourself thinking…
“God, this work is boring…” (You no longer feel challenged or fulfilled.)
“I make great money, but…” (Something’s missing. I feel like I'm on a hamster wheel...)
“If it weren’t for…” (Insert your own block or excuse here.)
Do any of those resonate with you?
Here’s the truth: dreams are just desire without a plan.
Maybe it’s time to think bigger. To trust yourself. To take stock of where you are and build a roadmap to where you want to go.
I’m here to help. Whether it’s transitioning to a place of more time, creating a more aligned financial future, or simply reconnecting to what brings you joy—I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
What’s the dream you’ve been keeping on the shelf? Let’s dust it off together.
Hugs,
Michelle
For more content and tips:
Share this Post
Commentaires