Long story short, I was a disgruntled cubicle monkey who followed the rules believing they would make me happy. Spoiler alert: They did not.

~ Shereen Thor

Did you have a life plan? Most of us did. We thought if we chose an "acceptable" career path, did the "right" things and followed all of the rules, life would be grand. Except it doesn't always work out that way.

For many of us, "acceptable" career paths and life choices don't make us happy, usually because the roads are rigid and don't allow us to stretch to be who we really are. Yet, making a decision (and then sticking with it) to deviate from the "right" path can seem impossible, especially when we believe we will be disappointing those who see success differently.

Shereen Thor, former cubicle monkey, standup comic and entrepreneur, discovered first-hand that making choices to fulfill someone else's idea of success rarely ends well. As she began to feel she was abandoning her own life, Shereen tuned into her inner rebel and did the unthinkable–she left corporate America to become a standup comic, living happily ever after…or not.

As Shereen notes, "You are going to experience hard things whether you are on the right path or not, but the right path makes the challenges worth it." Here at brilliantly Resilient, we know that life is ever-evolving, always offering a mix of good and bad. But when you choose to live with a Brilliantly Resilient, values-based mindset, the rough spots are a little less rough–and always come with a lesson to help move you forward.

Tune in to hear more of Shereen's wisdom on this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. And be sure to listen for these additional bits of brilliance:

• Standup comedy was terrifying, but I wanted a different life. I was tired of abandoning myself.

• One of the rules I was breaking was that negative emotions are bad and that I'm bad if I'm experiencing negative emotions. We have to make more space for the gray.

• We have to live a values-aligned life instead of abandoning ourselves to what we're supposed to want. What does your heart tell you?

• Don't worry about fixing everything. You don't need to be fixed; your worth is inherent. There's nothing 'wrong.'

• Don't shrink to fit for anything or anyone–ever. I am unwilling to be treated badly–ever.

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran & Kristin