✨ Don’t Just React to Life - Reimagine It (016)

Don’t drift. Design.

Author

Mary Vaz
July 25, 2025

Fifteen years ago, my husband and I sat across from a financial planner feeling completely out of our depth.

We weren’t chasing a dream home or a luxury lifestyle.
We just didn’t want to panic if one of us lost a job.
We wanted to travel without double-checking the bank balance.
Boring? Maybe.
Life-changing? Absolutely.

That one conversation helped us do more than invest wisely.
It taught us how to think beyond the next week — and start planning for the future we want.

And we kept coming back, year after year, adjusting the plan as life unfolded.

Financial planning isn’t just about numbers.
It’s a commitment to making the future feel less uncertain — and more possible.

Once I understood this principle, I started applying the same thinking everywhere.

Physical Health? Same mindset.

I’ve trained with a personal trainer for years.
But in the last 12 months, I added weekly Pilates and — to my own surprise — a regular game of pickleball.

Why?

Because movement isn’t just maintenance.
It’s prevention.
It’s energy.
It’s joy.

I’m not chasing the younger version of myself.
I’m investing in the one who’s still emerging.

Even Relationships Need Vision

We often talk about keeping in touch. But what about keeping engaged?

For me, that looks like...

Intentionally showing up - for my family, for established friendships, and for new connections who feel aligned.

Years ago, when my husband and I were living in Canberra, we volunteered as a presenting couple for marriage preparation.

What struck me most was this: couples often spent more time planning the wedding day than reimagining their life together.

The strongest partnerships are built on values and brave conversations—like how we'll support each other when love feels hard to find. And they evolve through courageous conversations — about the future, not just the now.

Coaching, Mentorship & the Power of Preparation

Reimagining the future also means knowing when to ask for help.

Before I stepped into a regional role in Sydney nearly 20 years ago, I reached out to my then-manager. Not just for advice, we role-played how I’d negotiate the terms if I got the job.

That experience taught me something powerful:

Mentorship and coaching aren’t about fixing what’s broken.
They’re about preparing for the next version of you—before life demands it.

So, here’s the quiet truth I’ve come to believe:

You don’t drift into a meaningful life.
You design it.

Slowly. Intentionally.
With room for pivots, missteps, and reinvention.

Planning isn’t rigid.
It’s an act of hope.
It’s how we shape a future we’d be proud to live in.

This Week’s Reflection Prompt

What’s one area of your life you’re maintaining instead of reimagining?

What would make change feel more possible — planning, partnership, or permission?

Write it down.
Say it aloud.
Take one small step this week toward the future you’re ready to grow into.

✨Closing with Kindness

We don’t make plans because life will go exactly as expected.
We make them because a meaningful future deserves our attention and our intention.

To your spark,
Mary

Burn Bright Coach

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P.S. Do you know someone who’s been pushing too hard? Forward this along.