Brianna Wiest Says There’s a Big, Bold, Beautiful Life Waiting for You. Here’s How to Start Living It

"On the other side of the life you are forcing to work...is the life that is waiting," writes bestselling author Brianna Wiest in her new book, The Life That's Waiting.

Anyone who knows Wiest's work—which is many, considering her books, which include The Pivot Year, The Mountain Is You, and 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think have sold more than one million copies—knows her ability to cast a light on what's most meaningful. She wants to help us find our true north in this wild world.

In The Life That's Waiting, Wiest offers simple guidance if we're feeling lost or stuck, revealing insights to help us reconnect to our peace. The book reads like a conversation with a dear friend: caring and free, without judgment. As we recently spoke with the author, her mission was as clear as ever: Life is for living fully—and it's up to each of us to see that we do just that. 

A CONVERSATION WITH BRIANNA WIEST

Seeking a life of happiness and meaning can be overwhelming because we may not even know what that looks or feels like. What are some "instances of inner knowing," as you write, that can help us envision and build a life of meaning?

When we think we're pursuing happiness or when we want more happiness in our lives, we're often confusing that word for fulfillment. And fulfillment is the thing you are okay fighting for. The thing you're okay getting tired for. The thing you're okay sacrificing for. It is whatever makes your life and the struggle feel worth it. For many people, their kids may be a big fulfillment and purpose. For others, maybe their career, their projects, their self-actualization. It is in those moments when we're looking right at something that we know means the world to us, even if it is challenging at times and there are really heavy and hard days.

For me, this evokes a feeling that's so much deeper, permeating, lasting, and impactful. I think that deeper pull we're all seeking is not a life without any struggle but one we're okay struggling for.

Our life is always shortchanged when we look for the easy way out of anything. I don't care if it's your life's truest calling, soulmate relationship, caretaking for your loved ones, or creating your magnum opus. Whatever it is, you know, honestly, the more true it is to you, probably the more challenging it will be—because you have skin in the game. And so when we imagine this as a life of what we perceive happiness to be, it's often this life of niceties when I think we really need something deeper.

You believe it's powerful to face our days with curiosity. Tell us more. 

It's when we do not have such a fixed mindset but think, What if there are things here that I don't know? What if there are opportunities? What if there are doorways at this moment that I don't even see? 

When we're running on autopilot, we miss the fact that everything we're seeking access to is only ever in the now. So, when we start to train ourselves to meet the moment not with such tunnel vision but with a sense of I'm curious about what's possible, and I'm curious about what's trying to reach me today, it starts to open us up, and kind of move us in a direction where we find that to ultimately be quite true. 

For someone who may be feeling lost in this very moment, what would you say to them?

If you are feeling lost, you're actually making way more progress than you think you are. And you're doing a lot better than you think you are. Most people don't even let themselves get to the point of feeling or admitting that they are lost. They are gripping so tightly to the old narrative and the old programming to even stop and say, 'I don't know what's next. I feel lost.' So, if you feel lost right now, that is your first signal that you have left the life that was wanting to go behind. So, step one is to acknowledge that Feeling lost is a victory, even though it doesn't feel like it right now. 

The second part is in that space of not knowing, anything becomes possible. You have no idea what kind of miracle is at your feet right now. You have no idea what you've actually opened up within your life. 

Also, part of that feeling lost is the grieving and mourning of what you've had to let go of, and that's okay, too. That's a process that takes time. 

It's also about coming up with your vision. I think it's about finding your next muse and figuring out What inspires me now. We're meant to evolve, and I think people miss that. When we don't move with life, ultimately, things do come to a grinding halt, and then we're forced to let go. So, if you're feeling lost, there's nothing wrong with you. Actually, there's something very right with you.

What is one practice you do daily to help you continue to evolve and rise above the noise?

Every day, I meditate—first thing in the morning. Even if I just do it for a minute, though I usually do it for longer, I meditate. I have no evening routine whatsoever. The night is for unwinding. But every morning, I try to still the waters of my mind. And I will tell you, the difference that I notice in my own self—in my reactivity, in my processing, in the way that I'm thinking and handling things—when I give myself that regular practice versus when I fall behind on it is extraordinary.

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Brianna Wiest is a bestselling author whose work has touched lives across the globe. With over 1 million books sold in more than 40 languages, her powerful writing has transcended borders, resonating with readers from all walks of life. Learn more at briannawiest.com.