How Do You Recover after Your World Falls Apart?

Brianna Madia has lived a life of relentless intention, traveling the deserts of the American Southwest in an old Ford van with her dogs, which she talks about in her amazing book Nowhere for Very Long. Throughout her journey, she inspired many people on social media with her posts and essays about bravery, identity, nature, and subverting society’s expectations.  She now lives in Utah with her four dogs and has written a second book, Never Leave the Dogs Behind, about her decision to build her home in the desert with her four dogs and what it looks like to rebuild and pursue an untraditional life.  

Growing up, Brianna she felt like she had few options to define her life and what she wanted. There seemed to be a set way to do things: get a certain job, have a certain relationship, and pursue certain goals, and the dreams we all have when young, to start that band, write that book, pursue that passion, visit those places get lost in the swirl of societal expectations and ideals, and are either put on the back burner for some later date or forgotten. 

She wanted to write a different life story, but she wasn’t sure where to start. For many of us, this tends to hold us up and keep us stuck in a life that we do not feel meets our needs or sense of purpose: where do we start if we want to change? One thing she did know was what she did not want, so she started there: she didn’t want to wake up one day wondering where her life went. She wanted to feel alive, not trapped in a life that she didn’t love. 

Brianna eventually purchased a van and shared her struggles and what this life looked like living with her then partner and two dogs on social media, where her vulnerability and passion for a life well lived life, even when this came with risks and challenges. Her time in her van and now her new life living in the Utah desert taught her that she could overcome whatever challenges came her way, both material and emotional.  

Brianna’s struggles helped her grow and learn who she was and how to be authentic to herself and her dreams. It taught her what she could handle, how each moment can be a gift if you learn how to appreciate the little and big things in life, and how you can always change your story. She learned that even though this way of life is not always easy, it is worth it to discover who she was, what she wanted, and a way to craft her own narrative free of the chains of societal expectations.

For more on living life with intention, authenticity, and bravery, listen to my podcast with Brianna (episode #595) and check out her incredible books. If you enjoy listening to my podcast, please consider leaving a 5-star review and subscribing. And keep sharing episodes with friends and family and on social media. (Don’t forget to tag me so I can see your posts!).     

Originally published on drleaf.com. Used with permission.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes