The Journey of Changing Your Life

"What if I told you the thing you're most afraid of doing will bring you the most happiness?" -Alivia D'Andrea
This is a bit of a passion project. The response to the last video was extremely heartening. In that video I posed that I was having a hard time choosing effectiveness or authenticity, and what I was extremely heartened by was that you guys proved it could be both. That video performed 1/10, and it made me feel like for the first time, people liked me more than the avatar. Maybe people like me when I’m chill. What I perceived as boring, I got lots of comments that it was “authentic.” And I thought, why don’t I “give myself I try.” I’ve tried all the methods, why don’t I give “myself” a try.
When I was first getting started with my youtube channel, every week I would pick a Song Of The Week, and I still have that playlist on Spotify. This video has two abridged versions of songs from that playlist: "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World and "Give Yourself A Try" by The 1975, sung by my husband Garrett and recorded on a phone to give it a raw feel.
'The Middle' abridged lyrics:
Hey don't write yourself off yet
It just takes some time
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride
Everything everything will be just fine
Everything everything will be alright alright
'Give Yourself A Try' edited lyrics:
"And what would you say to your younger self?"
"You’re a millennial that baby boomers like
And You’ll make a lot of money and it’s funny
'cause you’ll move somewhere sunny and come home to yourself
You’re getting spiritually enlightened at 29
So just give yourself a try"
Throughout the video there are screenshots of instagram story quotes that I saved at the time and really spoke to me during the changes I was making.
This video is my story of starting a youtube channel, quitting teaching, moving to SF, and ultimately coming back to myself. 4 years ago I said, "I'm sure I have no idea what's to come, and that's a little scary," and today I say "I have no idea what's to come and that's exciting." If you've been around the channel for awhile, you know my guiding life word is "scared-excited," so that's how I wanted to start and end the video with the bookends of scared & excited.
0:00 2019
0:08 My first youtube video
0:12 June 29, 2020
0:18 July 8, 2020
0:20 July 20, 2020
0:40 February 5, 2021 at 6:40am at Moxie Java Coffee Shop
0:49 April 16, 2021 while Garrett and I were separated
0:42 July 9, 2021
0:54 December 2021
1:11 January 17, 2022
1:16 March 30, 2022 in Idaho dreaming about SF
1:19 The card my grandma gave me when we moved
1:29 June 2022
1:42 Driving into SF the first time
1:46 SF is a dream
2:02 My classrooms while I was a math teacher 2017-2021 and 2023
2:09 Jan 28, 2024
2:21 Dec 14, 2023
2:47 Dec 1 2023 - Jan 28 2024
2:51 Jan 29, 2024
3:04 Dancing to the outro of Give Yourself A Try

[@AlexisKingsley]

Thanks for the journey so far! 💜 The description has a lot of behind the scenes info about this story too

[@sonyawix5871]

I love it so much! Its helps me remember, that risking your ego by being vulnerable is giving yourself an opening for wonders to come❤

[@polyglotmona]

Such a cool video. Congratulations 🎉Have a great week 🍀

[@BuizelCream]

I'm gonna take with me that quote you got from your grandma "Great things comes to those who go for it!" I recently stepped into a relationship for the first time after setting it as my new year's dream goal. This is no productivity goal, but watching this video and seeing your success indirectly inspired me to chase this new dream of mine and make it a success too. Coming from a guy who had long been scared of taking this life-changing step, your videos have taught me that it's okay to feel scared-excited when reaching out for something this big. From here, I will continue to root for you and your future endeavors and keep hoping you'll reach out for your next goals with that more excited and inspired mindset. Congratulations, Alexis!!

[@chaos.saphique]

Girl, idk what you are up to but I’m excited to hear from you again! I just got into your channel this past December and I love it so much. I hope you’re nearing your quarterly goals and that we’ll get an update soon!

[@LeonaZiyan]

I love that you showed this!!!! “Slowly at first, then everything all at once” your progress reminded me of this quote, and I’m so glad you shared this. Also really love seeing your cheerful personality in this!!

[@Yearofthetiger24026]

I loved this one as much as your last personal video, again so authentic! I am so in a season of change and in the turmoil of clarity, confusion, anxiety, fear. One sentence stood out to me, something that makes you feel scared and excited at the same time!!! Connecting with what makes me excited is a challenge right now and I am frozen, paralised in my anxiety. But, I remember my 20's and early 30's, I experienced that feeling of being scared and excited and they are my best life decisions and memories. (Now in my 60's) Time to experiment and be brave in those experiments to really discover what can fill my days with joy and peace, Seeing your vulnerability at the beginning and aspects of your transformation is so inspiring to me. I think this video will be watched by many as time goes by. Thank you ♥

[@JuxtFlow]

Beautiful story telling! Your journey is just as inspiring as your content is helpful ☁️

[@the.Master_piece]

Thank you so much for sharing Alexis

[@whatsamhillpod]

Exactly what I needed right now. Thank you for the motivation!

[@joebarker5719]

So inspiring! Thank you for sharing this part of the journey! Hope it also reminds you that you are putting great stuff out there! Needed this, today. Much appreciated!!! Keep it up, Alexis!!!

[@stonethecrows555]

Congratulations and keep up the great work! Great choice of a background song too, btw. That song helped me get through a particularly rough patch in my journey a few years back.

[@priskasama]

"Scared-excited" has been my driving force too. Thanks Alexis for sharing these stuffs it's not always easy and I really appreciate it. I think we love both side of you, the effective and chill one. Combining both gives amazing "results". Staying true to yourself will always be the only way! As for the how can we be happy? (i'm always asking this question to myself tbh) and I think we are all working on that and the answer is quite easy if we think about it. Obvious stuffs are always the hardest to see 😊 (just cried yesterdy because of this question again..) Staying in the present moment, enjoying all little progress and the process, keeping our vision but not focusing only on it, as we could get stuck in the future and affect our present. ✌🏾

[@jeanniepeters6917]

Really inspiring, thank you!

[@jameliabastien9513]

This was an absolutely beautiful video ❤

[@Yosya8059]

Very moving and inspiring! Keep going and all the best in your journey forward. I came for MBTI, stayed for planning videos and I really liked your older videos about self-searching. Don't know what will come next on this channel, but I generally like your style! I kind of have a difficulty with planning right now where my lower-tier (quarters, months, weeks) planning feels really uninspiring although I still like my 3-year goals. I am figuring out how to change this.

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

I do not think she keeps changing direction, as I think it might not be smart to do that as at some point viewers of one subject will not as easily transfer to another subject and then when a person has a lot of subs, yet these subs do not watch the contents, then youtube assumes this is becuase the content is not good as consequently recommand the videos less and it can spiral down that way. This is why youtbers sometimes ask peoople who do not watch to unsub, to reduce the effects of this phenomenon.

[@paljones8631]

Congratulations Alexis, and all the best going forward.🙂 Damn, you made this INFP shed a tear.😊

[@PhoYourEyesOnly]

Great seeing your journey! Love how far and fast you've come! I've been documenting my journey on my channel as well! Manifesting my dream life!

[@gi6266]

so happy for you!

[@kan-zee]

keep climbing...your getting there. Your a winner.

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

Well done alexis!

[@garrettijohnson]

What a 🔥 video!!

[@djebarazidan103]

have a great day

[@hadiza1]

💜

[@vbbeyer]

👏👏👏

[@gesaheiden4793]

💃💃💃💃

[@verkanntoderverwunschen]

👁️👂🏻✨💫

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

i'm always surprised when I see your body being more thin/tall than short and broad in build, as it's the opposite of your face. Usually the tall/thin people have somewhat taller faces and the short wider people have the rounded faces.

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

Boyfriend on the guitar singing?

[@yky01]

thxxx so much for making this channel 🥲it really inspired and motivated me a lot