Dream Big, No Bigger!

 

    *YOU ARE HERE. Where is here? It is at the crossroads of success and satisfaction. I turned 40 this year and have half my life behind me and the other half ahead of me. I have lived so much life as a stay-at-home mom of four kids, a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman, a philanthropist who hasraised almost a million dollars while working with celebrities and communities. I could be the poster child for the person who had it all…just not at the same time.

    I am here. Where is here? Stepping away from a successful career to go back to school. I don’t need a degree to continue being and doing everything I was. However, it was no longer satisfying. Don’t get me wrong, I loved helping so many people. I loved everything that I was able to do and succeed at, and even fail at. It wasn't for naught. It was my alma mater, The School of Hard Knocks. The reality is that the Lord has bigger plans that I could imagine. I mean I thought I was a dreamer when I was a kid. I could dream big. The Lord says, No! Bigger! I hold on for the ride and pray I can rise to meet the challenge. 

    I dreamed of being so many things as a child. A professional artist, FX Makeup artist, Lawyer, Entrepreneur, or Politician. I saw myself doing all kinds of things, everything! I had a case of "choice-overload" and so I chose the one thing I wanted more than all those things combined. I chose to be a mom. I spent over 10 years being a stay-at-home-mother that loved my life, but knew I was going to be doing more. I couldn't stay down. So when I had the opportunity to start my first business, the Idaho Falls Marathon, I jumped in with both feet, both hands, and my head underwater! Ha! I didn't know what I didn't know and I did it all out of sheer determination. It was a success. It was the beginning of a life of business opportunities, Chief Operation Officer positions, working with celebrities, traveling the world and running nonprofits while involving my children and making every decision with my children's best interest at heart. It may sound like one success after another. It wasn't. I failed, hard, more times than I would like to admit. Randy Pausch said "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." I have so much experience and while I didn't always get what I wanted, what I did get is a deep appreciation for my family, my children, and the things that matter most. Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his dreams because he saw the brick wall as a challenge and not a set back. That is how I lived my life. I don't see a wall as a reason not to move forward, I see it as a challenge where I say, "bring it on!"

    I am here...I am at a crossroads. I learned a lot about what is motivating me forward while I feel a bit stuck until I finish classes. I loved the Stars and Steppingstone activity as it really helped me put a plan in motion and look forward to what I can do now while I am learning. I am looking forward to satisfaction. The satisfaction of being where the Lord wants me and following a passion.