Now or never

What are we waiting for? We have to be willing to do something NOW! I have said from the get go that it starts today, and there is a saying that says, "There is no time like the present." What about now? Right now? Not a little but later in the day, or the ever given, "I'll do it tomorrow". Now. People think it has to be something HUGE that needs to take place before anything changes. It doesn't work that way. It takes 15 minutes...one step...one hug...it can happen today. Believe that everything you say, do, and believe matters. It affects what happens next and can influence others to do the same. Today, SM reminded me that she "loves my MOXIE" - and it is people like her that makes me reminiscient of why I am here. What my purpose is, what my focus is, and what comes next to me. We talk alot about putting our hands up and riding the rollercoaster ride...all the way through the ups and downs, the turns and twists around hidden corners, the slow-motion times to the fast-lane events. We have to take it all - we cannot just pick to have only the good. Gotta have it all. A&E. Act now. Say now. Believe now. Dream now. Embrace now. This life is something we need to take full advantage of and we have to do it now. Don't ever live with regrets, because what we usually regret is what we didn't do. We ran out of time...we couldn't find the courage...we hesitated. As I would say to my sons when I call them or ask them to do something..."Now means now." Just saying.

Feed your soul

How many times do we forget or neglect to do that? I do. I get caught up in the daily grind of work, my family, responsibilities, and laundry. Yes, laundry. Then, I run out of energy and get lethargic. I need to be rejuvenated and then I am ready to take on the world. Kitty - A little Fun Dip on Fun Dip Wednesday, doesn't hurt either? Did you have your Fun Dip today? I did. My heart is thirsty for giving and my soul is hungry for giving it my all. I need to take care of those needs so that I can be better tomorrow. Another milestone recently with my willingness and accepting of people and how they treat me, care about me, and love me. Living with no regrets hasn't been easy, but I am beginning to realize that in order for me to live my "true" life, I cannot have any regrets. I have said what is in my heart, even when I was afraid beyond everything I trusted, when I wanted to say it. Without the fear on how it would be received and what could or could not be said in return. Every time, I am true to me, I feed my soul. When I put the walls down and stay, regardless of what the unknown may show me, I feed my soul. My thirst for being more than I was even a minute ago is quenched by knowing that I matter so much to someone that the mere fact of my being born brought tears to someone. My soul is fed when I visit with kids and women and encourage them with carefully chosen words that literally put me into a sense of what I was meant to be. In basic circumstances, I take the chance to remind others that just because that something is the way it is, that it doesn't mean that it should be that way. Games that are played are smoke screens for people that are afraid to really be who they are, so they continue to take part. Your soul is a part of you, just like everything else. You must care for it genuinely and repeatedly. If you do not, it will lose its value and will shrink and lose its purpose. The ache you feel when you ignore the pleas from your soul can haunt you forever. It never goes away and then you have to live with regrets. Who wants to live that way? Especially as you near the end of your life, provided you have time to look back on it? Since we should not ever take things for granted, live your life NOW. Feeding your soul costs you no money, but must be replenished from time to time. You have to want something different and do what it takes to get there. The rollercoaster of life that we are all on is awesome....but you have to get on the ride and everyone has a ticket. Feed your soul. You may feel like you are going to be sick, but that is just fear talking. "Excitement is overriding the fear" and you will never have any regrets because you can say you did it. Feed your soul. It will make all of the difference in the world...I promise you that.

All in!

Ok, so this saying came to me over the weekend and I have been meaning to share it with you, but when I would think of it, I didn't have access to the computer or was rushing out the door. This attitude of "All in!" is one I have embraced as another motto for life. I am not much of a gambler and was not watching any poker on tv this weekend, but this still came to me. This applies to us - to our lives - to everything we desire and we have to have faith when we are committed to say, "I'm all in." It means that I believe, 100%, without a doubt that whatever I have is the BEST thing out on the table. We believe this so strongly that we are willing to chance losing everything as we have no guarantee that what we have is the best. But we have to be willing to lay it all out there. If we don't, we will never know. Sometimes, the "chips" we have at our disposal changes, because we win some and we lose some. Sometimes, even when we think what we have what it takes, someone else has been dealt something better, but we have is still pretty good and the luck just didn't fall our way. The hardest part is waiting for everyone else to show us what they have after we have decided to go "all in". We are anxious and nervous and almost cannot breath as we anticipate our fate. It can feel like time literally stood still and we "hurry up and wait". Is there something in your life that you hesitate about...that you want to commit to all the way, but are afraid of possible outcomes? You have to let go...commit all the way, without ever going back or regret, and HAVE TO go ALL IN. I have played it safe my entire life, living in a glass bubble, being protected. Now, I have plans to put all of my fears (ok, most of them :-)) aside and finally, finally, live all in. It is so liberating to say and be free of those self-imposed chains that I was shackled with for so long. I teetered on the fence about letting Rocky in and realized that I was making myself have motion sickness because of my indecisiveness. I had to choose. It was either keep to the status quo or do something different. I chose the latter and told her that I was "all in" with her today. No going back...no regrets...no safety net. Not that she didn't already know it, but I said it out loud (so it is real). At lunch, another possibility came my way unexpectedly and we will see where that takes us. As much as my stomach was turning because of the excitement and nervousness, I calmed myself when I reminded that I was "All in!" Be willing to take chances and be willing to accept when things don't go as expected, because regardless of the best planning, something will find a way to challenge you and question what you are made of and what you believe. Every struggle you face is meant to teach you a lesson...what are you supposed to learn? Find your Moxie and Go All In!

Outside the box

How many of us are living inside their comfort zone aka their "box"? How many times have we heard the phrase, "Go outside the box!" Even a fast food restaurant has used a slight spin of that phrase in one of its marketing campaigns. I know that staying inside the box, the vault, the cocoon, (etc) is safe - believe me, I have lived it most of my life. But what happens, if you step outside of the box? Even just baby steps can help the box get bigger or even change the shape of the box. The entire concept of the "box" is different for everyone. Maybe not everyone has a "box-shaped" box; maybe my box is bigger than your box; maybe its the other way around. We all have one - that is where it ties us all together. Some people like (maybe love?) skiing down a mountain after they have been lifted to that site by a helicopter. That is not for me, but for those people that is totally inside their box. I was visiting with a friend a little yesterday that I do not know very well. We have always chatted and enjoyed seeing each other whenever that happened, but never really made it an event until now (we are having lunch in April). I am living outside my original box, but my willingness to keep going outside my box makes my box bigger. Or maybe it just changes shapes. In talking to people, I notice how afraid we are of trusting others and therefore allowing people to see our true selves. Been there, done that. Not to say that I ever was dishonest about who I was, but was selective as to what people got to see of me. In talking with my friend yesterday, she said some very nice things about the way I make her feel when I see her. I did not realize that my continuing to go outside my box made her feel that way. I am just being me and letting more of the world see me, for who I am. My running with Rocky started with the most difficult question I have ever been asked, and it was asked by someone I had know about a month. She asks questions all the time now, so I am a little leary now.She asked, "WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WISH YOU COULD CHANGE ABOUT YOUR LIFE?" Exactly. Do you know where I am going with this? This is your question for the weekend...if you want to change something in your life, you have to admit that you want something different. Just wanting something different doesn't mean that it will happen, unless you do something different. Be brave today and go outside your box - even once, even if no one else notices. Journal what happened and look back it over the weekend. Find something else next week to expand your box - make it change shapes, do whatever needs to be done. Life is more fun when you understand that the size and shape of your box is limitless. But you have to be willing to go there.

What are you waiting for?

In the last few days, I have been reminded of how fragile life is and why we can never take it for granted. A family member had a stroke and I am unsure of her prognosis and two other people I know have been diagnosed with cancer. That got me thinking...I know, people sometimes get nervous when that happens. I have already asked you to figure out your dream. I also want you to start identifying who is your support team or "dream team". Then I want you to ask yourself, "What am I waiting for?" What happens if all of the things you are waiting for are waiting for YOU to do something first? I have decided I am tired of waiting and of being afraid of not doing something to make my life better everyday. I don't even know how I would answer this question. If I had to answer it, I would probably say, "I am waiting for everything to be ok." Everyone would wait for the guarantee - then there is no risk involved. Guess what? No one can tell me that. No one can tell anyone that. I have to take these chances with writing on my blog, with reaching out to others, with pursuing my dream and following my passion. I want you to know that I am in "GO MODE." My family knows exactly what that means. Now, that may be partly because of the time of year, but I am done with waiting. I have waited what seems like a lifetime to get me where I am now, and it has only been 12 months. I am no longer just going to let life happen around me, but I am resolved to make sure that I am being an active participant in my life. It amazes me how much fear stops us from doing anything that is new, different, or out of the ordinary. Ok...here is your challenge this week:
1. Write our your passion
2. How can your passion fullfill your dream
3. Who will help you?
4. What are you waiting for?

It is amazing how when you write things down (even if you never share them) you see the words and it is as if someone is reminding you of where you want to be. Be honest and truthful...you can always email me at michelle.itstartstoday@gmail.com if you want to visit more. I would love to hear from you! Make it happen!