Dreams, Goals, Detours

Thirty-four years ago I finished high school with no clear direction of where I wanted to go in my life.  My dream was to be a writer but I had received no encouragement in pursuing a career in that direction.  In fact, just the opposite, I was told that "you can't make a living as a writer", and so I set that dream aside and entered my adult-hood witout a clear goal for my life.

Not surprisingly I followed paths that were not the best.  I found myself on a detour that deviated so far from my true path that at times I lost sight of what that true path was, let alone how to get back on it.

I will turn fifty-one in a few weeks and I can say without a doubt that I am back on the road that I should be on.  My progress is somewhat behind where it could be at this stage in my life due to the detours, but I don't mourn these delays.  The twists and turns of the detour worked together to help form the strength of character that I have today. 

Why do I share this with you? I want to encourage you to take a hold of the dreams and goals that you have, right now.  Whether you are seventeen, thirty, forty, or fifty-one, take ownership of your dreams and goals and don't wait for someone to hold your hand and show you the way. 

Spend time with yourself and determine what your life would look like if it were all up to you.  Pray about those dreams and goals, and then step forward!  Don't let anyone else discourage you; God put those dreams within you for a reason.  If you have a dream it's very likely that you have a special in that area.  Spend time honing those skills that you need to achieve your goals and don't lose sight of that vision that you have of who you want to be.

Are there things that you set aside in the past because life just got in the way? Are they things that you loved and found great satisfaction in at one time? I'll bet you'll find that if you pick them up again they will provide the same, perhaps more, satisfaction in your soul that they did at one time. These things just might be the ticket to helping you achieve success in a manner that you could not have imagined.

A Bittersweet Evening

My heart is filled with happiness and yet burdened with sadness this evening.

I have had such a good time over the past few days here in Grandbaby-Land!  It's such a joy to see these beautiful babies grow and change.  It astounds me how much difference just a few weeks and months can make.  They're both leaving behind the baby stage and entering the toddler stage already.

I consider myself so blessed in that Gerry and I have been able to spend time with them regularly since they were born.  Yet each time we leave to go back home I leave a little piece of my heart here with them.

The birth of these babies has caused me to reflect much on my life and my priorities, and I've made changes as a result of that personal reflection. 

What's important in my life?  Are my actions in line with what I say my priorities are?  Am I making progress toward future goals?  What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind for these little ones?

 My reflections continue this evening as, once more, I prepare to say good-bye to my precious grandchildren.

Sigh.

People Watching

One of the things that I enjoy about traveling is the opportunity to observe people.  I like to imagine what their story is and why they are traveling.

That older woman there with hair the color of peppermints carrying the beautiful Vera Bradley bag? She is a recent widow on her way to visit her daughter and son-in-law and grandchildren.  That beautiful bag contains hard candy and her current knitting project. She's feeling somewhat lost in this huge airport as well as in the life she is forced to build for herself now.

Do you see that other slender woman sitting by herself over there?  She's got her laptop out and she's deep in thought as she taps the keys.  She's a writer on her way to a destination she has never been before to do research for her latest book.  Now and then she looks up from her laptop and out into a space that we cannot see as her imagination takes her far away from the hard plastic chair she is sitting on.

See that young girl with hopeful eyes and chestnut hair pulled back?  She has a book and a highlighter on her lap; she is fiddling with her iPod right now.  She's on her way back to university after enjoying a Christmas break at home with family. There is a young man she's looking forward to seeing back at school, and she wonders if she'll find the nerve to try and get to know him better this semester.

I could go on but the point is that everyone has a story, and in thinking about the stories of others we can find inspiration for our own stories. And maybe, if we're fortunate, a measure of compassion for those other weary travelers.

Welcome, we've been waiting for you!

My granddaughter celebrated her first birthday on Saturday.  It's astounding to think about all of the milestones that this little one has passed over the past twelve months.

I could not help but reflect on that day when she was born and the anticipation we felt as we waited for her to arrive.  After she was born, her proud Dad came smiling into the waiting room proclaiming "It's a girl, and she's beautiful!" and I cried and hurried down the hall to meet her.  My first words to her were "Welcome, we've been waiting for you!".

Imagine just for a moment, that glorious day when you and I arrive in our heavenly home; we will have passed many milestones by that time as well.  There will be Someone there proclaiming those words over us as well.  "Welcome, we've been waiting for you!"  What a thought!

Disciplines

One of the things about the beginning of a new year is the opportunity to take a fresh look at my personal goals and priorities. I can do without the hype of New Year's Eve, or the traditional weight loss focus that January brings, and most certainly the list of resolutions that seem to spring forth on the first day of the year.

For me it's more about taking stock of where I am spending my time and attention, and taking stock of whether or not what I say my priorities are lines up with where I focus my time and effort and this year.

It's not acceptable to say that I'm too busy to spend time on the things that I feel are the gifts that God has given me. Rather, I need to get eliminate the chaff that steals my time and attention and takes away from time that I should be honing my skills. I am not the best writer in the world, I am not even in the top one thousand, but I do have some skill and interest in that area. This year, more than ever, I am putting writing at the top of my list of things to focus on. I am going to be deliberate about carving time out of my days and weeks to hone my craft, and to work on writing projects.

I'm also going to try and focus more of my attention outward; this will be a challenge given that I'm by nature an introvert who is very comfortable with solitude. My focus outward may not look like what the next person's would but it will be suited for my unique personality and character. I tutor a little girl in reading once a week; it's satisfying to see the growth in her and to get to know her more each week. There's something more there that I can do, something for me to think about. There are other areas that I am involved with on the fringe that I will be praying about to find out if I need to step up my involvement.

I also want to spend more time with friends and family. Sometimes I cringe at the thought of socializing and would much rather stay home with a good book, but I'm most often glad that I put forth the effort when all is said and done. I will do more of that this year.

Finally, included with my list of goals and priorities will be something about not over-extending myself. I will take time to just "be Linda". After all, isn't that who God created me to be?