show some love to YOU

 

Today is the day that we celebrate those we love and those who love us.  I encourage you to take a moment and think about a very important person in your life that you need to celebrate and show love to . . . YOU! 

 

So often we express our dreams for ourselves through that quiet inner voice or through statements that we repeat over and over again so often that everyone around us rolls their eyes because they are sick of hearing it . . .

I wish I was healthier.

     I wish I was thinner.

          I wish I felt better.

               I wish I had a different job.

                    I wish I had a nicer house.

                        I wish . . .

                             I wish . . .

                                  I wish . . .

 

Wishes can come true!  Dreams can turn into reality!  Stop just thinking or saying it and do something about it.

 

We have the ability to make them happen.  We simply need to take ACTION!  We need to make the decision to take the first step.  Get off the couch and take that first walk around the block.  Pass up the chips and grab an apple.  Pack your lunch instead of buying and set aside that $10 towards that new couch you've had your eye on.  Sign-up for that class you've been needing to take toward your degree.  Love yourself . . . trust yourself enough to do it!  That first small step will lead to the next small step which will lead to the next small step which will lead to the realization of your dream before you know it.

 

Stop dreaming and take action TODAY - after you indulge in an amazing piece of chocolate, of course!



Regardless of who wins tonight, I'll be in tears at the end of the game.

I love big sporting events.  The World Series.  The Stanley Cup.  Wimbledon.  The Olympics.  The NCAA Final Four.  The Super Bowl.  I don't necessarily follow all of these sports on a regular basis, but I'm there for the big game.  And when the game ends, regardless of who reigns victorious, I'm in tears.  I love that moment of accomplishment.  That moment when the dream often dreamt by a young child becomes a reality for the adult.  That moment when all of the hours of hard work pays off.  That moment of intense joy and uncontained excitement and raw emotion. I love it!



Even though a majority of people will never win a Super Bowl, everyone CAN have that same victorious moment.  That moment of intense joy and uncontained excitement and raw emotion.  Sadly, a lot of people will NEVER have that moment.  Why?  The two pieces that are missing from most people's lives that is robbing them of that moment are the DREAM and ACTION. 

I find that a lot of people are just going through life going with the flow and living one day at a time with no real direction.  That's how I was at one point.  My daughter's soccer season started and then school started and then it was Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, my son's Basketball Season, birthdays, Easter, the end of the school year, my son's baseball season and then it was time for soccer again.  Where had the year gone?  I wasn't paying attention.  I was just drifting along from one thing to the other. 

So I started thinking . . . started dreaming.  What did I want to do?  What did I want to accomplish?  What did I truly want my life to look like?   Some of my answers were small - I'd like my family to do more together.  Some were for just me - I'd like complete a 5k.  Some dreams were bigger - I'd like to publish a book and move to a bigger house.

Simply answering those questions wasn't enough.  I had to do something with the answers.  I had to take action.  That was accomplished by turning my dreams into goals.  I started blocking off time on our schedule for fun family activities - bowling, hiking, trying the new frozen yogurt place.  I set a goal for myself and achieved it by training for and completing a 5k.  I'm working toward my bigger dreams step by small step. 



It may be a stretch to compare watching my kids jump up and down after getting a strike during a game of Bumper Bowling with doing a Super Bowl touchdown dance.   And raising my arms above my head as I cross the finish line of a 5k may not be the same as lifting the Lombardi Trophy in a downpour of confetti.  But these are MY dreams and I'm going to cherish that moment of intense joy and uncontained excitement and raw emotion . . . no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to others.  And yes - I will even shed a happy tear or two just as I will tonight as I watch a group of men I don't even know live the dream they've been dreaming of since they were boys.