Today Is: Low On Fuel? Day

“Slow down and invest yourself in knowing God; let His word reveal himself to you.” – Luke 10:41-42

“’I just wish your life could be easier.’

                ‘And if it were easier, would I have given my heart so fully to God? Wherever you go, let Christ be your refuge. Put your hope in Him, and you won’t be disappointed by what life offers.’” – Francine Rivers “Her Mother’s Hope”

“Endure what life dishes out. Learn all you can. Count your blessings.  Never give up. Keep growing in the Lord.” – Francine Rivers “Her Daughter’s Dream”

Have you ever prayed so hard for something, thinking that God knew exactly what it is that you asked for? You believe you made it perfectly clear in prayer however God seems to misunderstand you and your prayer is not answered or at least not in the way you thought it would be. At times it takes a while to understand that this different form of answered prayer is good for you, and other times it is known instantly that what you were praying for God heard and knew exactly what you needed even if it meant giving you something or taking something away from you that you  did not know was necessary. Garth Brooks referred to some of these God given miracles as unanswered prayers, “Sometimes I thank God, for unanswered prayers… and just because He doesn’t answer doesn’t mean He don’t care. Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” I am reminded that what may seem like an unanswered prayer or a misunderstanding of what I may have been asking for is God’s way of saying, “Trust in Me, my dear child, for I am in control.” With this reassurance I can walk with confidence knowing that God always has us and our best interest at heart, and He truly knows what it is that is best for our lives, even when we think we know what it is we need, want or desire. With this confidence I am assured that God is preparing me for something great and I needn’t worry or lose faith in the things that I prayed so hard for as they may come in even greater forms than I could ever imagine. This is how God works and this is why his love is unremarkable! When I look to the Lord to refuel my soul I am no longer empty and running off fumes, instead I am overflowing with his loving energy and my soul runs on his amazing grace! What do you do to refuel?

“… I had come to the end of everything that I knew, I understood that I couldn’t go any further on my own… I waited. I prayed. What I needed to do was whispered into my heart.” – Iyanla Vanzant “Peace from Broken Pieces”

“I am thankful for the unknowns and that I don’t have control, because it makes me run to God.” – Francis Chan “Crazy Love”

Today Is... Burnin' Passion Day

"...with a keen overwhelming, burning, passionate focus on what it is you long to say more than anything else in the world. That's the thing. That's the only thing." -- Patti Digh "Creative is a Verb" 

"The dream lives." -- Ellen DeGeneres "My Point and I Do Have One"

"Look at your life. Look at what you have to do tomorrow and check inside your body. What do you feel? If you feel 'yeechh!,' it means you've lost track of your direction. In the wild, it means your track has gone cold, and you need to go back to your last hot track; go back to the last time you felt passion or joy."—Martha Beck

Have you ever read something and felt the words jump off the page and nestle inside your heart, gripping at your insides, clinging to anything they can to help ensure that they are not only heard but felt. Words like the ones you read above had that impact on me. I read this and I not only felt this in my mind but could feel it deeply in my heart. On more occasions than I would like to admit, I have lost track of my direction and let it go so cold I felt as if I had frozen there. I couldn’t feel the fire of passion or excitement only the icy feeling of discontentment and the coldest feeling of all, lifeless.

If you have ever had these feelings or feel your track has gone cold it's time to create life. Jump wildly out of your comfort zone and chase your greatest dreams. No great thing is worth letting pass you by. Follow your heart's desires and allow your destination to become anything but comfortable. When you feel the burning passion inside your heart and the fire is so hot it warms those around you, you know you have found the track that you should not only follow but pursue! What are you waiting for?

"Get out of the house, find your path and follow your heart." -- Ellen DeGeneres "My Point... And I Do Have One"

"Get busy on going after your dreams." -- Francine Rivers "Her Daughter's Dream"

Today Is: Heavy Boots Day

"Stop and see what comes out of the emptiness." -- Oriah 'What We Ache For'

"...in the context of God's strength, our problems are small..." -- Francis Chan 'Crazy Love'

What gives you heavy boots?

What fills them up with lead?

Is it the things you fear the most?

Or is it something else instead?

Heavy boots cause you might die alone

No loved ones at your side?

Or are your boots so heavy

Because of the person you are inside?

Heavy boots trodden upon a heavy heart

What is it that makes your boots so heavy?

Have you done everything you can?

Have you done your part?

Does the idea of death

Weigh down your boots; now cemented to the floor?

Do your boots carry extra weight

That was not felt there before?

No easy feat to lift your boots

From off the solid ground

Does the weight feel like it's in your boots

Or is it felt around?

These heavy boots now covered with mud

And dirt and muck

These boots seem awfully heavy now

For you haven't had the best of luck

Heavy boots because your scared

Of what you just might find?

Your weighted boots have kept you in one place

Not allowing you to climb

What is it that fills your boots with sand

Overflowing from the brim?

Is it that you'll never know what could have been

Should have been with them?

As you take a step

Do you feel the extra weight that's stuck to your boots like glue?

With the weight that you now carry

What is it that you'll do?

Heavy boots for fear of the unknown

At times your boots were heaviest

They seem to be

The times that you have really grown

Rocks now overflow your boots

No room to place your feet

Do you feel the pressures of your boots?

Will you succumb and accept defeat?

Heavy boots for you

Because of the way you feel about the ones you leave behind

Heavy boots remain

For you can never be too kind

What gives you heavy boots I ask?

What fills them up with lead?

Will you trudge along in your heavy boots?

Or will you kick them off instead?

"What is impossible with man is possible with God." -- Luke 18:27

"If you focus on the problem you can't see the solution... look beyond." -- Patch Adams

Today Is: Call Me Crazy Day

 

“…to sacrifice your own comfort and welfare for another may look like madness to a safe and undisturbed world.” – Francis Chan “Crazy Love”

"I wouldn't leave you if God wasn't calling me away." -- Francine Rivers 'Her Mother's Hope'

Some may think I’m crazy, some may call me crazy and some probably know that I am crazy; I guess I’ve always relished in the idea of being a little ‘crazy’ according to societies social norms. I’ve never been one to fully adopt “What’s Hot” and even at times might do the opposite in defiance of conforming to the “norm.” But if following my heart and my passions and the call that I feel was placed upon me is crazy than crazy is the best thing that I could ever be considered. Crazy is exactly what I want to be if it means that I am fulfilling the purpose that I feel God created me for. Call me crazy, naive or out-of-my-mind nuts, but please don’t forget to mention that I was crazy about following my heart, my passion and ‘The Voice’ inside me that said, “Go for it. I created YOU for this!”

"...when God gives you something to do, you cannot just do the parts you like, the easy parts..." -- Iyanla Vanzant "Peace from Broken Pieces"

"It's a good thing God isn't limited by what we have in mind for ourselves. His plan is so much bigger." -- Francine Rivers 'Her Daughter's Dream'

"If you organize your life around your passion, you can turn your passion into your story and then turn your story into something bigger -- something that matters." -- Blake Mycoskie 'Start Something that Matters'

Today Is: Have You Ever... Day

"A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn't depend on circumstances or environment; it is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God." -- Francis Chan 'Crazy Love'

"Even in our most difficult times, God will always find a way to send you a blessing." -- Iyanla Vanzant 'Peace from Broken Pieces'

Have you ever stopped and thought about life? I mean really sat down to think about the miracle that life is? Have you ever marveled at what God created for us? Have you ever looked out your window and noticed the most beautiful sunrise? Have you ever witnessed one of life’s precious miracles? Have you ever felt the kindness of a stranger or the love of a friend? Have you ever tasted something that you wished you had more of or baked something that left your house smelling delicious for the remainder of the day? Have you ever read a book that filled you with joy or talked with a friend that filled you with comfort? Have you ever laughed so hard you cried, or ever loved so much it hurt? Have you ever helped a stranger, smiled at a child, or made someone’s day? Have you ever received forgiveness? Have you ever forgiven yourself? Have you ever heard a song that you’ll never forget, or danced all night long to the music in your heart? Have you ever had a dream, or pursued your passion? Have you ever received a letter from a friend? Have you ever celebrated a victory? Have you ever donated your belongings, or sacrificed something ‘til it hurt? Have you ever been in love, or held another’s hand? Have you ever prayed and your prayers were answered; sometimes in ways you never knew? Have you ever lay on the beach and soaked in the sun’s sweltering rays? Have you ever seen beauty with your own eyes? Have you ever run with your legs, or felt with your hands? Have you ever gotten a phone call from a friend calling just to say ‘Hello’? Have you ever had a hero or a best friend?  Have you ever taken the time to stop and think about all that God has given us? Have you ever thought about these things as gifts, from God, wrapped in different colors, ribbons, and bows? Have you ever thanked Him? Have you ever told Him how much you love him? Have you ever showed Him how crazy you are about Him? Have you ever understood His magnitude of love for you? Have you ever wondered what it will be like in Heaven? Have you ever wondered if you’ll meet the people you’ve idolized from history, or when you’ll be reunited with your loved ones? Have you ever wondered what the angels wear or if they really do have wings? Have you ever wondered how God will greet you; a hug, a kiss, or with both hands? Have you ever felt your chest rise and fall with each breath you take? Have you ever felt the air enter your lungs and then feel the air as it falls upon your lip? Have you ever thought; ‘I’m still alive?’ Have you realized that God still has purpose for your life on Earth and there is no better time than the now to get about doing what he created you for??

Have you ever thought about what all this means? God loves you beyond words. He loves you so much that he finds ways to show you every day just how much and how great his love is. He shows off his love in so many ways, but it’s up to us to not only stop and see his majestic love but to take the time out of our ‘busy’ lives to thank him for these wonderful gestures of unbinding, unselfish, and never ending love. If only you knew that everything He does He does for YOU because he loves YOU with everything that He has, you would never miss your chance to thank him!

"What did you do with what I gave you?" -- Francis Chan 'Crazy Love'

"...it's better to be fiscally poor yet rich in experience -- living the dream -- than to be traditionally wealthy but live seperate from one's passions." -- Aaron Ralston 'Between a Rock and a Hard Place'

Today Is: Domino Effect Day

“Every adversity becomes a catalyst for change.” – Bernie S. Siegel M.D. Daily Word

“When others see your light shining, they’ll be inspired to shine theirs too.” – Oprah

“Each piece… plays a small part. Its main job is to set off the next link in the chain… just like dominos, these pieces together set off a spectacular reaction.” And just like dominos we all have the capability to create a chain reaction that can result miraculously. This type of miracle happens through love, compassion, kindness and generosity.  As I sat across the table from him today, I listened intently as he spoke about his experience in Haiti. He told me of challenges that he faced and difficulties that he endured in his days there, yet as he spoke his eyes lit up and the passion seeped through his pores. I could feel the compassion and the love radiate from him. At times he would pause for reflection getting lost in his own thoughts, sometimes losing the thought entirely yet moments later he would begin again, telling me about the way the children would hold on to him with all they had, longing to be loved and to feel God’s love through him. As he spoke about his travels he told me that not all days were easy, he even mentioned when he first arrived he felt the children had no hope. “Did you still feel that at the end of the week?” I asked with devastation. “I realized I was being stupid,” he replied, “I was putting my own context of hope and happiness on them, from my experiences here in the United States, but I later came to realize that hope to them was different than hope to me.” Happiness didn’t mean they had to have ‘everything’ happiness to them meant having one thing… love! His attitude was infectious; he was brimming with so much joy I could feel it affecting me too and I soon was filled with excitement. As he thought about his time spent over there, I could sense his heart aching. He ensured me that although much of his trip was joyous, days endured difficulty; like I said, he had his challenges, but the more he talked, even about the struggles, the more I could see the fire that burned in him. With each memory he recalled, his face would brighten and his smile would spread and my heart would warm. Although he might not have felt the impact that he made while he was over there, I could feel the impact here. It wasn’t until I had gotten home and replayed some of our conversation in my mind that I realized this chain reaction; his domino effect. He may not know firsthand how he changed the lives of the children that he spent time with while in Haiti, but from our time today I can tell you that those children changed the life of this young man. Although he went overseas to give to them, (which he did) I could see that they had given so much life and love to him. Sometimes when we seek to help another, pouring love into their hearts, filling them with compassion, in return, love sneaks in the back door and settles in our hearts; sparking a fire inside that burns feverishly with passion; radiating God’s loving glow through our souls. And it is with this flame that we are able to light the way, pass the torch and feel the wave of our domino as it falls into another, resulting in yet another miracle.

“…a community where joy is a way of life, where learning is the highest aim, where love is the ultimate goal.” – excerpt from Patch Adams

“It may not be for me to see

The meaning and the mystery

Of all that God planned for me

Til’ afterward.”—Anon

“Changing just one person’s life can be a wonderful blessing.” – Blake Mycoskie “Start Something that Matters”

Today Is: The Letter F... Football and Father Day

"Often the deepest relationships can be developed during the simplest activities.” – Gary Smalley

“I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them; I shall use my time.” – Jack London

As I sat and watched “An NFL Life” with my dad tonight I drank in the moment. There we were sitting on the couch, father and daughter, neither speaking but speechless as we watched and listened intently about some of football’s greatest legends; spending time and sharing in one of my greatest passions, football. Ever since I was a little girl I was a fan of sports, I played sports, I listened to sports on the radio and I watched sports on TV, but no sport ever compared to watching NFL football and few moments were ever as special as they were when I was watching them with my dad. I guess you could say I have always been a daddy’s girl. My mom and dad only had two children, my older sister, and me, so my dad had to make do with  the two daughters that God had given him; no sons. I’ve wondered before what his life would have been like if he would have gotten the son he probably dreamed for; I’ve even asked him about it. I wanted to know if he was ever disappointed that he didn’t have sons to do “guy” things with or talk sports with but he’s always said the same things; having daughters was great! I constantly remind him that neither my sister nor I are your typical girly girls. He usually just gives me that little chuckle and fatherly grin that I interpret as “Thank God for that”. Although my dad may never have gotten the male that he would have hoped for, he influenced my sister and me from a very young age with much of his masculine presence. Like I said, I grew up surrounded by sports. Every Sunday we would either be watching the Bronco game or listening to it on the radio, I was even lucky enough to attend a few games at the original Mile High Stadium. It was during this time that I not only fell in love with the game of football but with the greatest tight end to ever play the game, Shannon Sharpe (so maybe I’m a little biased). I can remember walking the track that surrounded the old Mile High field and I remember marveling in how close we were to the players. Each game that I attended I made my dad walk around the field before going to our seats just so we could catch a glimpse of the guys. I would scan the field looking for one guy, my guy, Sharpe. It wasn’t his immaculate play that impressed me so, but more his showmanship! He was a player on the field but a character off the field and I loved it! When Sharpe was traded to the Baltimore Ravens my heart hurt, I couldn’t believe that my all time favorite player was leaving my all time favorite team, what was I going to do, I had loyalties to both of these teams now… The following season when Sharpe and the Baltimore Raven’s came to Denver to play the Broncos I did what any loyal fan would do, I cheered for Sharpe and his defensively dominate Ravens and thanks to my dad I got to do it from the comfort of our then Invesco Field at Mile High seats. My dad knew how much it meant to me to see “my boy”, as I like to refer to him as, live in person, even if it meant that I was going to be cheering for the other team. My parents have season tickets, however typically they only buy one game a year and sell the remainder of the season, however due to my love for Sharpe, my Dad bought two games that year and him and I enjoyed the sweet taste of victory that day! (Ok, only I did as the Broncos ended up losing) I think my dad loved it actually as this added a new element to our already friendly rivalries with sports teams. I mean the man adored Gus Ferrotte and would swoon and cheer for him just because I couldn’t stand the guy (although he may be a very nice man I didn’t enjoy him as a football player). So when Sharpe was with the Raven’s it gave another element to our fun! This time it turned out, I got the last laugh, the Raven’s beat the Broncos at that game and even went on to claim the Super Bowl victory that year… That’s right Pops…  

                For so many, sports are all about competition and winning, and for much of my life that is what sports meant to me too; but as I have grown up sports have become so much more important to me now than they ever were back then; even if I am just a fan. Although I am still a competitive person by nature I have come to realize that the greatest victory is not in how you won the game but who you won the game with. Each football season I look forward to the Sunday’s that I spend with my pops on the couch watching the games and giving our commentary. We discuss plays, calls, highlights, players, anything and everything, no part of the game goes unnoticed. Sometimes we disagree, other times we root against one another, but one thing’s for sure, no matter if our teams win or lose, we always enjoy watching the games; side by side, father and daughter; and that is the greatest victory of all!

P.S. Mom I love you too:)

“Joy is one of the greatest victories of all.” – Oprah

“To a child, love is spelled time.” -- unknown

Today Is: Don't Want To Miss A Thing Day

“If you focus on what you left behind, you’ll never be able to look ahead.” – Ratatouille

“This is your opportunity to seize the moment and make something with your life.” – as told by Oprah

I met one of my dearest friends, Jessica, for lunch the other day at this cozy little grub hub called Gaia. The food was delicious and of course the company I was with was even better. We were nestled in the back corner, her sipping her hot cocoa and me drinking my skinny latte, discussing everything from the newest Ellen book (Seriously… I’m Kidding) to our Halloween costumes, to my upcoming adventure to Africa. We sat and talked for hours and I am so glad that we did; it was a much needed get-away from my newest day job, reading and physical therapy, and I needed some classic Jessica advice!

Jessica (aka Teeties a nickname with a long story that must be saved for a better time) has become a friend unlike others, she is someone with whom I had this connection with from the beginning, maybe it’s because we share a similar love for writing or maybe it’s because I admire her spunk and “This Is Me” attitude, or maybe it’s for reasons I’m unsure of, but I do know this, we were meant to be friends; the lifelong kind!  Shortly after we graduated college, Jess decided to embark on an adventure of her own when she moved across the globe to teach in Japan. She resided in the Asian hub for a year teaching English while learning about other aspects of the world. I unfortunately did not have the pleasure of knowing Jess on an intimate friendship level until she returned from her travels abroad and reunited with her close college friends with whom I had become quite acquainted; as I’ve said before, and will say again, I believe that everything happens for a reason and I know that God brought us together to be friends for a lifetime. She and I share many passions and we both have a great hunger for laughter; she is one of the funniest people I know, especially when she impersonates Linas Kleza (broccoli vodka! Ha ha ha… you have to be there!) Jessica is also someone whom I feel I can share my personal secrets with, including my greatest fears. So in her comforting presence I knew that I needed to share this thought, this fear, this ache that I have been feeling about my upcoming travels. “I worry about what I’m going to miss out on” I told her. Recently I had some good friends of mine, whom I met in college through my ex-boyfriend, finally tie the knot. I was invited to the wedding, planned to go and then due to my most recent knee surgery was not able to attend. I was crushed. I cannot explain the guilt that I felt that I had missed their wedding day. This is a “once in a lifetime” day (ok, well at least you plan to only do it once) and I wasn’t able to be there for it. I didn’t see her dress, or the way he looked at her as she waltzed down the aisle; I didn’t get to hear them exchange vows, say I do, or witness their first kiss as Mr. & Mrs. Ready. I failed to see their first dance as husband and wife, share in their wedding cake and wish them a lifetime of love and exuberant bliss in marriage. I was beginning to get this sinking feeling that this was just the beginning. Was I going to be missing out on “BIG” events like this while I was away? Life doesn’t stop for anyone at anytime; what will I miss, I wonder; will I look back with regret; I fear? “Although you are going to miss making memories here, just think about all the wonderful memories and experiences you are going to be making while you’re over there.” Jess reassured me. “Of course you’re going to miss out on things while you’re gone, but you’re going to be doing things that you would never have done if you were still here; you’ve got to think about it that way.” She said, and boy is she right. If I think about all the things that I could potentially miss doing, or seeing or being a part of, then I will miss the greatest adventure of my life. I will miss the whole reason behind why I’m going halfway around the globe; I’ll miss my purpose. I cannot look forward with fear nor later look back with regret, instead I must enjoy and relish in the opportunities that lie before me. The greatest gift is the present and I need to untie the ribbons and celebrate in the NOW!

Thank you buddy for reminding me of this! RexJ

“I know what I want in life, and I’m going after it. I’m not going to let things happen to me, I’m going to make things happen.” – Francine Rivers “Her Mother’s Hope”

“The purpose of life, after all , is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“…do not waste time on regrets, but to grasp opportunities.” – Francine Rivers “Her Daughter’s Dream”

Today Is: Life, May I Have This Dance? Day

“If whatever you do helps just one person, you’ve done something wonderful.” – Blake Mycoskie “Start Something that Matters”

“I get up every morning determined both to change the world and to have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult.” – E.B. White

“The time comes when you realize that you haven’t been specializing in something – something has been specializing in you.” – Arthur Miller

I am on currently on a journey of a lifetime, as are all of you, my dear friends. This journey we all must walk, this journey we all are given to find, follow or discover, this journey is about finding my purpose, this journey is about finding your purpose; this journey is the journey of a life. Some of you may have already found the road you were meant to travel on for your life; others may still be in search of what that road looks like, where you find it, and what it will mean when you do, and some of you may be like me, map in hand, in search of the road you were meant to travel; awaiting not only your departure but your much anticipated destination. I know that I was put on this earth I was designed, to do something that no one else has done before; to do something so extraordinary that no one else could do it except for me; this is why you all were created as well I believe. Because we were each given something; we were each designed to do something that no one else in the world could do; if someone else could do the job that we were created for, what would be our purpose? For each and every one of us, these so called “callings” are different; for some it may mean creating technological advancements that change the world and how we operate forever, for others it may entail obtaining astronomical amounts of money that only the wealthiest of wealthy could ever comprehend, for others it may mean serving your country, saving lives and performing medical miracles, maybe it’s creating a life and giving opportunities to someone that without you wouldn’t be able to have; I don’t know what your purpose on this journey is, that’s for you to discover, but for myself I believe that my purpose is to change the world in some great way ( I guess that you could argue that this is a part of everyone’s purpose, if you change even just one life, you have changed the world) But for me, I believe that my purpose is about providing hope to the hopeless, for making dreamers of the non-believers, leading the lost, and giving the most of myself to those who need the most to take. I believe I was put on this earth to help the impoverished, the forgotten, the needy; I am to speak up for those who have no voices, who’ve forgotten they have a voice, and for all those who lost their voices among the silent screams. I believe that my purpose is to give to those children who have been given up on; to show them that their hope lies not in the hands that told them they’ll never make it but in their hearts that tell them “I WILL”. I am to show these children that they can not only become somebody but that they are somebody, and that alone is worth enough. My purpose is to make these children see a different life then the life that they have been living, to educate them about the life that they have been given. To help them not only realize that the world is theirs for the taking, but that this world is their playground and whatever they are able to dream in their head they can achieve. I must educate the children of these dire situations that there is so much more than what they know, good is never good enough. For these children are our future, and I feel it is my purpose to help them see that through all the bad, and the wrongdoing and the brokenness, can come healing and redemption and greatness. I feel it is my purpose to educate our young adults about their futures and what they can do when they put their minds to doing whatever it is their heart calls of them. That they themselves are great and when they can understand that they were designed for a special purpose, just like you and me; that they were designed to take the world by the hand and ask “May I have this dance?”, that they too can change the world! 

“We’re just trying to fight for those kids. That’s what we have to keep doing, fight for those children so they’ll have a chance to grow up and be – be somebody. Be a husband or a wife. Have a chance to dream and make some of those dreams come true. I still got fight in me. How about you?” – excerpt from the film Redemption

“Live your life so that your children can tell their children that you not only stood for something wonderful – you acted on it.” – Dan Zadra “5 – Where Will You Be Five Years From Now?”

“It’s easy to come up with big ideas. Just think of something that everyone agrees would be ‘wonderful’ if it were only ‘possible’ – and then set out to make it possible.” – Armand Hammer

Today Is: A Writer Must Write Day

“Only the fearless can be great.” – Ratatouille

“We can all reprogram our brains responses by putting ourselves into new, initially uncomfortable situations. We’ll learn fear might not mean ‘stop’; I’ve come to believe fear usually means ‘go’.” – Frances Moore Lappe

“…trust God. He opened the way.” – Francine Rivers “Her Mother’s Hope”

Have you ever gotten that feeling that you are on the cusp of something new, something different, something that you’ve never done before, but you’re not sure what it is that lie ahead? It’s a feeling that is hard to describe… it’s almost like a tickle inside your throat wanting so bad to say something but instead sits and slides along your insides letting you know it’s there but holding on to the secret of  when it will speak up. Unsure of what this small tickle might be, whether a hiccup, a cough, a choke attack or a laugh, you try hard to swallow, hoping that the feeling will somehow lose its grip and slip away unnoticed. After several minutes, and several exaggerated gulps later, you can still feel it. In desperation you try everything to rid yourself of this feeling; yet somehow it still remains. Why will it not go away, you wonder? Fear begins to settle in and you’re mind begins to create worse-case scenarios. What if “X” happens and I totally embarrass myself. The thought of humiliation gets the best of you and you walk away before anything can come about. As you find yourself alone later, that tickle has finally made its way to the surface and you speak the thoughts of your beautiful mind yet your words fall upon deaf ears as you hid yourself from fear of looking foolish. Saddened and ashamed you push aside these thoughts once more yet as before they come flooding back. This time however instead of speaking them you grab your journal and scribble frantically across the page. As you begin to write, your thoughts seem to flow with ease and your heart feels alive. When you are finished you look back over what you have written but quickly close the pages, reminding yourself of the fear you felt before. Days later you are once again presented with thoughts that you do not want to lose so you reach for your journal and open to the blank page. As you begin to write the ink effortlessly scrawls across the paper. Words become sentences and sentences soon become paragraphs. Before you know it you have written pages of your thoughts. That feeling of warmth inside your heart comes again and you begin to smile, however it fades as quickly as it came, as you are once again overcome by fear. When your thoughts come to you the following days you resist the urge to grab for your pen and paper, unsure of yourself and your words; but mostly fearing failure. You begin to question yourself and your writing, wanting desperately to believe that what you have written is worthy and well spoken but that little voice inside your head makes you believe that it is not. Glancing at your journal brings your thoughts to the forefront of your mind, you want so badly to write but the fear inside you keeps you from grabbing the pen. You reach forward towards an object that sits dangerously close to your journal; in your attempt to grab this item your arm brushes the pages, making you think about what is inside, the words, thoughts and sentences you let escape days before. ‘If I can’t write, I’ll read,’ you think to yourself. You grab your journal and flip open the pages rereading your previous thoughts.  As you’re reading your mind and heart come alive. You are inspired by your own words, the words which just moments before seemed to frighten you. Continuing down the page you come across this sentence, “My fear of failure cannot keep me from pursuing my dreams. If I want this bad enough, I know that if I were to fail, I would make it a part of the journey not the ending destination.” You stop there, sitting unbelievably still, staring at your words. Instead of grabbing for your pen, you close the pages and let the journal fall to the floor. Before you can hear the thump of the pages hitting the ground you have already made it out the door declaring to yourself that today is the day that you leave behind your fears and walk with confidence toward your dreams! With your head held high and your shoulders back, you say to yourself, “I am a writer therefore I was born to write.”

 http://youareawriter.com/contest/


“A writer writes. A painter paints.” – Tom McKenzie

“Sometimes what we need to hear is right in front of us.” – Patti Digh “Creative is a Verb”

“You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.” – David Viscott

{Writers Note: For my devoted blog followers I apologize for the many days of absence… Unfortunately what I have written above is true, I didn’t write due to my fear that I wasn’t good enough. Good enough for who you may ask, at which I would answer… ME! I had gotten into my own mind that I had hit a wall I like to call “writer’s block”. I would go to write but the words wouldn’t come so instead of writing what I did, I didn’t write in fear of failing… I promise I will not let this happen again. May this be a lesson to you all too, never quit doing what you love because you fear that you will fail at it, let it be a speed bump in the road not a stop sign! Thank you for continuing to read and inspiring me to continue to writeJ}