a little nudge from a friend

 "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, 

catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." 

 -Mark Twain

You know, sometimes you just need a little nudge from those close to you in order for you to really take the first step to follow your heart.  Following our heart can be scary as it often forces us to step outside of our comfort zone.  But really, why just settle? Yes, settling is the easy way out, or is it?  Is it that easy to feel stuck in a place you aren't happy just because you are scared to take a risk and work hard?  Life is about taking chances, growing from our mistakes and our successes; not sitting around wondering "what if?"  If we just settle, there isn't much room to explore, dream and discover.

"Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first."  

-Frederick Wilcox

 It us quite ironic that I have to remind myself to take risks.  Working with young children, I constantly encourage them to take risks.  A child doesn't learn how to walk if they just sit around or we just carry them everywhere. They learn to walk by taking steps (risks) on their own, with the chance that they may fall and mostly likely they will fall but they will get right back up and try again.  The same can be said for the grownups.  If we allow ourselves to take risks, fall and get back up, we are able to walk a lot further in our happiness by learning from these experiences.  Yes, we may fail and realize it was the "wrong" choice but it is way better than being stuck back in a settled (and unhappy) state wondering "what if."And on the flipside, in taking that chance we may truly succeed!

"Life is a journey, not a destination."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Too often in our society we forget about this.  We get fixated on the end result rather than the experience. In my case, you graduate from high school thinking you must go to college, get your degree and have your career - simple.as.that, right?  Man, if that were the case I think I would be so bored. The journey I have had over the past 10 years since moving to Seattle (and my entire 28 years of life) has help mold the person I am today. From different jobs (both good and bad), wonderful world travels, the ups and downs of relationships, trying and failing new skills and much more has taken part in helping me learn what are and are not my passions.  It is a constant journey and the journey is that much better when we really listen to our heart!

                    

I recently had a very good friend question why I was hold back on something (I will share this something in a later post), I proceded to give every excuse in the book from time, money and confidence. But in my hearts of hearts I wanted to take the step forward, I was just scared.  With her insightful words and uplifting spirit I said "Really, why not go for it? Yes, it will take time, but it I will be moving forward and it is what I really want to do." So I am taking a risk, exploring a dream and constantly discovering a lot along the way.  Thanks for the little nudge! (You know who you are!)

Are you willing to take some risks on the journey of life in order to follow your heart?