Everything is up for debate. For every opinion, there is an opposite opinion. For every reason to do something, there is a reason NOT to do something. We have the chance every day to silence the questions and the doubt that may have kept us up most of the night. I know I am not the only one that can’t sleep some nights. I also know that I am not the only one that over thinks things, when I shouldn’t. (Believe it or not, I have gotten much better at this.) Have you ever asked yourself about something you dream about and then you look for every reason (both rational and emotional) about why you should just drop it? And when you do “let it go”, what happens? It comes back again, doesn’t it? You start again with the same questions and go through the routine again, only to find yourself no where better than you were the first time. How many of us start each new year with a resolution or goal that we want to do that year? Ok…put your hands down. We all do. We go at that goal so determined and committed and then after a few short days or weeks, something happens. Our head gets in the way. We start to question and doubt and tell ourselves things like, “What does it matter?”, “I am not seeing any results for my hard work.”, or “Can I really do this?” Sound familiar? I do it, too. But here is why we “talk” ourselves out of something and why it is easier to quit. BECAUSE WE DON”T KNOW FOR SURE HOW IT WILL END UP! If we decide to try to make amends with people long forgotten, will the years pass away as if the distance never existed? Will my getting up early for a walk result in weight loss and/or a smaller jean size? Is committing to a dream, with no promise of income, worth giving up a good job? Guess what? None of us know how it will end up. We know nothing is guaranteed. Hence, we question and doubt. Taking the leap into the unknown can be quite scary. Trying something completely new can be very intimidating. In a few months, we have a son graduating from high school and he will head off to college and his life will be very different. But I have tried to encourage him to actually LOOK for opportunities instead of thinking they don’t exist. Opportunities to change our lives are every where…we just have to look for them. How do you take opportunities that might not end up the way you wanted? You learn from them. If you really don’t like the result, change it. Sometimes, we will not be able to change the circumstances we have been dealt, and then in those times, I will say that you know when it is time to walk away. So how do you know for sure? You don’t. But if you truly want to quiet your heart and find out of that dream is worth it, you have to go for it. Because sometimes taking the longest road will lead you to the place you were always meant to be. You chase that dream…“Even if it breaks your heart” by Eli Young Band
Michelle A. Homme 2014 ©