It’s Time. Reclaim Your Personal Legend

Do you remember when you were a little girl, or boy? Do you remember that fire inside you? The dreams? The plans you had? Did you dream of being a CEO, owning a farm, becoming a doctor or starting your own business? 

And then? Did life come in and swallow you whole? Your vision suddenly and seemingly permanently clouded by the demands or desires of others? Every once in a while the dreams peak through, like the sun in the midst of a terrible storm. Little rays pop through and remind you that you weren’t meant for this. You’re here for something else. 

But the dreams pop away, scolded by the college debt, the poopy diapers, the Sunday morning baby food assembly line, the fatigue, the fear to take a chance and leave the stability and comfort of your current brain stagnating job to follow that lousy dream of yours.

Last weekend, while enjoying my monthly on-call weekend beating (a weekend that gives me a tremendous appreciation of car seats, gun control, pool fences and a healthy coin free diet), I was really moved by an interview on NPR of Paolo Coehlo. He spoke of suppressed frustration and life dissatisfaction, despite financial “success” due to failure to achieve one’s personal legend. He spoke of pursuing  life goals that were prescribed to you by someone else and remembering only later that you really wanted something different for yourself. He spoke of the self destruction that occurs when one denies themself pursuit of their personal legend . 

I see it….everyday. People miserable in their jobs because their heart isn’t in the work. The risk to do what they love feels like they are walking across the Rio Grande on a tightrope with their family and their kid’s  college funds on their backs. A personal legend doesn’t need to be grandiose. Maybe you dreamed of writing a book, of going back to school to become a nurse, running a marathon, inventing some cool contraption that is scribbled on a paper somewhere in the back of your underwear drawer. I have no idea what you dreamed of.. Big or small…but you do. 

The fear of change keeps us in bad relationships, contributes to poor self esteem and creates a cycle of self hate, pity and depression. Comfort creates complacency. 

Close your eyes and remember that fearless girl, full of fire, inspired, empowered. Grab her tight and shake off the “I can’t”s. Dust off her dreams, her skills, her “yes, I can”‘s and find a path to your personal legend. Leave your comfort zone. You don’t need to be reckless or irresponsible, you need to be inspired.  Do your kids even know what you’re good at? Have you ever dared to show them? 

It’s time. I see the sun peeking through the clouds, and it’s for you.. For me.. For us. Write down your dream.  Stick it on the wall. Don’t listen to the “you can’ts” or the “buts”. You were meant to do this.

Be inspired. Be Inspirational. 

❤️