Actually, it was kind of a big thing.
The fulfillment of a lifelong dream, really. And I still can't quite believe it truly happened.
By now, you probably know that I had the opportunity of a lifetime to join with some incredible people and become a published author for the very first time. It all happened quite fast with little time to process what was going on. But it felt right from the start, and I am so very grateful for the chance to be part of a truly amazing book called Unshakeable: Stories To Anchor You Through Life's Storms. *
As I was writing my chapter for this collaboration and entering into uncharted waters that I had dreamt of for so long, I kept thinking about how I'd often wondered what this would feel like if and when it ever took place...
What would it do to me once I accomplished something I'd prayed for and worked toward literally all my life?
Would I feel any different on the other side of it?
How would be my life change, if at all?
Sometimes when people have a dream and they strive toward it for a very long time, once they arrive, it's sort of a let down. They are left with nothing to chase anymore. They have a few euphoric moments but then it's all over and they don't know what to go after next. The mountaintop wasn't as grand as what they expected. And they are surprised. A few even find themselves depressed because it didn't deliver on the high as they anticipated. For the longest time, I wondered if that would be how I felt afterwards. Would I wish I hadn't taken this path? Would I long for the simpler times and regret having this ambition in the first place?
I was about to find out...
Launch Day happened with all the craziness and busyness one might expect. I was up early and hopping on a Facebook Live with my fellow authors, monitoring social media for feedback and promoting the book, engaging with loving friends and family as the good wishes came pouring in. It was all fantastic and couldn't have been going much better. I was tired, but extremely satisfied. I went out on my front porch to film a video encouraging everyone to go check out the book and, after I'd recorded and felt good about the result, I noticed I didn't have any earrings in. I had makeup... but no earrings. The finished touch. And I laughed. Keeping it real here, I suppose. It was gentle reminder to me that all doesn't have to be perfect in order to still be called good.
By late afternoon, I was beat. Long day. Good day, but long. I changed into some comfy clothes, took off the makeup, and crashed out for a nap. And something inside of me relaxed and felt peaceful... because I suddenly realized, becoming an author didn't have to change anything. Yes, more people would now know about me. But I could still live the same life I always had. I get to decide what happens next. And even though my words now were circling the globe, I was still eating takeout with my family around the dinner table, talking to the resident squirrel in my backyard, listening to the roar of the whitewater creek in my backyard, and watching some tv before headed to bed. The reality of my daily life hadn't changed at all. I was still the same old me. And I loved that.
See, sometimes I think we lose sight of the fact that we get to choose if we'll let our dreams own us or if we'll own them. We get to decide what happens next. We have control over if it changes the essence of who we are. I get it that there are instances where it all moves rather fast and we don't always have the time to collect ourselves very well or process what is going on. But we can set things in place that perhaps make it easier to keep our feet on the ground. We can live a life long before the fame finds us that helps us keep it real even when big opportunities or lifelong goals are met. We get to choose the people we'll journey with, the place we'll call home, the priorities we'll have, the compromises we're willing to make and the ones we aren't, the degree to which we'll be open to change and growth.
Many a famous person has still found much peace in being able to come back to the things and spaces and people who center them and remind them who they really are. And it comforted me to know that even though I've met a major milestone in all of this, I can still choose to create the kind of life I feel is most true to me. I can accept opportunities that come out of this yet also meet my friends for coffee at the local spot. I can travel and acquire lots of new acquaintances but still gather with my loved ones for a movie or favorite meal. I can go out and engage with the whole world, but still refuse to lose my own soul.
In the end, maybe that is the greatest win of all.
* To order Unshakeable: Stories To Anchor You Through Life's Storms, click here or reach out to me personally.
Add comment
Comments