“It’s hard to fail, but worse never to have tried to succeed.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Sobriety has granted me yet another gift. Last week I had the opportunity to drive from Michigan to Montana with my daughter, who is stepping out into the world to attend college 2400 miles away from family and friends. As we were traveling across country, we talked about many things, one of which, of course, was the fear of change. With change comes the possibilities of both success and failure.
It seems we spend so much of our time doing the same things over and over again. Every day becomes a carbon copy of the day before. Wake up, work through the day, then go to sleep; only to repeat the process again tomorrow.
For most of us five to ten major events in our lives truly change the course of our existence. A major life change could be something that we’ve processed and thought about for days, months or even years. Another might have been a life event that was planned for us – when we had no say; it just happened to us. Either way we had to adapt to a new way of living. To change means becoming different. How we change – not what we change — is what matters.
My daughter is embarking on one of those major life changes. She has left all that is familiar and comforting to her and is beginning a new chapter where all is new and different. She talked about how grateful she is to be able to experience this adventure. She knows that she will have to work hard in her studies to achieve the goals that she’s set for herself. She also knows that this is a time to grow into a strong, independent, young women.
Of course, change has filled her with anxiety, worry and fear. What she has done is make a move. Now how she moves forward is what matters most. We talked about her vision for herself; where she sees herself in three to five years. I suggested she write her goals in a story format. To write like she’s living her vision now. To dream big, to hold nothing back. Not to think about what she needs to do to achieve it, but to write as if she’s already manifested it. I urged her to continue to work on her vision during her time at school. Change it, make it bigger, have fun with it; see where her dreams take her. I’ve learned through my own journey that my vision gives me an inspirational path to follow. And my dreams are coming true.
I am proud of my daughter for stepping out of her comfort zone and allowing herself to walk through her fears. It takes a lot of courage to face our fears and try something new. I’m eternally grateful for all the challenges I have faced to get to where I am today. Every day I choose to find the strength to fight for myself and for my health. My vision always excites me and I continually tweak it to make it even better. My days are not carbon copies of one another.
Have you created your vision? If so, does it make your heart beat with excitement and your palms sweat with anticipation of what’s to come in your future? If you haven’t created your vision or if you want to do some tweaking, my horses and I invite you to come to the farm and spend some time with us. We’ll guide you in your personal vision-making. Dream big. You’re worth it.
