Light a fire under your dreams - quotes to inspire you to move forward

Realizing part of my dream at a week long writer's conference summer 2011.

Have you ever dreamed of doing something, but you kept putting it off until a better time? Now may be the time to light a fire under your dreams. Your dream could be something big or small, but you can't get there unless you take the first step.

I came across a book on my bookshelf that I hadn't looked through in awhile. The title is Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In...Swim Out to Meet it! by John Mason. The following are some quotes from the book that you might find useful.

• Your struggle may be lasting, but it is not everlasting.
• Remember: It's not what you have, it's what you do with what you have that makes all the difference.
• Gain control of your time and you will gain control of your life.
• It is always better to fail in doing something than to excel in doing nothing.
• The person who really wants to do something finds a way, the other finds an excuse.
• A person is never what he ought to be until he is doing what he ought to be doing.
• When we do what we can, God will do what we can't.

What will you do to ignite a fire under your dreams?

Independence Day chronicles

Happy Independence Day! What comes to mind when you think of the July 4^th Holiday…freedom, fireworks, family barbecues, parades or something else? In our city, there is always a parade to attend or friends and family to visit.

This year we skipped the parade and decided to grill at my mother’s house. My uncle, “the grill master” was in charge of the food. However, mom and I decided to venture out to the store during the wee hours morning to pick up a few more things.

Of course we didn’t only purchase the things we went for, we got fun stuff too. Somehow we ended up in the toy section. Aaaah the flashback of childhood memories. I tested out the hula hoop in the middle of a vacant aisle.

A customer passed by and smiled, then a store worker smiled. I put the hula hoop in our cart and said, “I think it’s time to move on now.”

Once we got home and enlisted the help of the kids to unload the car, we played a little. The boys tested their skill with the hula hoop. They soon discovered that they’re better off sticking with basketball and football.

As the temperature increased outside and other family members arrived, the water balloons were brought out. And the festivities began… the fireworks are yet to come.

How have you spent your Fourth of July holiday?

Journey to parenthood

Did you play pretend as a child? My friends and I played  “dress up” and “school” where someone was the teacher and the other kids were the students. We also played a game where we indicated how old we would be when we got married, had kids and who we would marry. We also guessed at what type of car we would drive. Boy, were we dumb.

I remember saying I would get married at 23 or 25 years old and I would have three kids. Well, none of that happened. At age 23, I was just graduating from college and didn’t get married until I was 30.

At one point I thought I wanted twins, one boy and one girl. After having one continuously crying baby boy, I was glad he was not a twin. I have two bouncing boys (big boys now). So what was the point of my childhood game? Nothing…it was just something fun to do.

Although life doesn’t always go as we plan, we have to learn to enjoy the journey. Along the journey to parenthood there is a lot to learn. Once you become a parent you begin a new chapter in your book.

I am glad I was blessed with the kids I have, imperfections and all. Challenges come and go, then they are just a memory. I am practicing not sweating the small stuff.





Below is my journey to parenthood through pictures (there are photos missing along the journey, but the general idea is here).

Me- maybe first grade?

 


High school graduation.

My boys.

Tired mom.



What are your memories about your journey to parenthood?



Last week I gave the challenge to capture your child doing something silly or funny and report back. Tell how it made you feel…did you laugh, scream, join them? This is all about enjoying your journey through parenthood.