Day 44

Well, it’s the 44th day of a 45-day journey. I won’t be posting tomorrow because I’ll be on the road but I wanted to take a few minutes just to sum up what’s been going on.

My goal and intent was to “find myself” for lack of a better term. Admittedly, I was motivated by fear. I was afraid that I would live the rest of my life on automatic pilot, never making a contribution, never doing anything extraordinary, never being fulfilled. What I have learned is that on one hand, I already have a very fulfilling life. I’m surrounded by people who really love and support me. I have great kids, a man who adores me, a good home, a good job, a car that runs, money in the bank and I’m healthy. That’s a lot more than some people. On the other hand I was still feeling some intangible dissatisfaction. The looming feeling that I could do and be more. I’m not satisfied with the status quo.

So here I am. I allowed myself to dream and thanks to a woman who I have never even laid eyes on saying to me: “Don’t you dare ignore that vision”, I am moving forward full steam ahead. Isn’t it funny how just a little bit of encouragement can make all the difference. I remember my best friend saying to me, “You know, I can see you writing a book.” And from that sentence, Raymond’s Daughters was born. Don’t be afraid to encourage others. Don’t be afraid to receive that encouragement. Anyway, as things progress, I probably will not bore you with the day-to-day details. At least not here … but rest assured, I am moving forward.

This has been eye-opening. The greatest lesson that I learned and I hope to share with others is that there is nothing that you can’t do. I used to create my own roadblocks and constantly talk myself out of doing. Yes, there were specific times in the past when I refused to quit and I pressed toward the mark but those were isolated incidents. But then I asked myself … why can’t I do that all the time? Duh! I’m sick when I think about all the time that I’ve wasted but I know that it was all for a reason. I’m ready now and it’s not too late. Forty-five is nowhere near the end. My story is just beginning.