Who is Writing your Story?

When I was 7-years-old, I stepped up on a wooden stool in my bathroom and stood eye to eye with myself in front of the mirror. I could hear the stool creaking below me as I looked in those familiar blue eyes. What did I see? No, what did I REALLY see?? I actually didn’t see a boy standing there…I saw an infinite being bubbling with life, potential, and an unmatched zest for life. I knew, that I knew, the boy looking back at me was a difference maker, a trend setter, and a world changer! I can vividly remember how amazing it felt to me to know that I was writing my own story. That simple little house on Beverly Lane in Cambridge, Ohio had no idea the star it had produced.

Fast forward 29 years, and after multiple bouts of depression and suicidal ideation…I woke up one morning and no longer recognized those familiar blue eyes anymore. I asked myself under my own breath, “WHAT HAPPENED???” I was working a miserable dead-end job (for the past 12 years) that I hated, and never seemed to know how to make relationships and marriages work. I felt as though I was a puppet who didn’t even know his own puppeteer. If my life was indeed a book…it was being written FOR me! And, I wanted to burn that ugly book. I was riding a wave of normalness, settling for less, and endless compromising.

I realized that I owed it to the world to reconnect with the 7-year-old me, and chase my dreams! I believe the suppression of my God-given talents, gifts, and interests led to the bouts of depression. So, task #1…I quit my job in August of 2014, took out all the money I had saved over 12 years, and started a run that ultimately led me through 7 states and 1,700 miles (over a 4-month period). I hadn’t felt that free since Beverly Lane. This is my ship to sail…win, lose, or draw. This is MY story to write. Life is not about fitting in and compromising. Life is not even about success versus failure. Life is about touching your inner creative self, and sharing that magic with the world in your own beautiful way.

We all can learn from our 7-year-old selves. Before we got all bogged down by life, stress, and the endless material pursuits that never really fulfill us. Our younger selves are SO wise in terms of hopes and dreams, but yet we suppress it as we grow older. I now know that I am the author of my own life, and can rip out pages that don’t serve me anymore! So, go make mistakes, dare to dream, take chances, and follow your passions…because it is worth it! So, let me leave you with one question today as you embark on a new year. Who is writing your story?
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