I hang up the phone from yet another political survey and wrinkle my nose with annoyance as I try to remember what I had been doing before the phone rang. It is nobody's business but my own who I plan to vote for next week ... and my thoughts wander ...
Everyone is unique and has a variety of differences ... differences in appearance, talents, personality, heredity, experiences, etc., and with that, everyone also is entitled to their own opinion! We each have an opinion on little things such as our favorite color and our preferences in food. We also each have our own values and ideas and ways we view the world. We have our own views on what it means to be a good parent, a good child, a good teacher, employee, supervisor, community member, community leader, and even the President of the United States. There are many more people in the world than I can count, but I know for a fact, it is absolutely impossible to agree with them all!
We may have some opinions of which we are not very convicted ... we may choose blue for some things, but brown for others ... and we may feel like eating pickles one day and cupcakes the next. But on other issues, we might hold much stronger convictions ... such as on the subjects of parenting, religion or politics. We may hold strongly to making it to every game or recital for our children or making time for family meals ... we may feel it is mandatory to make it to church every Sunday morning ... and we may be a staunch Republican or Democrat...
Of course, we probably believe our own opinions and decisions are correct or we wouldn't
feel so strongly about them. However, it is important
to remember to respect the different decisions and opinions of others as well. Again, we are all unique and are entitled to our own opinions.
For that matter ... imagine if everyone in the world had the same opinions ... there would be no variety, creativity, conversation or debate. There would be no new ideas, change, moments to learn from or opportunities for growth ...
My thoughts go on and on and I suddenly remember what I had been doing when the phone rang ... I proceed to dial the number for Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant and await an answer on the other end of the phone. "Yes, I'd like to place an order" I reply when my call is answered. I order a taco salad, an avocado tostada and two burgers with fries ... although my family agrees on fitting in our family meals, we don't all agree on the same types of food ... but that's okay ... we probably won't discuss the election either!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
It's HERE!!! Check it out!!
I am so excited (that is all I can say right now) Check it out ... I am definitely "Happy Today!" :)
I'd Give You My Life - Kendra Kleve : AuthorHouse
It will also be available soon at "Happiness Is" in Decorah, Iowa. (Watch for more information ... you could even get a signed copy!)
Also, please check out my facebook page titled "I'd Give You My Life (A Mother's Wish For Her Children) By Kendra Kleve" and be sure to "Like" my page!!
I'd Give You My Life - Kendra Kleve : AuthorHouse
It will also be available soon at "Happiness Is" in Decorah, Iowa. (Watch for more information ... you could even get a signed copy!)
Also, please check out my facebook page titled "I'd Give You My Life (A Mother's Wish For Her Children) By Kendra Kleve" and be sure to "Like" my page!!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
A crisp, autumn breeze greets me as I head out the door for
my daily walk and I instinctively hug my shoulders to stay warm. The quiet of the morning fills my soul as I
am surrounded by the gentle pitter patter of falling leaves. Bright orange and yellow maple leaves are my
favorite part of autumn … I long to dive into the nearest pile, but manage to
contain myself … I only wish my children would not have outgrown our annual
leaf-diving rituals!! (Maybe I can still
try to convince them to join me later today.)
As I head around the corner, I am blinded by the rising sun reminding me
that the afternoon should be a little warmer once the sun has fully risen. Through the quiet of the morning, I hear the
hum of a far off tractor and my thoughts go out to my husband. Although today is Sunday and routinely a day
for quality, family bonding, the kids and I will have to find other ways to
spend the day since Shawn will be confined to the field once again. It seems like forever since I have actually
spent time with him during waking hours!
Although in many respects, autumn is my favorite season, being a “harvest
widow” can be very challenging on my patience!!
They have always said that “patience is a virtue” but no one
ever said it would be easy! Although
waiting is often the hardest part, many things are truly worth waiting
for. Often we wait … we wait for prayers
to be answered, wait on nature to take its course, wait for our hard work to
show fruits of our labor. We wait on
babies to be conceived, and to be delivered … we wait for our children to learn
and grow to become successful men and women.
We may even have to wait for our niece or daughter or friend to write
another blog post. :-)
But an important thing to note, is that patience is not to
be confused with procrastination ... waiting til the time is right, til
tomorrow, til next spring, til next year, or “someday” … til the kids have grown,
til we lose 5 pounds, til our inbox is
empty … (These are all excuses!)
Patience is meant for things that are beyond our control!
Now, as I sit in my living room surrounded by piles of
unfolded laundry (oh damn, that’s procrastination), I am startled by the ringing
of the phone. It is my husband calling
to say that he may make it home for supper tonight. I head into the kitchen, take some meat out
to thaw and open the refrigerator to find that we are out of milk. With a smile on my face and a spring in my
step, I head out the door to get a gallon of milk from the Mini Mart up the
street. On the way, I swing into the
post office to see if the first printing of my book has arrived yet from the
publishers.
To my readers (you know who you are), I leave you with
this … “Good things come to those who wait!”
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Just Do It!
Time has once again escaped my grasp and it has been nearly
a month since my last blog post. When I
last wrote, I had the ill-conceived notion that life would slow down once the
kids were back in school … but I was greatly mistaken! Baseball and softball simply gave way to
football and volleyball, and dance competitions turned back into weekly dance
classes. A new school year brought with
it a plethora of homework for the kids while continuous deadlines still greet
me at the office and my husband has recently left me widow for the demands of
fall harvest.
Meanwhile, I have been diving back into the goals which I
had set aside for the summer. I have
recently become immersed in the final publishing stages of my book and my
thoughts are consumed with perfecting the final details. The journey of putting this book together has
been a blast (for the most part) with dreams turning into plans and plans
turning into actions and visions becoming reality right before my eyes! The support and encouragement of my family
has been amazing as they held my hand while I dove into big decisions, waited while I stopped
to get a photo or two (or maybe six), and continually reviewed the entire book
for the umpteenth time just because I added (or changed) a particular photo or
word.
However, with the final proof and changes staring me in the
face and the finish line drawing near, suddenly fear has set in and I feel the
need to procrastinate! Why is it that
making the final changes, hitting that “send” button and taking a step over
the finish line is such a challenge? I
guess because we can’t go back once we’ve reached our goals … and the "what if’s"
suddenly take over … What if this was a bad idea?
What if I make a mistake? What if
the publishers make a mistake? What if
it doesn’t turn out like I planned? What
if the poem wasn’t really worth publishing?
What if people think I am “crazy” … or worse yet a “terrible writer”? (the list goes on and on) …
I think this is common as we come close to reaching any goal. I know others who have gone through this
process with other major life decisions … deciding to take on a new job, or to
retire after many years of working, or perhaps to leave a bad marriage after
many years of trying. Like my book, these
are all things that we may have been thinking of for years, planning for,
changing our minds a few times, and changing our minds again … for quite awhile. Although these are things we may know we
want, the final decisions are always the hardest. Accepting the new job, making your retirement
date official, or perhaps signing the divorce papers are all similar to my “hitting
the send button”. Of course, these
examples are much greater decisions than my meager little book, but the goal
and decision process are the same.
Ultimately, as we reach our goals, we need to go ahead and take that step over the finish line and not look back!! The important thing to remember is that we can
be proud of the courage and effort it took to tackle our goals and take charge
of our own happiness. Of course there is
no way to know what the final product will be like … and it can be scary … but
we need to learn to face our fears and accept the risk of making mistakes. As a wise person recently told me, “if we don’t
make mistakes we aren’t living.” So, if
it is something you really want to do, you need to go for it … or in the words of NIKE,
“Just Do It!” ... Now can someone please hit the “send” button for me?
Saturday, September 1, 2012
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
I finish lacing up my tennis shoes and glance at my watch as I head out the door for my morning walk. Although the kids have been in school for a week now, we are anticipating another hot, summer-like day and an early out for the students; but for now, the air still feels cooler and I take a deep breath convincing myself to continue down the road rather than opting for a cup of coffee on the porch.
My mind wanders as I head toward the park and I think about the things I have planned for the day as well as for the coming season. Now that the kids are back in school again, it is time to step back onto the path toward those goals once again. The summer flew by and much of my time consisted of running after my children as they pursued their activities. Although I loved every last second of it, it is rather refreshing to slow down my pace at least a little bit with the change of the season. It seems that with the rush of summer, it is easy to let personal goals fall by the way side. I know that in my case, I purposely set aside some of my goals with the intent that I would pick up where I left off when the kids went back to school. Perhaps you did the same.
But then there are the goals that are a personal challenge in the first place, such as our bad habits, and are easy to lose ground on when we find an excuse. Perhaps you had exercise and weight loss goals and made progress throughout the first part of the year; but with the hustle and bustle of the summer, you lost track of your exercise program, gave in to unhealthy foods, and even gained a few pounds. Maybe you had planned on saving money to put toward a bucket list vacation, but ended up spending the money on other expenses. Perhaps you had planned to spend more quality time with family or find time for yourself, but in an effort to "get all your work done" before you could "allow" yourself time for personal gain, you ended up rarely finding time for the things you would have enjoyed. Whatever your goals, perhaps you took one step forward this year, only to find that you took two steps back in recent months. That is okay. We could get caught up in blaming others and finding excuses for our recent lack of progress (that is easy to do) but ultimately we are each in charge of our own decisions each day. The year is not over yet!
It is time to take a deep breath, accept our lack of progress and add these items to the list of goals once again ... no need to give up and take five steps back! These goals should not be viewed as "failures" or things we are unable to achieve. These goals should simply be viewed as our greatest personal challenges ... ultimately, they may be our greatest accomplishments someday ... we are bound to get it right eventually! Now lets turn ourselves around, tackle these challenges, and take "one step forward" toward that goal line once again!! I know we can do it. Are you with me?
My mind wanders as I head toward the park and I think about the things I have planned for the day as well as for the coming season. Now that the kids are back in school again, it is time to step back onto the path toward those goals once again. The summer flew by and much of my time consisted of running after my children as they pursued their activities. Although I loved every last second of it, it is rather refreshing to slow down my pace at least a little bit with the change of the season. It seems that with the rush of summer, it is easy to let personal goals fall by the way side. I know that in my case, I purposely set aside some of my goals with the intent that I would pick up where I left off when the kids went back to school. Perhaps you did the same.
But then there are the goals that are a personal challenge in the first place, such as our bad habits, and are easy to lose ground on when we find an excuse. Perhaps you had exercise and weight loss goals and made progress throughout the first part of the year; but with the hustle and bustle of the summer, you lost track of your exercise program, gave in to unhealthy foods, and even gained a few pounds. Maybe you had planned on saving money to put toward a bucket list vacation, but ended up spending the money on other expenses. Perhaps you had planned to spend more quality time with family or find time for yourself, but in an effort to "get all your work done" before you could "allow" yourself time for personal gain, you ended up rarely finding time for the things you would have enjoyed. Whatever your goals, perhaps you took one step forward this year, only to find that you took two steps back in recent months. That is okay. We could get caught up in blaming others and finding excuses for our recent lack of progress (that is easy to do) but ultimately we are each in charge of our own decisions each day. The year is not over yet!
It is time to take a deep breath, accept our lack of progress and add these items to the list of goals once again ... no need to give up and take five steps back! These goals should not be viewed as "failures" or things we are unable to achieve. These goals should simply be viewed as our greatest personal challenges ... ultimately, they may be our greatest accomplishments someday ... we are bound to get it right eventually! Now lets turn ourselves around, tackle these challenges, and take "one step forward" toward that goal line once again!! I know we can do it. Are you with me?
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Summer's End ...
As an enjoyable and eventful summer comes to an end, my family and I will soon
be trading in our shorts and flip flops for sweaters and jeans and the kids
have already traded in their ball gloves for volleyballs and football gear.
The season itself has packed up its sun-filled days and blossoming fields to
make room for colorful trees and cooler nights. As I sit on the front porch,
I wonder where the summer has gone, and as I think back, I recall exactly how
the Kleve family summer went ...
Of course, as many of you know, our summer consisted of baseball games and
dance competitions; but our summer also involved much more than that. It was
a time of shared family moments and memories to last a lifetime. Throughout
the summer, we shared simple moments including many evenings grilling supper
on the porch and we even found a night or two to roast hot dogs and
marshmallows around the fire pit. We had a few movie nights when it was too
hot and we were too tired to go outside, and we had a number of family ball
games in the back yard when our busy schedules and the weather would allow.
The kids and I found time to add an item to our bucket lists (and check it
off) as we spent an eventful evening eating supper with my mother at the
Japanese Hibachi Grill in Prairie Du Chien. Although sitting around a hot,
flaming grill is probably more suited for cooler weather, we enjoyed watching
and participating as the chef did his grilling and we enjoyed trying new foods
and spending some quality time with "Grandma Net".
Shawn and I and the kids especially enjoyed our annual family vacation the
last week in July. The six day trip was too long to describe in detail, but
we had a wonderful time making family memories and checking a variety of items
off of our bucket lists. The items included attending a Kansas City Royals
baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City; attending a St. Louis
Cardinals baseball game at Busch stadium in St. Louis, Missouri; and touring
Arrowhead stadium where the Kansas City Chiefs play professional football. We
also enjoyed eating at a Brazillian Steakhouse for the first time; watching a
Urinetown production in a Theater in the Park; touring one of only 12 federal
reserve banks in the US; riding a tram to the top of the Gateway Arch; touring
the Anheuseur-Busch Brewing company (our second brewery tour on our bucket
list) and climbing around on a ropes course 19 feet in the air. We enjoyed
quiet, family moments hanging out in our hotel room, swimming in the hotel
pool, playing simple games like air hockey, and ordering pizza to be delivered
to our room after a long day of adventure. We also partook in some traditional
vacation moments such as taking a riverboat tour on the Mississippi River and
going to Build a Bear Workshop where Karissa made her fourth Build-A-Bear
souvenier of our vacationing career.
Throughout the summer, we found time to attend two family reunions -- the Koch
family reunion on my mother's extended side of the family as well as the Bohr
family reunion with many of my aunts, uncles and first cousins from my Dad's
side. We also enjoyed an evening of Kleve family bonding when my
sister-in-law, Nikki, came home from Chicago.
Recently, we enjoyed some family bonding time with my brother, Rob, and his wife,
Jessica, when they came home from Arizona so our family could put on a successful,
scholarship fundraising event in our brother, Adam's, memory. Last weekend, we held
the 2nd annual, Adam J Bohr Celebration and Casino Night. It was an excellent way to
spend time honoring Adam, celebrating his life and raising money to continue funding the
Scholarship set up in his memory. A lot of work went into planning and organizing the event throughout the summer and it culminated into a memorable event with lots of
socializing, casino fun, and a successful silent auction and great raffle
give-aways. I am grateful to all who participated in any way and look forward
to another successful event again next year.
Lastly, as the kids started back to school this week, we gave our summer one
last hurrah as Shawn and I and the kids headed to Des Moines yesterday for a
bonding, family weekend and an Iowa Cubs minor league baseball game. We
enjoyed a four-hour-or-so drive to Des Moines since we forgot our tickets at
home and had to turn around and get them (good thing we had left early). In
Des Moines, we checked out the Iowa Hall of Fame before heading to the hotel.
It was a rainy day and the hotel had an outdoor pool, so we didn't
spend any time swimming on this excursion. Once checked in, we had a nice
meal at Mescotti's, an Italian restaurant not far from the hotel. We shared
good food and some great laughs as we enjoyed our time at the restaurant.
Luckily, the rainy day subsided to simply a cool, damp evening as we headed
into Principal Park for the game. We enjoyed watching the game and hoped for
extra innings (or at least not a rain-out) as the Cubs beat the Oklahoma City
Red Hawks 4 to 1. Around 10 pm, we headed back to our hotel where we settled
in for the night, watched a little TV, and called it a day. This morning we
slept in, grabbed a bite at Perkins and headed back home and back to
reality once again.
Now tonight, as the kids work on their homework for tomorrow, I peel a
few cucumbers and slice a couple tomatoes as we anticipate Shawn coming home
any moment for supper. We will be grilling hamburgers once again and enjoying a
few laughs on the porch. Although summer may have "ended", we are simply beginning
the next season as we look forward to an autumn filled with more family fun. We did have an
eventful and enjoyable summer ... now I better go start the grill so it's ready when Shawn gets home ...
be trading in our shorts and flip flops for sweaters and jeans and the kids
have already traded in their ball gloves for volleyballs and football gear.
The season itself has packed up its sun-filled days and blossoming fields to
make room for colorful trees and cooler nights. As I sit on the front porch,
I wonder where the summer has gone, and as I think back, I recall exactly how
the Kleve family summer went ...
Of course, as many of you know, our summer consisted of baseball games and
dance competitions; but our summer also involved much more than that. It was
a time of shared family moments and memories to last a lifetime. Throughout
the summer, we shared simple moments including many evenings grilling supper
on the porch and we even found a night or two to roast hot dogs and
marshmallows around the fire pit. We had a few movie nights when it was too
hot and we were too tired to go outside, and we had a number of family ball
games in the back yard when our busy schedules and the weather would allow.
The kids and I found time to add an item to our bucket lists (and check it
off) as we spent an eventful evening eating supper with my mother at the
Japanese Hibachi Grill in Prairie Du Chien. Although sitting around a hot,
flaming grill is probably more suited for cooler weather, we enjoyed watching
and participating as the chef did his grilling and we enjoyed trying new foods
and spending some quality time with "Grandma Net".
Shawn and I and the kids especially enjoyed our annual family vacation the
last week in July. The six day trip was too long to describe in detail, but
we had a wonderful time making family memories and checking a variety of items
off of our bucket lists. The items included attending a Kansas City Royals
baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City; attending a St. Louis
Cardinals baseball game at Busch stadium in St. Louis, Missouri; and touring
Arrowhead stadium where the Kansas City Chiefs play professional football. We
also enjoyed eating at a Brazillian Steakhouse for the first time; watching a
Urinetown production in a Theater in the Park; touring one of only 12 federal
reserve banks in the US; riding a tram to the top of the Gateway Arch; touring
the Anheuseur-Busch Brewing company (our second brewery tour on our bucket
list) and climbing around on a ropes course 19 feet in the air. We enjoyed
quiet, family moments hanging out in our hotel room, swimming in the hotel
pool, playing simple games like air hockey, and ordering pizza to be delivered
to our room after a long day of adventure. We also partook in some traditional
vacation moments such as taking a riverboat tour on the Mississippi River and
going to Build a Bear Workshop where Karissa made her fourth Build-A-Bear
souvenier of our vacationing career.
Throughout the summer, we found time to attend two family reunions -- the Koch
family reunion on my mother's extended side of the family as well as the Bohr
family reunion with many of my aunts, uncles and first cousins from my Dad's
side. We also enjoyed an evening of Kleve family bonding when my
sister-in-law, Nikki, came home from Chicago.
Recently, we enjoyed some family bonding time with my brother, Rob, and his wife,
Jessica, when they came home from Arizona so our family could put on a successful,
scholarship fundraising event in our brother, Adam's, memory. Last weekend, we held
the 2nd annual, Adam J Bohr Celebration and Casino Night. It was an excellent way to
spend time honoring Adam, celebrating his life and raising money to continue funding the
Scholarship set up in his memory. A lot of work went into planning and organizing the event throughout the summer and it culminated into a memorable event with lots of
socializing, casino fun, and a successful silent auction and great raffle
give-aways. I am grateful to all who participated in any way and look forward
to another successful event again next year.
Lastly, as the kids started back to school this week, we gave our summer one
last hurrah as Shawn and I and the kids headed to Des Moines yesterday for a
bonding, family weekend and an Iowa Cubs minor league baseball game. We
enjoyed a four-hour-or-so drive to Des Moines since we forgot our tickets at
home and had to turn around and get them (good thing we had left early). In
Des Moines, we checked out the Iowa Hall of Fame before heading to the hotel.
It was a rainy day and the hotel had an outdoor pool, so we didn't
spend any time swimming on this excursion. Once checked in, we had a nice
meal at Mescotti's, an Italian restaurant not far from the hotel. We shared
good food and some great laughs as we enjoyed our time at the restaurant.
Luckily, the rainy day subsided to simply a cool, damp evening as we headed
into Principal Park for the game. We enjoyed watching the game and hoped for
extra innings (or at least not a rain-out) as the Cubs beat the Oklahoma City
Red Hawks 4 to 1. Around 10 pm, we headed back to our hotel where we settled
in for the night, watched a little TV, and called it a day. This morning we
slept in, grabbed a bite at Perkins and headed back home and back to
reality once again.
Now tonight, as the kids work on their homework for tomorrow, I peel a
few cucumbers and slice a couple tomatoes as we anticipate Shawn coming home
any moment for supper. We will be grilling hamburgers once again and enjoying a
few laughs on the porch. Although summer may have "ended", we are simply beginning
the next season as we look forward to an autumn filled with more family fun. We did have an
eventful and enjoyable summer ... now I better go start the grill so it's ready when Shawn gets home ...
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Reaching for the Stars
When children are small, they dream of becoming famous singers, dancers and performers, professional athletes, astronauts, doctors, published authors and even the President of the United States. Well, why not? It never hurts to dream big and aim for the stars!!
Yesterday I watched a number of talented performers compete in the Bill Riley Talent show at the Iowa State Fair. Karissa and her partner, Brooke, had a successful year at area county fairs winning first place in both Winneshiek and Howard Counties and placing second in Fredericksburg as well. Because of their accomplishments, they were chosen to compete at the Iowa State Fair. I would say simply having the honor of performing on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage is a major accomplishment and I am very proud of the girls!! The girls should also be proud of their own accomplishments and proud of their hard work, courage and talent ... but they should keep aiming for those stars as well ... and a first place win next year at the Iowa State Fair!
Throughout the summer, I have enjoyed watching a number of talented and brave performers attempting to tackle their dreams. Whether officially winning or losing, all of these performers are winners of some sort ... destined for greatness ... achievers at attempting to reach their goals ... at facing their fears ... trying their hardest to do their best at the things they enjoy ... and inspiring others to have the courage to do the things that they dream of as well. You never know, the singer that sang off key because she was scared, may be the next American Idol ... the gymnast that lost her balance and fell may learn how to pick herself up and continue on when she fails ... and the dancer that continuously places second or even sixth may learn that life does not always work out as you planned and be determined to work even harder each time. These performers are ALL winners ... even if it is simply at finding a pride in knowing that they gave their dreams a shot.
In my opinion, one key to aiming for the stars is remembering to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground as you climb up that mountain! So you want to become a major league baseball player ... well by all means aim for it ... but always remember to keep "realistic" ideas in check as well. It is important to continue your education (maybe you can be a walk-on for the college baseball team). In the end, if you don't quite make it as a major league star, you may have at least managed to climb up a mountain to be a successful coach, or sports writer, or a farmer who plays softball in his spare time ... or perhaps you may be the best parent coach for your son or daughter's little league team some day! Those would all be successes to be proud of!
To speak from experience, for an English class my sophomore year in high school, we each wrote a hypothetical letter to ourselves about 15 or 20 years after graduation. In my letter, I indicated that I was happily married, had two children and lived on the beach front. I was a famous, published novelist and was well on my way writing a book of poems. Well, in reality, it is now just over 20 years since I graduated from high school. I am happily married and have two children. I am in the process of publishing my first coffee table book, have written a plethora of poems and have begun writing a blog to share with the world. I do not live on the beach front (though I have visited it at least) and the Turkey River runs not too far away from my house. :) Although I am certainly not a famous, published novelist (yet), I would say I have succeeded at climbing at least a small mountain.
So my advice to you is simple. Keep aiming for the stars ... find your passion ... live your passion (whatever makes you happy.) Climb up the mountain ... you can do it ... you just have to give it a try! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't or that your dreams are silly or unattainable! Although you will win some and lose some, it always pays to keep on trying ... don't give up! If it is your passion, keep aiming for those stars with your head held high and your feet firmly planted on the ground. With each step, you will be that much closer to the top of the mountain and ultimately closer to the stars ... I know in my heart you can do it ... you just have to believe ...
Yesterday I watched a number of talented performers compete in the Bill Riley Talent show at the Iowa State Fair. Karissa and her partner, Brooke, had a successful year at area county fairs winning first place in both Winneshiek and Howard Counties and placing second in Fredericksburg as well. Because of their accomplishments, they were chosen to compete at the Iowa State Fair. I would say simply having the honor of performing on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage is a major accomplishment and I am very proud of the girls!! The girls should also be proud of their own accomplishments and proud of their hard work, courage and talent ... but they should keep aiming for those stars as well ... and a first place win next year at the Iowa State Fair!
Throughout the summer, I have enjoyed watching a number of talented and brave performers attempting to tackle their dreams. Whether officially winning or losing, all of these performers are winners of some sort ... destined for greatness ... achievers at attempting to reach their goals ... at facing their fears ... trying their hardest to do their best at the things they enjoy ... and inspiring others to have the courage to do the things that they dream of as well. You never know, the singer that sang off key because she was scared, may be the next American Idol ... the gymnast that lost her balance and fell may learn how to pick herself up and continue on when she fails ... and the dancer that continuously places second or even sixth may learn that life does not always work out as you planned and be determined to work even harder each time. These performers are ALL winners ... even if it is simply at finding a pride in knowing that they gave their dreams a shot.
In my opinion, one key to aiming for the stars is remembering to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground as you climb up that mountain! So you want to become a major league baseball player ... well by all means aim for it ... but always remember to keep "realistic" ideas in check as well. It is important to continue your education (maybe you can be a walk-on for the college baseball team). In the end, if you don't quite make it as a major league star, you may have at least managed to climb up a mountain to be a successful coach, or sports writer, or a farmer who plays softball in his spare time ... or perhaps you may be the best parent coach for your son or daughter's little league team some day! Those would all be successes to be proud of!
To speak from experience, for an English class my sophomore year in high school, we each wrote a hypothetical letter to ourselves about 15 or 20 years after graduation. In my letter, I indicated that I was happily married, had two children and lived on the beach front. I was a famous, published novelist and was well on my way writing a book of poems. Well, in reality, it is now just over 20 years since I graduated from high school. I am happily married and have two children. I am in the process of publishing my first coffee table book, have written a plethora of poems and have begun writing a blog to share with the world. I do not live on the beach front (though I have visited it at least) and the Turkey River runs not too far away from my house. :) Although I am certainly not a famous, published novelist (yet), I would say I have succeeded at climbing at least a small mountain.
So my advice to you is simple. Keep aiming for the stars ... find your passion ... live your passion (whatever makes you happy.) Climb up the mountain ... you can do it ... you just have to give it a try! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't or that your dreams are silly or unattainable! Although you will win some and lose some, it always pays to keep on trying ... don't give up! If it is your passion, keep aiming for those stars with your head held high and your feet firmly planted on the ground. With each step, you will be that much closer to the top of the mountain and ultimately closer to the stars ... I know in my heart you can do it ... you just have to believe ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)