Author's Message

Hello,

I have been doing some thinking lately about life and the paths it leads us on. One aspect of life that I have often marveled at is the amazing strength of “coincidences”. I personally do not believe in “coincidences”. I believe that everything that happens for a reason. That everyone we meet in our life, we meet for a reason. The question lies in what we do with the “coincidences” that occur in our life.

That we are on this planet together bumping into one another, living our lives, trying to bring to fruition the dreams that we have created in our minds, is no accident. Think back to a time when you met someone and immediately you felt a kinship with him or her, and on some level felt like you had known them before. How many times even with this incredible feeling of knowing, have you let that person leave your life? Why? Often time society plays a big part in that. We have become creatures of following the rules. What rules, you ask? Good question!

Looking back at my life, I was struck with the understanding that I had been living my life by a universal rulebook that people had handed down to me. The rulebook has never been put into writing because then we could argue against the validity of the rules. Nevertheless, others have passed an unseen set of rules to us. These rules are standard, strong, and most of the time set in stone. We don’t question when someone tells us that the person we are interested in is not appropriate. We do not balk when someone tells us that reaching for that promotion is aiming too high. We do not even balk when people tell us that trying to be a good mom and work at the same time is not possible. Villa in Tuscany, abundance of fun, having it all….how dare we dream for so much. We believe when someone tells us that we must set “realistic” goals and dreams. If it is a goal or a dream….why would we want it to be realistic?

I think there are two energies at work here. First off, rules give direction to those who are not sure of where they are going. Stop here. Turn right there. It is easy to maneuver your way through life if you have an instruction manual. Secondly, we do not know our own power or recognize our spirit talking to us. We have been conditioned to ignore that little voice in our head or the twinge in our gut. We have been taught that being a martyr is being respectful and humble. To give up on what we want because someone else doesn’t agree with our desires is what is expected of us. How dare you think that you can have the love of your life, your dream job, and peace in your life? Who do you think you are? Our society, and by that I mean those too afraid to step outside of the box, want us to tow the line. By doing what everyone else does, it gives a safety net to those who are too fearful to make a run for their dreams.

I followed the rulebook for many years and I was only moderately happy. With dramatic and cataclysmic changes in my life, I was rocked off my stable yet approved path. As I decided to veer off the usual course and try running up the hill of my life on an uncharted path, I was brought a joy, excitement, and a fulfillment that walking the treadmill of sameness had never had created in me. I determined for myself, that this feeling was how I was going to continue my course in life. My life will not be just good enough. I want my life to be extraordinary!

So my question is to you, who do you want to be? You will get to the end of your life no matter what path you take. What you determine is what kind of life will you be living for the next 50, 60, 70 years? The greats in this world, the people that have achieved unheard of bliss always tied up their laces and took off for unseen territories. Yes, you will fall and scrape your knee sometime, but you will heal stronger than before. Life is about the scrapes, cuts, bruises that evolve us into stronger versions of who we used to be. I may end up with cartons of books in my garage. I may have heartache from a love that did not culminate. I may trip as I walk across the floor of Oprah’s stage. What a time I will have! Someday as I sit on my porch thinking back on my life as I lived it, I will smile and know that I took the risks and made the most of what God had put in front of me. In the dusk of my years the friends that are with me will toast me with their Lorena Lemonade and I will smile in the knowledge that I used a hell of a lot of band-aids in my life and boy did it feel good!
 

Lorena