It's like unwrapping a great, big birthday present with a shiny bow...
one day at a time.

Picture
Happy half-birthday to me! (Well, close enough.)

In exactly 180 days from today, I'll be celebrating what some might say is a "milestone" birthday. I don't know if I really believe one birthday is more important than another, but I do admit to feeling a little something special about August 15, 2011...my 30th birthday. 
And I'll tell you why...

My parents say I came into this world knowing what I wanted.

I guess I can see what they mean...


Picture


And as that independent little tyke I knew what I
b e l i e v e d ...



that if I reached high enough I could touch the sky...


Picture


that wishes made on the night's brightest star really did come true...


Picture


that my mismatched outfits represented my unique sense of style and individuality...


Picture


that I could be absolutely anything that I wanted to be; the world was my canvas...


Picture




I know I'm not the only woman who lost touch with her dreams in the space between wide-eyed childhood
                                                                                                              w o n d e r...


Picture



and 20-something
                b e w i l d e r m e n t ...



Picture



somewhere along the way I let go of those dreams I once believed came in two sizes, and two sizes only:
b i g  a n d  B I G G E R ...


Picture



and I replaced them with what I thought would look
i m p o r t a n t. . . 
                                            i m p r e s s i v e. . .
                                                                                          s u c c e s s f u l. . .


but in the end, none of the masks I wore ever really felt like me.


Picture


then, not so long ago, someone told me I was brave, and this made something inside me leap with joy...


Picture



I realized the little girl, with dreams as deep as the ocean and faith as high as the clouds wasn't lost...



Picture



she was simply waiting for me to invite her out to play...



Picture



So today I am. I am inviting her and her beautiful, honest, bold, brave and colorful dreams back into my life. The exact shape and form of these dreams are still a little hazy to me, the way a dream escapes you upon waking from a long night's slumber. But I do know it involves writing, adventure, freedom, curiosity and lots of delicious creativity.


Picture


Today, I'm embarking an a 180-day journey that involves a complete 180 degree turn where my life's purpose is concerned. And as I skip and stumble down my yellow brick road, I'll take moments here and there to reflect on the journey, celebrate the stepping stones and contemplate how to move around any obstacles I encounter along the way. It's my hope that my journey toward a dream fulfilled inspires other dreamers to chart their own course to a...

l i f e  l i v e d  o n  p u r p o s e!


Picture


Are you ready?
I most certainly am.

L e t ' s  g o!