Connections, Goals and Dreams

Connections are an interesting thing. You can develop them instantly or they can grow over a period of time. Regardless of how the speed of their development, the important connections have a significant impact on your life. Last summer I made a quick, but deep connection with a man who was a random stranger and is now a lifelong friend. If you've read my blog since the summer you've read some stories about him and how he's helped me on my healing journey.

At the end of 2018 I made another connection with someone who is waking up parts of me that I didn't realize were sleeping. I used to be a goal chaser and a big dreamer. You don't get a PhD and have 4 kids along the way without having big dreams and being a goal chaser. But the truth is after that HUGE accomplishment I didn't know what else to do. I had chased my goals and dreams and achieved them: I had my "perfect" family (2 of each and a husband), I earned that PhD and was finally feeling respected in my little setting. Where do you go from there? Well, real life hit and I had to get a job. I loved that job as a pediatric therapist. And that position led me to my current one. Sure, it wasn't the original one in my 5 year plan, but lets be clear that the 5 year plan never involved getting a divorce and facing the facts that my "perfect" family was a facade.

So here I am 5 years later at the same employer with a new book in hand, creating new chapters, soon to be closing out my old book. Many of these chapters are being created because of connections; from my one in Madison, to an old friend from TX, to my running buddy and to a new one here. Each of these connections is drawing out different parts of me, but this new connection, this one? This one has reminded me of those huge integral parts of me, the goals and dreams that I used to chase, as well as little things. Little things like how much I actually enjoy cooking and creating in the kitchen, how much I enjoy talking about the complexities of food, how much I enjoy being out in nature and finding time to honor those things. It's interesting how each of my connections helps me re-awaken, but this one is different. I can't pinpoint it exactly, but my other connections have helped me on different levels of healing. This one isn't about healing, it's about rediscovery amongst other things.

It's helping me to look in the mirror and find out what my new goals and dreams are. Isn't it fascinating that my line is about chasing dreams, and I haven't really been doing that the past 4 years or so. So now, with the unintended help of my new connection I am taking the time to really dream. What are those outlandish things that I want to do? How am I going to get them done? Just because I have 4 kids and am a single mom doesn't meant I can't conquer big things and chase big adventures. It just may look different than yours, and that's ok. This connection is helping me find more magic in my life. I know that won't make sense to many of you, but to a few of you, you know exactly what I mean. So stay tuned for adventures, magic, goals and dreams.