My wings

Happy Tuesday,

How are you all doing on this fine Tuesday afternoon? I hope your staying safe and dry. This rain is something we very much need, but, it is causing some hiccups along the way. Looks like more rain for a couple more days, so stay safe if you must venture out in this weather.

The last few days I’ve been super busy trying to figure out the best way to get my book published and I think I’m going with, self publishing, that is, after I talk to an attorney to make sure I’m good to go. I also wanted to let you know that I will be starting a newsletter within the next couple of weeks. John helped me put a schedule together so that I can stay more focused, after all, we creators tend to have, at times, scattered thoughts. I have so much I want to accomplish, but staying focused seems to be my biggest obstical.

I’ll be doing a lot less busy work and will be concentrating more on my passions, like writing. I have this looooong list of the things I want to accomplish, yet, I allow myself to get side tracked, so I’m hopefully changing that habit, one day at a time. Check list in hand and with each day I’m blessed to be a part of, I’ll hopefully be checking the boxes off my to-do list.

Life has a crazy way of catching us off guard, almost to the point, we stumble and fall. Those falls, become some of our biggest challenges. They become lessons that hopefully we learn. I believe our challenges and lessons, are what make us stronger.

I saw this beautiful quote and when I read it I knew it was written for me. I’m sure you know how that feels. You go to church or you hear a podcast or maybe something penned in the pages of your favorite book speaks to you like an old friend and you know the words are meant for you.

“I keep going because I was given no other choice. It was either fall or fly, and that’s the story of how I got my wings.”-SGabardi.

I’m proud of my wings. I may not always be proud of the choices I’ve made getting here, but I am proud of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. One of my favorite motivational speakers/podcasters lately is Mel Robbins. There’s something about the way she speaks to her audience that keeps me captivated. She’s honest and real. No BS, just the facts. She gives you the boost, the motivation and the kick in the booty you need, or should I say, that I need.

“Getting my wings continues to be one heck of a journey, and for the most part, I’m embracing the ride. Oh sure, from time to time I go back into my cocoon and hide, and those are the times you’ll find me deep in prayer, working on finding a way to expand my wings and fly again. I am excited for the day when my wings are fully extended and I take flight to the 4 corners of the earth, seeing new and wonderful things. Meeting new friends along the way and coming home to my little bubble, all nestled behind the gates and hidden away from the chaos of the world, where my home awaits me.

“I will be as a butterfly who sheds its cocoon from it’s newly winged body and fly’s away with many new and beautiful secrets to tell.”-April Peerless.

I may be 55 years young, however, as long as I am able, I will continue to pursue my passions. Sometimes we assume because someone is at the middle part of their life, they are on the downward path. I beg to differ. I think there’s some truth to the 30 is the new 20 and the 40 is the new 30 thing. Just because we hit a certain number, doesn’t mean we’re destined to expire soon. We should be living each day as though it’s a gift, a blessing. Life shouldn’t be wasted and getting older is certainly not for the weak. It’s dang hard hitting certain milestones of age. Heck, I never thought about pain before, but I have it every day. I never thought I’d forget things and not be able to focus, concentrate or even form a thought, but I have those days too.

I feel like a person could easily submit to age, but we have two choices with submitting. We can submit and stop living and pursing things or we can submit and take the numbers by the horns and strive to do all the things we couldn’t for whatever reason when we were young. “I get tired of ‘under 40 lists.’ Show me someone who got their PhD at 60 after losing everything. Give me the 70-year-old debut novelist who writes from a lifetime of love and grief. Give me calloused hands and tender hearts.”-Doug Murano.

Our wings should be like the tail of a lizard. When cut off, they grow back. We go through different phases in this life and some of those phases are way more difficult then others, but, we have a choice to make, we accept or we succumb. It’s okay to take a moment and compose ourselves, especially when life hits us hard, but what an amazing thing it is to pick ourselves up, rediscover who we are and get back on the path that was meant for us to travel.

My wings most definitely are not perfect, not even close. They have a few tears and more than a spot or two, but each imperfection has a story of how they got there and I’m happy to tell those stories, right here in lovelifewithdawna.

I am growing into the best version of myself and my wings are growing along with me. My wings are my testimony to the life I’ve lived. I hope at the end of my journey, you’ll read my story and see, not everything was good, I endured trials and tribulations and I succeeded. I wasn’t defined by my mistakes, shortcomings and indiscretions, I am defined by the love in my heart, the rising above it all and by the steps I took to help people in a way I feel I’m called to do by my creator.

Like the butterfly, my wings will continue to unfold until the day they fly no more.

Until next time, I hope and pray, you continue to grow and along the way of your journey of life, don’t forget, Love Life++ hugs….