Partying With What Is

In two weeks, I’ll be 30-years-old. There’s something about entering the third decade of my life that sparks a bit of nostalgia and contemplation about where I’ve been and what’s to come.

Since high school, my life was mapped out: I would go to college, land my dream job, and then settle down in the suburbs with my husband and three kids. But as with many things in life, not everything goes according to plan. Instead of landing my dream job, I started my own business and as far as settling down, well, that hasn’t quite happened yet.

My twenties have been the trial-and-error phase of my life. I pursued jobs, relationships and hobbies without making any type of long-lasting commitment. I became an “escape artist,” and when things grew stale I bailed. While family members and close friends pleaded with me to be more reasonable in my pursuits and do something more stable, living a simple, cookie-cutter life for the sake of security wasn’t for me.

Looking back, I wonder how things may have turned out differently–if only I had played it safe. Would I be married by now with three kids? Or would I have avoided years of heartache? Maybe so, but I would hate to have gone through life never knowing what I could have been or what I could have done had I chosen to take more risks. Our experiences shape us into who we’re meant to be, and even though there may be detours along the way, there’s always another opportunity to get back on track.

So, do I have regrets? Not the least bit. My only regret is that I wasted too many precious moments fretting over situations that were beyond my control. Experience has taught me that the more you go along with the flow of life and follow your bliss, the more good things will come your way. While it’s important to have some sort of a direction, it’s equally important to savor the journey along the way–the good, the bad and the ugly.

How do you plan to bloom during the next 12 months? Are you flirting with the idea of starting your own design business? Then start taking some business classes or reach out to someone who is where you’d like to be. If you have been thinking about writing a book, sign up for a writing workshop to get your creating juices flowing. Whatever your desires are, making your creative dreams real is all about putting yourself out there and throwing caution to the wind. There’s never a right time to start pursuing your dreams. Then trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).