Shooting Stars...

Feeling the cool night air on my left cheek as a light breeze makes its way through the wheat fields, bringing a sweet smell across the trampoline. Blankets are piled high. We are slowly sinking into the middle due to the weight of myself and my best friend Cheryl lying on our backs. We have been giggling, singing and jumping into the blankets for hours. Just made our final plunge into the comfy nest. Here we are, for a moment, silent. Staring at the stars. Our minds are calm and full of wonder. We lie there just long enough for two 11 year olds to take in the vastness of the Milky Way. It illuminates in contrast to the black of the night. We point out the big dipper (that is the only one we know) and make up our own characters in the twinkling stars above. We pretend that the satellites slowly moving across the sky are aliens here to explore our galaxy. They are shy and want to make sure we are friends before they make contact (Oh the joys of the innocent). The satellites are accompanied by shooting stars...my favorite. Shooting stars meant wishes and wishes meant dreams...one thing I did and still do often.

For me, Dreams where an avenue for future possibilities. The place where I could go in my head to dream of traveling. Dream of seeing everything the world has to offer. Dream of what life may look like after high school. You know, because that's when life began ;). I dreamed of prince charming coming to sweep me off my feet. We were going to get married at 25 and have kids at 27. I dreamed of being in the Winter Olympics for alpine ski racing. I dreamed of being an astronaut/ singer so I could have the first rock concert in space! Possibilities where endless.

At 33, I know now that dreams are not the end state. Once we reach a dream, life will not be perfect, but the start of a new chapter. It will be a start to a new reality. A reality that we may come to find, is just what we wanted or not at all what we expected. However, through life trials, I have learned over the years that we need chapters in our lives. They help to let us grow as individuals, to learn from our mistakes. To test our strength when the unexpected happens and forces a chapter to close. It's the journey that shows us our tenacious nature and how dedicated we are to achieving our goals/dreams. Chapters can be short or last decades. The best part is that 90% of the time, it is up to us on how long we decide to stay in that chapter. It is my belief that we should never settle. We should always push to be a student of ourselves and of this world. To stay Curious.

We can get stuck in a chapter or fall into a rut in the chapter that we are in. It may take some outside influence to get out of. A few examples; we may feel lost in a dead end job. Realize that the job we are in, is not what we wanted. Be dragged down by poor financial decisions. Feel stuck in a relationship that we feel suffocated in, that does not allow us to live up to our potential. Or just be our TRUE selves. We may hold on to these chapters longer than we should for fear of change, the unknown. In the most extreme cases, we may fear the uncertainty of what the180 switch and what that means for a new reality. It takes a feeling and an awareness to cause us to understand and set our trigger points of when to take the actions necessary to fulfill our dreams/goals.

Taking action to make a change in our lives as I stated before may take an outside influence. It takes a support group. Family, Friends and/or a community. I'm creating Curious Soles and this Blog as an avenue for individuals and groups to come together to help take that action, to motivate and inspire the next chapter. It is so easy to fall into the daily energy drain of society's time frames of work, kids and home life. Our disconnected culture has for some, alienated us from true friendships and lack of communities to find that motivation. I hope that you will come back time and again to find inspiration.

Writing this blog is one of the ways I am taking action for my next chapter and starting to fulfill one of my dreams. I'm going to share stories of my journeys. My travels and lessons learned along the way. However, I might just pass along comic relief and teaching lessons of what NOT to do. J

Since that night, as an 11 year old girl, who lying on a trampoline with her best friend, wished upon a shooting star. I wished: "To be the best person I can be." I have and will continue to make that wish upon every flying star I see. We all make mistakes, believe me I have made my fair share. It's how we overcome and learn from those mistakes that makes us stronger.

One of the ways I know how to do that is share with others. To be a mentor. A college professor once told me: "If you don't find a mentor around you, be one."

Tonight, I hope you find time to look up to the stars. Reach into your inner soul and remember your childhood dreams. Then make a wish.

Sweet dreams my friends.