Please Don't Judge Me on the Chapter You Walked In On...

Someone recently told me "You're in a unique situation....you get to write this next chapter.  You get to decide what's next for you.  Choose wisely.  Make it awesome."

Very powerful words that I haven't taken lightly.  It's been extremely difficult over theses past few years to have any clear direction on what's next.  Where exactly do I go from here. What makes my situation unique though is loss. For the first time in my adult life, I don't have to make a decision based on anyone's wants or needs but my own.  The things that I was holding onto as a security blanket and my excuse for not making any major decisions were taken from me.  More changes. It was as if the universe was saying "The time is now, Penny.  It's time for you to focus on you and you can no longer hide behind taking care of others.  It's time for you to write this next chapter."

The one thing I think I've realized most of all is that we are all authors in our daily lives.  We might use the excuse "I can't do that because..." or "I have to do this because...". Excuses.  We excuse ourselves from doing the very things we want to do most because why?  Fear? Fear of what ...failing?  That it might be hard? That it might take us out of our comfort zone?"   Do you feel stuck...because even stuck is a choice.  Stuck is easy...there is comfort there ...you don't have to get uncomfortable if you remain...you just get to complain...which does nothing but make you miserable.

Every thought we think is a choice, tell yourself you can't about anything and you won't......every word we speak is a choice....the way we treat others....how we react and respond to the situations life throws at us....telling yourself this is just who I am and that is all you will ever be. ...we are the ones with the pen in our hand to write our story.  Want something different....close this chapter.  Give it a positive ending....giving it closure but also an ending that makes you anticipate what comes next....eager to turn the next page...and begin again.

That's where I'm at in my life's now...trying to figure out what's next. Many of you have played an active role in my story whether in person or following my online presence and I thank you for being here and for your encouragement and support.  My goal now is for you to say  "Look at the heroine of this story ....she has survived  the trials that life has thrown at her....she's rising above....she's shared her heart and shed some light....we've laughed and cried with her." And as you read the end to this last chapter....my goal is for you to turn the next page and exclaim with delight ..."I never saw this coming!"