Dreams Growing in a Fertile Place

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Can dreams change, and can you still dream a new dream regardless of your age? My dreams in my twenties shifted when I reached my thirties, transformed when I entered my forties, and changed again when I saw the dawning of my fifties. When I entered my sixties I recalibrated my life lessons to a new place of reality and new dreams, at a different time, and with a changed me.

 

Aside from aging and the flow of the unexpected, I found myself shedding the old familiar. It began soaking in that I am now my parent’s generation and what I dreamt of through the decades, has changed dramatically and drastically. I don’t put undue pressure on myself like I used to because I don’t need to. I focus on the present, and the opportunities it offers. While there are new challenges, my tree of life isn’t finished. I still have more chapters of dreams, possibilities, and achievements to write. I am one of those trees planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth my fruit in due season. The time is in the timing.

 

Have your dreams evolved or have they remained the same? Are your dreams growing in fertile soil or stuck in a drought?

You Are Your ‘Bestabilities’

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All too often we tend to use the lives of other people as our gauge to living and even success. We tend to pin the extremism of their materialism on our vision board of what success looks like instead of what our success looks like to us. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to others because their approach to their goals and their access to resources may be clearly different from what’s available to us.

So take what you have, use it, and even revamp it if you have to. But whatever and however you do it, always do your best, look your best, and be your best. You represent you.

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Revamping and Rejustifying My Priorities ✅

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Just when you think you have things all figured out and organized, you probably don’t. What I thought were priorities this early in the game really weren’t my priorities of what things needed to be. First things first, right? Well, I had to change a few things. Refocus, reorganize, and restart. Yep, that about sums it up. But honestly, who wants to go through all of that?

Without reprioritizing my current plans and goals, it would have been counterproductive to continue on the path of aspirations I was on. While nothing was wrong, I had to make this journey a little easier by lightening the load I was bearing. Here, I had to make some adjustments and recalibrate my location in order to avoid spinning my wheels on my path to successful achievements.

At times, we will make a list of things to do, yet sometimes the “order” of those things can be as challenging as the things themselves. What is at the top of our list may need to move to the middle, or in a succession of the other items. Thus we may have to stop and rework those things so that the order of workmanship will flow “with” you and not fight “against” you. If you need to make some adjustments on your list of things to accomplish, don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. Besides, you are doing you, not living the life of someone else.

It’s Too Early in the Game to Lose Steam

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So many people came out of the gate like a racehorse biting down on a bit when the new year unfolded. People were pumped up, high on emotional adrenaline, and ready to go. Writing down aggressive goals, without a doable plan has slowed down the ambitious person and pace significantly.

Honey child, now is not the time to overextend yourself and lose heart. Make your goals reasonable and obtainable, even if you have to revise them multiple times. Continue to persevere, but don’t try to rush to the finish line if you don’t have to go that fast. Slow down, recalibrate and then press the restart button.

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Just Because You Weren’t the First to Cross the Finish Line, You Aren’t a Loser

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“Because you are not the first to get across the finish line, this does not mean you lost the race. Set your pace for the course. As long as you do and have done your very best to reach the finish line and cross over, then you have succeeded, able and capable, based on your abilities to give it a try.”
With love,
Kym

There were times when I pushed myself to exhaustion, trying to keep up the pace of achievement with others on rules they set. I felt by a certain age, I needed to have acquired certain things and achieved desired results. That is what society led me to believe, and I fell for it. The older I got, I found out that I could not march to the beat of stretch goals made by others for themselves because it was impossible. Plus, we were operating on an uneven playing field. First of all, with some things, I didn’t have the same resources, whether it was financial or personal connections. My circle was clearly different, and I had to operate with what I had, maximize my resources and do the best I could.

If someone or some system ever gave you the impression that you are a failure because you didn’t finish first in a particular race, just remember that some of the most successful, compassionate, and content people didn’t always come in first place. Don’t allow negativity of any kind to steal your joy or your stamina. Instead, they enjoyed the experiences and lessons of the pace and journey they walked, unaffected by a blur of forgetfulness from the mad dash of furor.

Ambition – Determination – Courage – Perseverance – Confidence

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Affirm your Aspirations and Motivations

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There are some things we must do for ourselves before others will help us on our way. Let your dreams lead you to some breathtaking, and unforgettable adventures. But the first thing you have to do is to wake up, rise up, get ready, and get going.

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Your Best of the Seasons, Your Best of the Year!

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As we stroll down the last leg of memory lane for 2022, the new year is upon us, and we reflect on many events, both good and not so good, that shaped us in some way we can never forget.

Many organizations are at the heart of their best-of-season reviews right now. This is that time of year when critics release lists of their favorite products, promotional campaigns, films, songs, podcasts, videos, and books from the past twelve months. They evaluate what worked superbly, and analyze what was not successful and why.

So, despite the tragedies, setbacks, disappointments, procrastination, and unsuccessful attempts to reach a specific goal this year, don’t cry over spilled milk, or an overturned cup of tea, or a glass of red wine that tipped over on a white tablecloth. As painful as these experiences may have been, did something good come from them? Is there at least one thing that stands out, taking the lead as “your best of this year” accomplishment? Do not compare your best to someone else’s best because that is a surefire way to lose your focus and set you up for disappointment.

Did you get a new job, start a new business, have a baby, received a new grandbaby in the family, went on vacation to a place you have never visited, invented something new, successfully stayed committed to exercising and a healthy regimen, buy a new vehicle (even if it is used it is still brand new to you), began working on a new college degree, purchased a new house, or took a leap of faith you never thought possible? So think about it, and reflect on the memorable accomplishments you achieved this year, no matter how small or monumental. Now, think about what your next big step is planned for this upcoming year! Seize the opportunity!

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Take the Leap, Be your own Hero

Image Credit: Sammie Chaffin

It’s time for the great escape. If you have any hesitation, doubts, or fear about changing your outlook on life, or reimagining yourself as you shape your world, which shapes the world around you, stop imprisoning yourself now. I just want you to take the next couple of minutes to see some of the decisions people made in this video, and how change can domino into something magical, marvelous, and magnificent.

We have to decide for ourselves if we truly want to find a way or make a way to stop our self-imprisonment and remove whatever emotional shackles and handcuffs that keep us confined to a maze of never-ending dead ends. There are too many people who are incarcerated but are not locked up in jail behind prison bars. (#SelfImprisonment) So, decide if you want to take that bold leap of faith. Plan your work, and work your plan. Just don’t procrastinate and take too long. Be your own hero!

Resolutions Don’t Sit Around and Wait

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You know, for years, I refused to make New Year’s resolutions due to the probability and proof of past failures. Unreasonable or unattainable goals in the period of planning time led to procrastination amid distractions. I often wondered why I needed to wait for that magical countdown on New Year’s Eve to say “Happy New Year” and sing Auld Lang Syne, then grab my pen and journal and make a list of resolutions that stopped there. Oh honey, let’s not even discuss those things that weren’t resolved during those years of wishful thinking. But then, some things not included on my resolution lists turned out to be some pretty sweet feats.

Now trust me, if New Year’s Resolutions work for you, I applaud you! You are a rare find. What I would probably put on my list for next month or next year has already begun. Nope, I ain’t waiting. For the past several years, I’ve seen up close and personal how very fragile life is. I asked myself, “So what are you waiting for when you can get what you need to get done right now to get the ball moving?” Yes, patience is key, but time certainly isn’t waiting y’all. I am trying to focus on bite-sized pieces before hoarding big chunks. For instance, if I can’t take a vacation to one of the destinations I yearn to go to, I still take a vacation, even if I have to modify the place, finances, or season. I try to learn about cultures here and abroad, even if I can’t travel internationally. I make a spa session for myself, throwing in my personal ambiance, even if I can’t make it to a spa. I still treat myself. 

It doesn’t take much to attain or achieve small goals if you look at things a little differently based on where you are, what you have, and what you can do. This does not mean that your bigger goals are not achievable. Sometimes we have to look at different paths in order to get there. Get started now, even if you begin with a vision board. The clock is still ticking! ⏰ 

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A Sense of Accomplishing Something

Image Credit: Amina Filkins

As I announced yesterday, my new book, “We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook,” is on its way and will be launching on November 1, 2022. To say that I am not the least bit excited about my upcoming book would be an understatement. This book has been years in the making. Once my curiosity was unlocked, it flooded the gates of my brain cells like a dam that burst open. One question led to another, and of course, the editing-proofreading-writing-editing-proofreading-and-more-writing process seemed endless. Procrastination, however, was also a well-known culprit thrown in there because the challenges of “life” as we all experience in one form or two, happened.

Speaking with many family members, friends, and acquaintances over time, at some point, you feel like you can’t get moving out of “park” and shift your gear into “drive.” There is always stuff that tries to make us sigh and feel discouraged as we walk to the “quit” laundry basket in the corner. I speak from experience.

So, on this day, let me be clear that you have a purpose in this life, and you have already been given the gifts and talents to present to the world. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” So snap out of it! No more moping around. No more allowing yourself to wallow in a self-deprecating pit just because people do not embrace you or your gifts as you embrace theirs. Don’t you be guilty of blocking your own blessings. It’s all in your attitude, so do what you must positively do to stop sinking into self-pity. Just sayin’.