Dreams Really Do Come True

There is something about Walt Disney and dreams coming true that I cannot help but think about today. I believe that he was right when he said that if we have the courage to pursue our dreams, that they can come true.

For years, people have been telling me that I should write books. I would tell them just a couple stories from my life and they would exclaim, "That's Amazing!", or "I can't believe that you made it through that!". Then they would follw that with, "You should write a book! Your life is much more intense than any book I've ever read!"

I used to just laugh off their comments and respond with something like, "Maybe someday I will." I have always wanted to be an author.

I have written songs, stories, and poems since I was in elementary school. I used to have binders filled with all that I wrote over the years. When I was about fifteen, there was flooding in my bedroom that destroyed it all. After that, I did not really give much thought to writing professionally.

After going through so much in my life, and then taking steps along the way that helped me grow and develop and heal, I realized that I wanted to help others do the same. If Ic ould make their path a little shorter, their pain last a little less than mine did, then I considered that a success.

I wrote my first little booklet "What Lies in Your Journey?" in 2012. I got a few paperback copies of it printed, and share it with a few people. I didn't do anything else with it. Then recently, I had a series of events occur that left me searching for how I could deal with my financial situation. My sister sent me an ebook that gave me new insight. It was called "Choose Yourself". While it had language in it I did not want to read, I found it had many answers that I was looking for by the time I got halfway through it. And suddenly the light went on.

I decided to market my book. And not only did I find a job while doing that, I connected with people that I had no idea were excited to help me be successful. Those people gave me prizes to give away for my 21 day giveaway. During this time, I finished up the first book in my new series "Mending Angel's Wings." I was inspired to look for someone to create the cover for me, and one of my friends was willing to help create the layout and helped with the fonts. And before I knew it, I was ready to send out beta copies to test readers.

After receiving responses from the test readers, I was able to make corrections and add additional information to the story. Because this book is based on a true story, I have spent a lot of time on it.

My series, "Mending Angel's Wings" will have three books, and possibly a prequel. It has officially been released, and will make it to major distributors within the next four weeks. All it took was believing in myself again, and a lot of courage, especially since the true story this book is based on is mine.

Additionally, I have become aware of how many different interests I have had are coming together for my passion to help others heal. My music, my books, even my love for essential oils are all coming together to help me help others heal.

I am very excited about creating the final products that will be included with the last book in the series. I feel the help of God's hand in so many different aspects of my life, and I am very grateful for that.

On another note, an essay contest that I have entered is going well also. Even though my books are very different from the my essay, it is nice to see my different writing styles appreciated by such different audiences. Being able to return to school, be a published author, a vocalist, a wife and a mother are just some of the many dreams that I have had come true in my life.

Gratitude For Life

Many people experience high levels of stress and heartache at different times in their life. It can be very difficult to see the good that those experiences are creating, or even believe that they are for their good.

I think that these struggles happen to remind us that things are not in our control, that they are out of our hands. Not only that, but there is a divine plan that is in place, that helps make sure that all things work for our good.

Sometimes it is the pain or the hard lesson that makes us appreciate the simple things in life more. I feel a great sense of gratitude. This change in attitude has made me reflect. And I asked myself, "Why did I not find other things to be grateful for?"

I think when we are barely surviving, it is hard to think beyond that. We want to make it through the day, and we are hoping that everything that we need to be taken care of will be. I can't speak for everyone, but when I am under a lot of stress, I begin to perform worse. Things that would usually be easy for me suddenly become burdensome. I tend to become ultra focused on certain things, like work and school. It is like I somehow believe that by driving harder at what needs done, I will be able to avoid or ignore the other issues. It never works, so I am not sure why I waste time and energy doing it. It is when I take time for myself, relax, and serve others that my capacity to do the regular things increases. I think that there must be something to slowing down, and taking time. Look at a flower for example, it doesn't start out blooming. It takes its time slowly pushing through the soil, and working its way through simply growing. Then, eventually it blooms. And this process repeats in a cycle for its entire life. While I do not think that our blossoms every truly fade, I do think that we experience growth over and over again. Perhaps, if we just took the time to enjoy the journey, and accept that life is not something we can push forward, we'd be happier.

I am also realized, that the more that I focus on what I am grateful for, the blessings in my life, the better life seems to be. I still have the same stresses, but because I am focused on all that is good, they do not burden me the same as when all I am focusing on is stresses and taking care of them. So, I figured that while I am having this "ah ha" moment, that I would share it with others. Who knows, maybe you are stressed and are almost to your limit, and you are wondering how you are going to make it through this moment. Go do something small for someone else, even if it is just telling them something you like about them. Take some time to relax. So, you have something to do, or somewhere to be, it is OK to say no and take the time that you need for you. You will be much more effective, when you make sure that you are performing at your optimum. And that means, focusing on blessings rather than what is not ok, or is not getting done.