5 Years From Today

Recently, I was perusing social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)...as I am prone to do...taking a peek at the lives of others around me as chronicled in this world of pics, tidbits, emoticons and the like....when I saw a post by Kerri Walsh Jennings that caught my eye and stopped my aimless wandering long enough to make me think and take part in a little pondering.  

The post was titled..."Where will you be 5 years from today"

Now I could write here that my immediate response was to begin listing all of my plans, dreams, goals in a steady stream...flowing freely from my energized and prolific imagination....but that would be a crock...in fact, my immediate response was to stare at those words in a frozen, glazed over state devoid of any thought other than "Huh"?

Kerri wrote that It is really important to know the direction of your life and that it is fun to imagine the possibilities...She is right...It is important and it can be fun...

 

Truth...I can forget the "fun" and fall into the "shoulds". I think that is why, when those "direction of my life" questions pop up from time to time...I stumble over them...freeze up a bit and find myself mouth agape and thought free!

 

But...let's just say that lately,  that whole "what's next?" "What are you going to do with the rest of your life?" "What do you WANT from life?", theme has been a frequent flyer in my world...from a multitude of directions...in unrelated circles and unexpected ways!

 

So when I see Kerri's post...it really just struck a chord with me and I begin to think!

 

My life has been in a state of miraculous flux for the past 2 years and the possibilities for the next 5 years have grown exponentially during that time.  Let's be honest, two years ago, I could not have imagined the direction of my path today...Not in my wildest dreams. Two years ago, most of my dreams were completely buried underneath layers of exhaustion,  grief, and a butt load of pain of ALL varieties.

 

Now...I am dreaming out loud...living dreams that I did not think possible and even find myself having the audacity to dream bigger! :)

But...still...I find myself reluctant to "dream out" the next 5 years...to believe in the possibilities.  In that regard, I continue to be a work in progress.

 

Fast forward to today...Sunday....sitting in church...when the speaker says...in so many words..."What are you going to do with the rest of your life?" But more importantly,  Why?

 

The Why got me...Yes...I have somewhere I want to be in 5 years...

 

• I want to be a published author living a purpose filled life and living it passionately. 
• In 5 years, I want to be healthy and happy and "lighter" than I have ever been.
• In 5 years, I want to be surrounded by people I love, living by example, and sharing tenfold the blessings I have received.
• In 5 years, I want to be able to say that I have conquered this goal I am working towards and have new goals to reach.
• In 5 years, I want to be somewhere telling others about how they too, can overcome challenges that may seem insurmountable and live dreams that seem impossible. 
• In 5 years, I want to be sitting somewhere reminiscing for the millionth time about how I watched my friend (and kick ass inspiration)  Kerri Walsh win her 4th consecutive Olympic GOLD Medal not on T.V. but courtside at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. (Bucket List) :)
• In 5 years, I want to be planning the NEXT 5 years with no hesitation with no blank stares, no fear and having so much FUN doing so!!!

In 5 years...I want all of the "I Wants" listed above to be "I AMs and "I Have's"

 

But the single most important place I want to be in 5 years...Is firmly planted in the Will of God...Living as an example of His Grace....Living by Faith and Not by Sight.

In 5 years....I want to be living the Why....Loving and Living through God for God.

As the minister today talked about living the Why...He quoted a 1988 Life Magazine Article titled, "The Meaning of Life".  In this article, people from all walks of life were asked to define the "meaning of life".  I found the article and liked these 2 quotes.

Mike Ditka said the following,

"I believe we're here for a reason--created by somebody to live for somebody to return to somebody. I believe that I'm created by God to do the job that He's given me while I'm here, to serve Him and then to return to Him..."

 

 And Norman Vincent Peale said this:

"We are here to be excited from youth to old age, to have an insatiable curiosity about the world. Aldous Huxley once said that to carry the spirit of the child into old age is the secret of genius. And I buy that. We are also here to genuinely, humbly and sincerely help others by practicing a friendly attitude. And every person is born for a purpose. Everyone has a potential, in essence, built into them. And if we are to live life to its fullest, we must realize that potential."