Goal setting. Just writing the words can be a little scary.

What if I don’t reach my goals? What if I share them with you and don’t reach them? Will I then be the public idiot, the “pie in the sky” dreamer, or a woman who still had a few dreams left in her?

I vote to be the woman who never stops dreaming. Not dreaming would be like asking me to stop learning or to always drive the same route, never taking a side road; never trying green curry, just because it’s green. You get my drift.

I’m not ready for a “bucket list”! I’m not that close to the edge.

I just still want to do more. I’m not done yet. There’s a misconception that when you get to be this age, that you should be content to just be who you are. Like a roast that’s cooked. Done.

Goals don’t have to reach any farther than you desire. A goal could be as simple as spending more time with your family. It could be to have a candlelight dinner with your husband at home, after the kids have gone to bed. Or painting again, instead of watching television. How about turning your never-used formal dining room into your personal craft studio?

I’m one of those people that believes that my creator has a plan for me. He gave me gifts and talents, that I’m not going to waste. That I should not waste. I also believe that doors open for us and if we’re not open to the possibilities, we’ll miss the opportunity. Instead of trying to figure out why it won’t work, it’s much more fun to figure out why it would.

Who knows what waits for us on the other side of the door?

During some really rough years, when I was certain I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, it wasn’t always easy to find my way, or to focus on goal setting. I remember reading Marianne Williams’s book about expressing gratitude. She was the first person I ever heard talk about keeping a gratitude journal. It’s a therapeutic exercise for the end of the day that I highly recommend trying. I also give a fair amount of credit to some divine guidance, that provided me an opportunity to work at home, as a divorced mom of two young kids. As they became more independent, I could work more. It was a great opportunity.

It doesn’t mean that it was easy. There were many days where I wished for my children to be past the demanding toddler stage. Looking back, it seems kind of sad to have wished away their early years, but we do the best we can as parents. That’s all we can do.

If you’re considering the “what if’s or the “why not’s”, I encourage you to look for the “open doors” and the little miracles that happen around us, if we look for them. Trust your instincts, keep the faith and always dream of a better way to get there.

(I’m not trying to write a self-help/motivational blog, but I like sharing my ideas about personal growth. Please let me know how you feel about that. I’d really appreciate it!)

Until next time,
Barbara