Let me start by acknowledging that I’ve been on a bit of a personal hiatus lately. And to be honest with you, it hasn’t been because I’m too busy or didn’t WANT to post, but because I simply had nothing to say. I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately and have experienced a few solid months of the universe kicking my ass and nothing really going my way. The details aren’t necessary to share, but I’ve been out of a job for a while now, which has put a lot of stress on us. The irony of the bad luck that we’ve had in recent months is almost laughable, and someday probably will be. However, the humor is hard to see right now, and the recurring question of “WHY?” (surrounded by expletives) has gone unanswered.

Every post that I write on this blog comes from my true self, and I didn’t want to bring the negativity I was feeling to this space. Life can be tough, and no one needs another source of negativity in their day. I know damn well that life is not all smiles and roses, but I’ve been pretty deep in this one and was losing the ability to pull myself out.

My wise and caring mother sent me the quote above a few weeks ago, and I’ve used it for motivation and reassurance. Inexplicable things happen in the world every day, and I’m not saying we will always have the answer, but it is true that our only choice is to move on. Whatever it is, from big to small obstacles in our lives, we have to move on and trust that there is something better awaiting us. I think the biggest word here is trust, which can be very difficult to achieve sometimes. When you don’t have the trust or faith in something bigger, it’s easy to fall deeply into whatever bad situation you are going through.

Steve Jobs talks about connecting the dots. I prefer this perspective over the belief that “Everything happens for a reason,” because assigning a reason to an event seems to be giving it justification. For me, it’s easier to look back on things that happened in the past and see where they led me. Situations can lead you to certain people or certain experiences that you wouldn’t otherwise encounter. Maybe they bring someone very important into your life or help you to discover a new path or a new side of yourself.

While some may criticize that this is a blind belief, for me it’s a necessary one…….necessary to keep me going, and to trust in the purpose of my future. So here I am, pushing through to the future, and back at the blog. Stay posted…

Procrastination. It’s something that most people struggle with, and I certainly have, since my elementary school days. It’s easy to understand why people procrastinate daunting tasks, such as writing that paper, cleaning out your closet, fixing the roof, or making that uncomfortable phone call. But, why does it seem that we also procrastinate our dreams? That vacation that you’ve always wanted to take, the career change that you’ve been pondering for years, moving away to a new city, starting a blog…I’m sure you can think of several desires in your life that you pushed off. (And if you can’t, then you’re a badass and I respect your courage)

There are obvious things like financial restrictions that hold us back, but the common excuse seems to be that “it’s not the right time.” I’m learning more and more each day that there’s usually not a perfect time for those big dares and adventures in life. It’s not because they’re not meant to happen, but rather, they defy routine and the unwritten rules of our daily lives. Wake up, drink coffee, go to work, go home, eat dinner, unwind, sleep, and restart. Keep a steady job, don’t rock the boat.

My husband and I experienced this feeling as we discussed, contemplated, and dreamed about the decision to move away from our home base in Kansas City. We put the decision off for years actually, waiting for certain pieces to fall into place. But once those pieces were settled, there was always another floating piece needing to fall in place. Once we made the brave decision that we were going to move to CO, we put deadlines on ourselves in order to keep the ball rolling. We gave our 60-day notice to our apartment complex, visited Denver to begin looking for a home, and eventually it all fell into place.

Mapping out and taking individual steps is key to beginning the process of reaching your goal, whatever that may be. Our adventures and our dares are often the moments in life that help us to grow as a person by learning more about ourselves, our abilities, and the world around us. Personally, I would rather take the chance of my dream/goal not working out than have the regret of never trying.

Remember, there is no time like the present.

P.S. – Some extra logistical encouragement from Huffington Post