Leaping Fearlessly

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Journeyers, I’ve had a few great weeks, and this last one has been downright exhilarating!

I’ve been working hard on The Five Facets projects this past year, making a commitment to writing three times a week, and doing it.

Doing it for me. Because it makes me feel good. Because I enjoy it. Because I feel like I’m making a difference somewhere and somehow.

I’ve been working hard on healing myself and my marriage.

And so many things are finally coming together!

Recently I’ve been tossing fear into the wind and preparing for what I believe is to come.

Actually, Courage and I have been plunging into the unknown, despite Fear.

When I’ve thought about photos for my social media sites and business cards and that eventual book jacket, I’ve kind of cringed.

You know how it is, that stuff we tell ourselves: You need to lose the weight first ‘cause your face is too fat. You’re too skinny, pale, not photogenic, blah, blah, blah…

Know what I did?

I called a friend’s daughter who is going to cosmetology school, and asked her if she’d like to practice hair and makeup on me.

I did this for two reasons: One, my makeup regimen is only lips and eyes, and secondly, I wanted to feel good and pampered and who better to help me do that than an expert in her field.

There’s this independent photographer who took my kids’ senior pictures. He’s creative and caring and seemed to be a non-judging kind of guy.

I phoned his office and blabbered on nervously about what kind of photo I wanted and about the thoughts that were running through my head.

Yep. All that. For a head shot.

And when I showed up and Jim, the photographer, asked me what I wanted and I told him and told him how nervous I was, he was easy going and reassuring and said, let’s take it slow and try a few different things.

Because that’s the way people are, right, at least the people I want to associate with.

Journeyers who hold our fears and our joys and our hopes and our dreams in the palms of their hands, they envelop us with understanding and compassion and, well, love.

And I’m working hard to realize that what unfriendly or judgmental people think really isn’t any of my business and really shouldn’t matter.

Jim gave me a great portfolio of pictures, a few that made me look as awkward as I felt, but many that made me look downright glamorous.

And here’s what’s transpired in the past three weeks, Journeyers!

I updated my image on all those sites that connect us.

I made business cards and actually handed out a few of them.

I submitted a query.

It looks like a rejection, as the agent’s disclosure states that if I didn’t hear back within a week my work probably wasn’t a fit for her.

But I’m not letting that stop me, Journeyers.

That was but one of last week’s writing goals, all of which I accomplished.

And here’s the best, CRAZIEST, HAPPIEST news of the past eight days, Journeyers.

I uploaded my first piece under my BlogHer profile.

I hadn’t connected with anyone, wasn’t yet following other BlogHers and no one was following me, but I figured I’d do that work and research later.

Chances were slim the essay would be seen, but it was a start.

And as I always say, “Slow and steady wins the race.”

The next morning, I received this e-mail from their amazing family editor, Jenna Hatfield, who is now one of my magical friends.

I did a double take on the Subject Line, “We’re Featuring Your Member Post on BlogHer,” before clicking on that correspondence.

My first thought was that it was some kind of spam, but then I read, then re-read, the message, “I’ll be adding your post…”

You'll never believe what I did with that “Oh, my God!” chorus that reverberated in my head...

Look at the middle tweet...

And then to see one of my favorite essays published on the front page of that crazy big site?

I rode that high All. Day. Long.

The next afternoon, I submitted a pitch, one I’ve been contemplating for months, to The Good Men Project.

Seven hours later, a new magical friend by the name of Lisa Hickey notified me that they wanted to run Our Roots.

Three days of adrenaline on steroids.

Yesterday, when my friend asked me to tag along for an afternoon outlet shopping excursion, I actually said yes, because my body couldn’t withstand another day of that high.

It sure is a nice problem to have, though, so many magical people showing up to read and comment and share my words…

I am high and humbled and ever so grateful…

And Journeyers, these things are some of the Biggies, times we think and dream and some of us even pray about.

They’re the kind of events that often make us think, I am There. Happy.

But here’s what I know for sure, it’s the Happy Happens motto, it’s what keeps the shitty times from taking over my life: Happy isn’t a destination. It’s a collection of all those fleeting instances that make us smile and bring us joy.

They are the simple moments, like this and this and this.

And every once in a while we fall into those King-sized events that bring about a period of downright euphoria.

Euphoria eventually fades, Journeyers, but Simple is ever present, she’s steadfast and she's There, walking with us every moment of every day...

What about you? What Moment(s) made you smile or soar this week?

Hugs and healing, Journeyers…

Soon…

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