Dear Me

Dear Me,

I’m sure you must be surprised to hear from me, since it has been such a long time since I’ve taken the time to communicate with you. I chose this forum over any others hoping the words I write to you here would have a bit more permanency and therefore more impact.  The written word tends to take on an importance and authority that spoken words lack.

The first thing I want you to know is that 2007 is gone, finished and completely over. That fact brings me to my very first goal for the New Year. 

1.          Let it go and do not look back. 2007 was a difficult year by anyone’s standards. In fact, it could easily be in the running for the title of Worst Year Ever. Nevertheless, it is over and looking back will only keep you bound to the miseries, the failures and every other rotten thing that transpired in 2007. Cut the rope and let it go.
2.          The New Year is a clean slate with endless possibilities. Take advantage of every single one of them. Put all your energy into those new possibilities. Go after them like a dog with a bone and every time that you think you’ve chewed all the goodness from that bone, attack it with fresh fervor until you’ve devoured it.
3.          Never miss an opportunity to write. Get those words out of your brain and on to the paper. The more you write, the more you will want to write. The more you want to write, the more time and energy you will devote to it. I’ve heard it said that everyone on earth has at least one book in them, a story just waiting to be told. You know that you have stories to tell, so tell them. Don’t wait for the perfected version. There will be plenty of time for perfecting later. The important part is to get the words on the page. JUST DO IT.
4.          Now we move on to the more personal aspect of the goals for 2008. This is the year you stop letting the ghosts of the past dictate to you what happens next. The past is the past. It holds the keys to who you are now and to whom you will become, but it’s only a framework. Yes, it may indeed be a scarred, twisted, bruised and mended framework; but a framework it is nonetheless. It’s up to you what kind of masterpiece you construct on that framework. You can choose to drape it in dark, uninviting colors with murky windows that reveal little or nothing at all; or you can let your imagination soar and create a spectacular treasure for all to see. Don’t disguise that framework to keep it hidden from view. Choose the most beautiful and delicate of gauzy fabrics and use them in abundance. Every shade, every nuance of color, every brilliant design that exists within you needs to shine with pride on that framework. Give your masterpiece plenty of room to flow and morph; to grow with you as you reach deep inside and examine the experiences that made you strong; the experiences that made you bend, not break; the life that made you unique. Celebrate the life that gave you a voice that yearns to be heard.
5.          Last, but not least, give yourself room to fail. I know you’re thinking that sounds crazy and not like something you would want to put on a list of goals. You just have to trust me on this one. Don’t be afraid of failure. You always have been and you have to let go of that. The fear of failure keeps you restrained. Fear of failure won’t let you stretch your wings; it won’t let you fly higher than you’ve flown before. Fear of failure keeps you at a safe place and never lets you leap into the unknown. It’s safe, but it’s boring. It is uninspired. Take the risk, make the leap, fly higher, and run faster. Throw caution to the wind and climb to the top of that majestic tower you just built on that flawed but beautiful framework.  When you reach the top, throw your arms out to the side, tilt your head back, close your eyes and fly, baby, fly.