Turns Out I'm Infectious

53 Dreams Accomplished on the Way to 101 Dreams Come True

This morning a skating friend said to me, "I saw your website. What you're doing is infectious." She explained that she and her husband have always had lists of dreams they'd like to do, but instead have spent most of their life working hard to build their business. They've found themselves bogged down by the daily grind and wondering what life is all about. She said that her daughter was following in their footsteps of becoming a workaholic. When my friend shared my website and my 101 Dreams Come True with her husband they began talking about the dreams they want to accomplish and they began to put a plan in motion.

Last week, I had some really down, depressed days. I was exhausted mentally and emotionally from family issues and I felt like I didn't want to continue making this journey public. No matter how pure my intentions are to help others, when someone says that I'm a showoff who needs to be the center of attention, or that they don't like being around me because of how I live my life, or better yet I'm told who I am and I'm not even allowed to defend my actions, it's defeating. Everyone wants to be seen for the person they are, and when that doesn't happen it hurts.

So last Tuesday, I curled into my blankets, ate ice cream, watched movies, and did a whole lot of crying. When I woke the next morning I didn't want to get out of bed. I wanted to stay in my cave, but instead I meditated, went skating, worked out, and wrote. I moved forward through the sadness and focused on what was good in my life.

Two days later, a friend made my 53rd dream come true. He found out that Beauty and The Beast was playing in San Francisco, and he bought 10th row orchestra tickets, booked a beautiful hotel room, sent me the largest flower bouquet I've ever received and flew in from Chicago to take me to the play. We went to dinner, the show, and then the Grand View room for dessert. He did it all just to put a smile on my face.

Today when my skating friend told me that making my dreams come true was infectious I had to think about how incredible this journey really has been. In the last month, three of my dreams have come true: seeing Vancouver, Hang Gliding, and now seeing Beauty and the Beast. Each one of these dreams came true because people wanted to share in my journey and to see me accomplish what I desired.

There are always going to be people who will judge unfairly and see the world from their perspective. I'm a sensitive person who will never be able to let people's comments roll off my back, especially those I love. Life will have it's ups and downs and days where bed, ice cream, and movies are critical therapy. But I've realized that though I may not please others by going after my dreams, I do build a life where even the hard things can't keep me down for long. And it turns out by shining my love for life, it's helping others to shine their light as well. Then they pass it along to another and there's a chain reaction. So here's to shining light no matter what someone says about me. What the heck, does it really matter what someone else says about me? Nope it only matters what I think. I'm the one living this life and I only get one shot at making it as full as possible. If I died tomorrow, opinions wouldn't matter in the least.