DAY 83 – THE END OF THE JOURNEY is merely the beginning of a new one

So, today is “officially” the last day of this 83-day Journey. But this is certainly not the end. If anything, one of the lessons that I have learned is that there is always tomorrow – and my future can be anything I choose for it to be.

   Although I won’t be blogging every.single.day anymore, I will definitely be blogging. It has been a great thing for me, and I have received some wonderful and loving feedback from it – for which I am very grateful. My whole life I have always wanted to be a writer, and along this journey I believe I have become one – at least the start of one. And that has been a life-long dream come true.
   The purpose of this 83-day Journey was to Fall in Love with Myself - and I can truthfully say that I have accomplished that goal. I have fallen in love with who I am and where I am in my life. I have fallen in love with the choices I have made and the choices I make every day. I have fallen in love with an amazing future. I have fallen in love with the blessings I have in my life - which includes amazing people and fabulous opportunities. I have fallen in love not only with life, but specifically with MY life.

   I started this journey in an effort to heal from the pain of a broken heart. There is still pain there – because love lost is a thing of pain, and cruelty intentionally inflicted definitely leaves scars. But I choose to not let bitterness nor hopelessness consume me – which would be so easy to do. Instead I choose to focus on the parts of my life that bring me the happiness to continue to move forward in faith.

   Because although my past is what makes me the person that I am today, my entire future lies untouched before me at my feet. And that future can be anything I choose to make of it. And that choice is mine to make, and mine alone.

   One bad day doesn’t make a bad life. And even when life is pretty rough in-the-Now, that doesn’t have to be a permanent state. I chose to step into the light – and that is where I choose to spend the remainder of my days.

   Because the glass is either half empty or half full. Around each of us every day is both light and darkness, good and bad, trials and opportunities, and as many blessings as we choose to see. So I choose to see a life filled with opportunities and blessings – and an overflowing wealth of love. And because that is what I choose to see, I am blessed with an abundance in my life far greater than I can even begin to express. And the more blessings I choose to acknowledge and receive into my life, the more I continue to receive.

   Earlier this year, a friend said to me: “With all of the pain and struggle that you are going through, the light at the end of your tunnel is going to be amazing.” At the time it wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but today I can see the wisdom of her words. Because I do have a bright future, and I refuse to let those people in my past that didn’t appreciate me and who tried to tear me down continue to have any control over me. Their failure to follow their dreams and create a better future certainly doesn’t mean that I have to follow their poor examples. Because there will always be people in your life that want to tear your down and hold you back – because they live in fear, and don’t want you to move forward ahead of them.

   But I am moving forward, and I am in a far better place than I have ever been. I have been interviewing with some of the best companies in the country – including Apple, Nike, Verizon, and the Army (as a civilian). I have met some fabulous men and been on some terrific dates – and am literally having the time of my life. I am in a good place financially, am moving forward toward my life-long dream of being a Writer (with both this blog and the novel I am currently writing), am starting a small home-based business on the side (as a hobby), and working toward a dozen other goals.

   My future is mine to make of it what I will. And I will not make excuses. I will not delay happiness. I will not live my life in fear. I will surround myself with wonderful people. I will take risks and make leaps of faith when new opportunities are before me. I will follow my heart and live a life of passion, because doing anything less is not being true to myself.

   So although this is the end of the 83-day Journey, it is nothing close to the end of MY journey. Tomorrow I begin another 83-day Journey, and another after that, and another. Because the entire rest of my life is a Journey – and a journey I can begin each and every day.

   This ending is really just another beginning – as each new day is. Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Thank you for the love and support. And if you choose, continue along the rest of this Journey of Life with me – I promise that it will be anything but boring.