So it actually happened..... I turned 60 years old this past week and.......... I'm still the crazy guy I was at 59!!! Although I keep getting told that I need a wheelchair for outdoor visits but between you and me, I think those yakkers are just jealous!!
Funny, monumental moments such as a milestone many times gets us thinking about who we are and where we are going and in my case, those thoughts have loomed in the back of my mind recently.
Forward Friday is a picture of processing change in a changing world and how do I fit in or where is my place in the mix... I'm excited to share a few thoughts so.....
Let's Get Into This!
There's the old that goes in 2 directions; "Teach an old dog a new trick" or "You can't teach an old dog a new trick".
For you dog lovers, that was my dog Ricky. Even though he is no longer with us, I still miss him like crazy! It seems like yesterday that he's been gone but it will be 10 years this fall that we said goodbye.
If there ever was a moment where I learned a new trick was with Ricky. My experience with dogs previously consisted of being chased, bitten or scared into another planet but because of Ricky, I can even say I like dogs.. Well some of those 4 legged creatures. And besides, he's still cute!!
As For Those Cars....
I like cars and have always held on to my cars over the years until they were about to die. We've had our "Silver Bullet" for 11 years and the plan was to keep it for another 2 or 3 years and get the things that needed to be fixed, fixed. I like the things I'm comfortable with and this car was that and more....
Of course 2 weeks ago, my mechanic gave me the words that we love our mechanics to say that breeds such confidence.... "Oh Oh!!!" "You've got 2 weeks or less with this car! The frame is splitting apart!"
If you looked at the car, you could never tell that anything was wrong but alas, that was that.
Fortunately 2 weeks later, we have been blest and a gem has come our way so we've got a "Grey Jet" in the family now!!
It's crazy how in the blink of an eye, the car plan changed and it was either adapt or be stuck. Do I stay in the past and not recognize that it was time to take on a new adventure car wise or become stuck, the longer I resisted the moment of change?
I think that milestones in life can cause us to think negatively or look with anticipation of what the future can hold.
We all live with the tension of life and in many ways, we’re made for fear.
Not paralyzing fear but let's be honest, we are but dust and we don't have a handle on everything and in prior posts, I've talked about some of the anxiety this past year has caused not only for myself but so many others.
During holidays and early in the new year, my mind was thinking of how could it be true that I've already lived 2/3's of my life already? How did that happen and what does that exactly mean?
I know it was just a struggling time I was going through but along came April and my mindset began to think differently.
I started to think that this new era was/is meant to be lived out as an adventure. I mean, the rest of my life has been lived that way so why not this new road?
So, there are a couple of areas in my life that I've decided to fully embrace for the future and I'll tell you briefly about one.
I've been blest to have had the opportunities to cater events in the past number of years and many times, I've been asked for a card of some sort.
I would sheepishly say some line about just being a guy who liked to make people feel good through food but the truth is, I've always dreamed of more!.
So, as of next month, "MillsysFood" becomes a reality. We'll talk more in the weeks to come but to say I'm excited is an understatement. There is a healthy fear so to speak of how this will go but there is excitement in journey to come.,
Food ideas with our signature touch and its more than just time to dream, but we can learn a new trick!
And our motto is: "We believe some of the best moments in life happen around food!"
It is a sideline as I still enjoy my role in the education system but the time has come for us to take a chance and see what will be!
Sometimes, it is the past that holds back us back from even wanting to learn something new.
Maybe discouragement, rejection, frustration, a failure and the list can go on but these moments can stunt our growth moments.
Someone said, "An issue with looking back too often into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us".
So here are a couple of thoughts to help us as we move into the weekend regarding change, the future and embracing it with anticipation.
We don't know what the future holds but we don't have to live in fear and maybe just maybe, there are some "embrace something new" moments that are waiting on us to take hold of to dive in on...
The Past Is The Past
It can be said, but many times, I don't think we truly don't believe it.
There’s nothing we can do to change the past. Many times, instead of being a tool to help us move forward, it prevents us from having peace of mind.
Learn From The Past
Life lessons are in almost every life experience we will go through: especially some of those pesky mistakes of the past.
So as I tell myself, learn from them and move forward better for it.
Embrace The Future With Excitement
We can take on life one of 2 ways and it really is up to us and I want to embrace life with hope, joy and excitement.
Many spend every day trying to predict what the next one would bring, fearing it, imagining the worst, and trying to prepare.
And life is unpredictable and throws many spins, turns and surprises at us and depending on what our disposition is, it can either be accepted as a gift or a curse.
The curse cuts us off from the windows of life that the bright rays that burst through to give us strength to make it through the rough moments can be lost.
I believe that the future is not to be a scary place to spend time fretting about all the time.
It is a gift, the amazing opportunity to become a better person, making a difference in the place that we are, working to achieve our dreams and to allow joy, no matter the moment of time we find ourselves in.
So I know that sometimes, these words when it comes to embracing the future can seem like nice platitudes and life is not easy; I know that to be true but then I'm reminded is that the way we frame what we see has so much to do with how we respond to life's moments.
Why not take a chance on a dream, a new idea, something that we've left to the side for whatever reason..
Maybe that "New Thing", "That Old Thing" is the very remedy to propel us into a future we could have only dreamed about so why not us?
Good Medicine Moments
If I were honest, 2 years ago, I knew I was to get "MillsysFood" off the ground; I didn't know that was the name it was to become but I did know that I needed to get it off the ground.
But mom had passed away and I decided that I didn't feel like I could do it so.... I decided to sit on it.....
As I was thinking about this post this week, I remembered that this "Food" idea was a divinely inspired idea and I know mom would have said to go for it; it would have probably helped with the pain of losing her. (After all, watching my mom and dad serve people with love through food is part of my DNA).
But I didn't... Thank God he didn't give up on me and my dreams..
Thankfully, He loves us enough to not give up on us and because He is the one who has given each of us the gifting's we have, we can take a chance and see where those dreams lead us.
So, some encouragement if it seems as though in this time we've been living in, any dreaming seems like an afterthought.
Maybe, just maybe, it's time to dream about doing something new, something that's been sitting, waiting for us to grab hold of.
Every dog can learn a new trick; I'm so glad that I have a chance to see where this dream goes!
Medicine Moments
You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.
Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin
Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.
“Change is always tough. Even for those who see themselves as agents of change, the process of starting a new thing can cause times of disorientation, uncertainty and insecurity.”
Let's let hope encourage us instead of being afraid and letting fear paralyze us from the opportunity of what the future can present to us!
Walking with you on the Road!!!
Dave
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