In my younger years, we moved around a lot.  My father was a Baptist preacher, and I am sure that we moved about every year or two throughout my elementary and secondary education.  One time I added up all the houses that I had lived in and I stopped at 27 before the age of High School where we finally settled down. 

It seems I was constantly starting over.  Making new friends was not easy for me.  I was not an extrovert and really did not enjoy trying to fit in with different groups or cliques.  As soon as I befriended a group and became friends with several students, it was time to move again.  It was hard starting over for me.  Now that I am older, I realize it must have been hard for my parents as well.  Moving is a huge undertaking, then coming into a new church and worrying about your children must have been hard on them.  I know it was.

 

Last night was the first night of a talk show for one of my friends.  I had mentioned to her several months back about how she would be great at interviewing and just talking with others who share our interests, especially females.  She had thought about it, considered it, but the timing was just not right.  Last week, she sent me a message and said, “Hey, you remember when we talked about this?  Let us talk about it some more.  I think I may want to do this.”  We talked about it multiple times.  She had tons of questions.  I pointed her in the right direction and she ran with it.  It was no time until she was creating the name for her show, the graphic, buying a microphone, downloading software and next thing you know she had scheduled her first guest and announced it on her brand new Facebook page.  I was so excited for her!  My wife and I listened to her show and she knocked it out of the park.  She was excited about the participation and utterly enjoyed herself.  I think she has found her niche.  I think she has found something she loves to do.  It just took the right timing, and her willingness to put herself out there and start it up.

 

Sometimes that is what it takes.  Someone seeing potential in you for what you might be good at, you realizing that, and then taking the chance to do it.  Almost every single one of us in life has had someone tell us, “You would be great at that.”  Sometimes we just nod and say “whatever.” Sometimes we think about it but never follow through.  Sometimes we think, “They don’t know me at all.”  Then there are very few times in life when we think about it, consider it, mull it over, and start it up.  Following through is the hardest part.  We do not trust that what others say about us will be true or might actually happen.  Then there are times when we do and this thing, whatever it may be, fulfills a void in our lives that we needed.  It gives us joy.  It gives us a sense of purpose.  It gives us a glimpse into our future and we know from this point on that our life is changed.  Our schedule will be different, our time spent differently, our goals will change and our future will change.

 

Moving around was hard.  Starting over and starting new was hard, but it was not impossible.  It taught me several life lessons.  First, I can do this.  Whatever it is, as long as I put my mind to it, work hard, and want it badly enough, I will succeed.  Secondly, there is always something coming at us in life to try to knock us down.  It is up to us to stand our ground, become fierce in our desires to succeed and get back up over and over again totally unwilling to fail.  Three, I have to take the initiative to fill those holes in life.  We spend time with what we love.  We make time for the things we love.  It may take others to help us discover what we did not realize that we love.  Listen, think about it, and maybe it will be what someone is suggesting will give you so much joy, it will change your life.