Never Forget Your Roots

It’s hard to believe in two weeks I will have completed my third semester of graduate school – seems like just yesterday I packed up my belongings and moved to Kansas. I guess it’s true what they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

With graduation peering around the corner, a growing number of people have started asking me what I will do after I graduate. The truth is I still don’t have a solid answer to that question. I’m learning not to place limits on what I can do or where life can take me.

Over the last several years I have had the amazing opportunity to travel and experience life in a variety of places including Milwaukee, Nicaragua, Manhattan, Brazil and, most recently, Ireland. While life has taken me to these places for a variety of reasons and for different lengths of time, I always take a piece of home with me wherever I go. The lessons I learned growing up have helped prepare me for a future that has no limits.

Thinking about the future can be nerve-wracking and brings with it all sorts of uncertainties, but I know that wherever life takes me my roots will always be planted firmly on the beautiful North Dakota farm where I was raised. No amount of miles can take those lessons away.

If I could offer one piece of advice to you it would be this- dream as big as you want but never forget your roots. The lessons you’ve learned along the way will give you a strong foundation to be successful wherever your dreams take you.

“There’s no forgetting my humble beginnings; where I’m going, God only knows” – Small Town Soul by Gwen Sebastian

P.S. Next week I’m launching a three-part blog series called Sustainability – A Global Buzzword to highlight my recent trip to Ireland. Be sure to check it out!

Until next time,

It's About the Journey

Today I was prepared to be productive and finalize the second chapter of my thesis. Unfortunately, after eight hours of reading books and numerous articles all I have to show for my efforts is two lousy paragraphs and a messy desk.

As I was packing things up, discouraged and frustrated, I was reminded of this quote:

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow. -Mary Anne Radmacher

Life is full of days where things don't go as planned, but that shouldn't get in the way of you accomplishing your goals. Don't let a setback deter you from chasing your dreams. Life is about the journey just as much as it is about the destination, and I can assure you the journey will be filled with potholes, traffic jams, dead-ends, and detours along the way. But all of the experiences build character, and I promise the destination will be worth every curve ball thrown your way.

If you've experienced a frustrating day, week, month, or year, don't give up. Take heart knowing that tomorrow is a chance to try again. Don't lose sight of the destination, but remember to appreciate the lessons learned along the way.

Despite feeling defeated and frustrated, I can assure you that I will be back to work on chapter two again tomorrow.
 

Attack Your Fears

Fears -- we all have them. When we were younger it was fear of the dark or of the monsters our older siblings told us were hiding under the bed. As we mature we become unafraid of the dark and can go to sleep without checking for those monsters under the bed. While those fears may subside, as we mature, we develop new fears. Scared to be alone or scared to fail, scared to audition for the local talent show or scared to apply for the perfect job.

Regardless of the magnitude of our fears, the truth is they hold us back. But why do we let them? And what keeps us from overcoming them?

Here's a little secret- I'm scared of failure. I'm sure it's no surprise that, for this perfectionist, one of my fears is failure. But if I let my fear of failure get in the way of pursuing my dreams, what good is that? What will life be like in 10 or 20 years if I don't push my fear aside and pursue my greatest desires? I know that I don't want to wake up one morning realizing that my life is only mediocre, realizing that my life could have been extraordinary if I could have overcome my fear of failure.

What about you? What dreams have you pushed to the side, because your fears have got in the way? Do you, like me, find yourself wondering 'what if'?

• What if you applied for your dream job? 
• What if you went back to school? 
• What if you went on your dream vacation or started your own business?  
• What if you stopped wondering and faced your fear head on?

Whatever your fear, I challenge you to face it. Or, as someone recently challenged me, attack your fear.

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Attack your fear and stop asking what if. Don't let your fears keep you from living the life you imagined.

Until next week,