Ready or Not

What a month.

March began with one of my best friends finding out that she has breast cancer.  Together, we felt sad and scared.  Today, we feel hopeful because it was caught early and she has a solid treatment plan in place.

Right after receiving my friend’s news, I took a weekend trip to somewhere I’d never been.  The adventure was a bit of a wild hair and if you’re routine driven like me, you know that spontaneity doesn’t come easily.  Fortunately, my gamble was a good one and my experience was further testament to the notion that life really does begin just outside your comfort zone.  Hurray for the unexpected!

The rest of the month has unfolded with highs, lows, and lots of in betweens.  Along the way, I rewatched the movie “This is Where I Leave You”.  In one scene, Jason Bateman’s character, Judd, says to Rose Byrne’s character, Penny: “I spent my entire life playing it safe, just to avoid being exactly where I am now.”  She says to him, “Ya know, where you are right now? Right now, you're in a cool rink, on a hot day, listening to a Cindy Lauper classic, under some disco lights. Cut yourself some slack, Judd. Anything can happen. Anything happens all the time.”

Anything happens all the time!

March has been a wonderful and painful reminder of this simple truth.  Whether you’re a thrill seeker, a worrier, or somewhere in between…the unknown is friend or foe, just the same.  The difference is in perspective and whom and what you choose to help shape it.  Either the energy guiding you is enhancing the quality of your life or detracting from it.  I suppose the best measure for that is whether you feel alive in what you do, how you love, and who you are.  If you do, keep following the beat of that drum.  If you don’t, ask yourself why.  Regardless, be brave with your heart, trust your gut, and always, always leave room for surprises.