I recently had an “ah ha” moment when browsing through one of my old journals. Reflecting on life, triumphs, struggles and how many things have changed.

I came across an entry from a couple of summers ago, about my beautiful little girl.

She was going into her sophomore year of high school and wanted to try out for the volleyball team at her school.

The school that she attends is very competitive and not everyone will make the team.

Practices start weeks before tryouts even occur and they are hours long.

She decided to go for it and push through.

One day, as I picked her up for her lunch and hour long break, she broke down.

She was halfway through the process, could barely sit down, walk, and was exhausted from the physical strains of it all.

She sat in my car, in the driveway and said, “I don’t want to go back today, I don’t think I can do this.”

We talked a bit and I proceeded to ask her why. She said,” I’m scared and I don’t want to get cut again this year.”

You see, she had tried to make the team her freshman year and didn’t….. and it was almost unheard of to come back and try again.

I asked her why she wanted this. She said because she loved to play the game.

“But what if I fail, Mom?” “What if I don’t make it?”

I looked at her and calmly replied, “So…make it”.

“Put your mind to it and make the team!”

She went back to practice that day and to tryouts that week.

She did it!

She made the volleyball team!!!

She said “Yes” to her goal and did it.

We were elated. She had remembered how strong she was and what she was capable of doing, if she set her mind to it.

That’s power.

Then, there’s my older daughter. One of the most determined young women I have met.

She sets her mind to something and it is accomplished. I have seen it over and over again.

“Mom, I’m going to go to college(a first generation student) and make an impact on the world.” “I want to help people”.

This is something she has told me since she was 4 or 5, performing “fake” surgeries on her friends with her costume glasses. “Fixing” people.

I believed her, but did she believe?

Yes she did.

She graduated from college in 3.5 years, with honors and now will be starting grad school this fall…going on to help others rehabilitate.

I couldn’t be more proud.

She is doing what she set her mind to. She has given herself “permission” to go after her dreams.

She was afraid, excited and a little unsure, but she wanted something much more than her fears.

So she did it!

I often find that we all seem to want more than what we have, to achieve more than where we are at, but for whatever reason….we don’t.

Why????

We sit and watch the game changers take the lead. We wonder how they did it. We wish we would have just said “YES”.

I’m here to tell you that you can be and do and go farther than you think you can.

My current goal is to say “YES” to anything and everything that scares me….within reason, of course.

I challenge myself to say yes to the things that give me butterflies. I reach for the goals that make me uneasy. I go after the dreams that are God given…you know them….the ones in your heart and mind when you are alone.

The dreams that seem unattainable….until you look back 5 years from now and realize you are living that very dream.

I will not sit by and observe any longer.

I am a GAMECHANGER too💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

One of my daughters favorite books is below.

Molly Lou Melon.

Molly Lou overcame obstacles, moved forward and said Yes to what made her happy!

It made such an impact on my oldest daughter, that “SO SHE DID” is kind of her trademark😉

Ill leave you with this.

Be brave.

Be afraid.

Be uncertain.

That’s all ok. The most important part is to get up, in the midst of the vulnerability, and do it!

Whatever “it” is!!!!

SO SHE DID💜

There’s power in giving yourself permission.

Much love,

Linda 🦋