Have fun everyday. Be weird. Invest in experiences. Make snow angels. Swim in the ocean. Cannonball into the pool with your clothes on. Prank your grumpy sibling or colleague in a kind but hilarious way. Be goofy. Laugh at life and most of all, at yourself.
Have you ever had a moment, that seems insignificant, until later you looked back and realized it was that exact instance that changed everything? I was living in Vancouver in summer 2006 when and a stranger walked by wearing a t-shirt that said, “Life is not a dress rehearsal”. I repeated it for days to every person in my life, yet no one seemed as profoundly impacted by this alarming statement the way I was.
Maybe it was just the timing. I was, back then, a thirty-something Mom with a young parade of offspring, not even a decade into my marriage, relocating to yet another country to settle and begin a new life. My adulthood had only ever been a whirlwind of truly amazing experiences, far from routine. Yet those around me, from my limited perspective, seemingly settled into an ordinary existence that involved one career path, one neighborhood and one annual vacation to the same routine resort. What was this childlike preoccupation I possessed to break routines and always want to have fun?
Life is not a dress rehearsal. My experiences, the adventurous life path my husband and I chose, even with a young family in-tow, were really what living was for us. An epiphany. Suddenly my crazy dreams were not impulsive, self-centered or reckless, they were merely making the most of life. The one life we are given. This life.
Look around because fun can truly be created everywhere, and laughter is golden, healing and contagious. Adventure and fun is free to share, easy to gift and readily accessible. When you are fun to be with, you attract fun people and soon you have a tribe of enjoyable friends surrounding you. This string of laughable memories with my family and friends are truly what I am most grateful for.
*** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Susan. This year for my birthday, I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. This is week 16 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!***
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