BE where you want to be

When I was a teenager, I remember my dad repeatedly emphasizing a few key lessons of life that he felt strongly about. Some beliefs were those of a man who had grown slightly cynical but some made complete sense to me.
With little effort, I can take myself back to being 17 and hearing “Don’t ever be any place you don’t want to be”. Strangely enough, it wasn’t his attempt to sway me from hanging with the wrong crowd or keeping me from places I had no business even knowing about. Even then, I knew he meant it literally and passionately.

“Don’t ever be any place you don’t want to be.”  Whether you’re working at a job that you despise or you’re stuck at a boring cocktail party or even when you look up and see that your life isn’t what you envisioned. He meant all of those things~ he wanted me to know that I had the authority to make my own decision. He wanted me to know that I am my own person.

That’s a pretty great life lesson, dad.

Like so many other things you tried to pass on, I haven’t always adhered to the advice but I sure wish I had.  During my adulthood, I’ve found myself in a trillion places I didn’t want to be and, without fail, my dad’s words echo in my head, bringing a twinge of shame and regret.  In some ways, that girl of 17 was far more inclined to find herself exactly where she wanted to be~ certainly not where she should have been at every second but definitely making her own decisions. Too bad I couldn’t have had some wisdom to go along with my overflow of independence…but such is life.

And my life isn’t over. Every day, I get to wake up with a multitude of opportunities to BE exactly where I WANT to be . Even in the last several days, this shift in my mind has brought back excitement and joy.  Imagine~ a middle aged mom stepping from the shadows of life’s expectations into the light of self love and authority!

Now, you may think this is the silliest thing you’ve heard in a long time but here was my first step into being the authentic me. I took off my acrylic nails. I don’t even like getting my nails done!  On Tuesday, I’m throwing away my hair straightener because I’m going to embrace the curls and get my hair done by someone who specializes in making waves and curls their very best.  Tomorrow, I’m beginning yoga.   Maybe on Wednesday, I’ll buy a tent and go live in the outback somewhere.  🙂

It’s not too late, dad, for me to BE where I want to BE.  It’s not too late to stop settling for anything less than God’s best for me.