Monday, July 19, 2021 (Day 200)
NEW Relaxing Music for the week: Shared Values: Liquid Mind (9:10) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtHaryFeHLE
Question: How have your past experiences prepared you for the life you’re living today?
Answer: So, I have now passed the 200 days of journal posting now! It’s becoming hard NOT to write, now that it’s routine. I almost feel guilty if I don’t post! And to think that Seth Godin has been posting to his blog every day for something like 30 years! That’s remarkable to me!
When I think back to when I was growing up, I know that my dad was pretty hard on me. Despite that, I think it helped me tolerate painful experiences a lot easier than most, both physically and emotionally. I’ve always been fascinated by stories about people who’ve been able to overcome almost insurmountable odds to find a way to achieve success. My wife Rebecca, who’s a therapist, shares that I’m one of those people. To go through what I’ve gone through in my past and to be pretty successful (in her eyes, not mine), she knows that it would have been just as easy to go into a downward spiral in many different ways. I’m not perfect, but I do feel like I’ve been given many gifts to share with the world; I’ve done it in the past, I’m doing it now, and I will continue to do it in the future. One of the other past experiences that I have learned that has prepared me for the life that I have today is to appreciate the good people in my life right now. When I was growing up, even through college, I had a very small group of friends. My dad instilled in me that you can’t depend on other people to help you; everything you do you have to figure out by yourself. So, I grew up thinking that I had to figure things out for myself. About 17 years ago, I finally figured out that I didn’t have to take this journey called life by myself; there are some really, really great people out there who want to join you and support you on the journey. And I am so lucky that I asked for help from so many of them, because I know I wouldn’t be where I am today unless I had their help. Thank you to all of the great people in my life for their love and support; I am truly blessed!
The Dream Dean 