Coloring my World

As I sat down at my desk as a second grader, I never imagined I would become a mother at such a young age— obviously! But I did have a plan. I grouped pages of sturdy, white paper bound by heavy-duty glue to create a "When I Grow Up" book. I scribbled freely in what I called the first chapter. An image of a man, a woman, and a child gave life to the once muted background. It was full of color now.

As I turned the pages, I embellished each one with what I considered to be pictures of my future. There was a dog, a career in teaching, and a bride dressed in all white— none of which are unique to my story. My dog, Ashley, required much more than we could ever give her at the time. I found a calling in business before I could complete my studies as an elementary education major in college. And I'm finding that the whole 'always a bridesmaid' role is not so bad after all. So much for those predictions from the second grade.

Now that I have reached my 30s, I've decided to take that same youthful approach from the second grade. It sounds a bit immature (pun intended), but so far this enthusiastic approach is working wonders. Only this time, my canvas is in the form of a computer that is virtually bound by a network of social platforms. My world is documented through popular sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger. You will quickly discover that I am still "growing up" and slightly embellishing my world (I make myself fabulous all the time...do you blame me?).

Being a woman, especially a mother, I place a great deal of emphasis on the overall plan, causing me to lose focus on the execution. Career and family become the only motivation, when in reality, exploration should take precedence. The straightforward path to success and discovery caused me to miss the scenery on the side of the road. A comfort zone, if you will. I was afraid of the undiscovered. Once I realized it was acceptable to have dreams and reality share the same space (call that "mixing colors"), I joined more circles (Google+, anyone?) and became less of a square.

I am not saying that a plan— harbored by financial, mental, and spiritual stability— is unnecessary. I'm simply implying that dreams are a lot more gratifying to paint.

Take out your crayon box: an instrument you've always wanted to play, a dance class you've put off taking, a trip around the world, or literally a box of crayons.

Color your world. Dream!

There is always room for error...and no one will hold it against you when you color outside of the lines.

When I grow up, I hope I am still dreaming.

Image source (Colored Pencils): Pixmac