Risk taking

Oftentimes the perception other people have of us is so very unlikehow we perceive ourselves. Take for example the reaction I got this week when I emailed my contacts the let them know I had self-published. “You never cease to amaze me!” or better still: “Yet another accomplishment under your belt!” or simply: “Unbelievable!” Little do contacts know. If you’ve been reading this blog, you know that I’ve been tippy toeing on a dangerous ledge for many moons. Paralyzed. I started to feel better this week. Truth is, I had pushed myself too far. Depleted my energy, and even the reserves. Burned myself out. To a crisp. But in the last seven days, I slept a lot. I took time off. I exercised moderately. I remembered to breathe long, deep, breaths. I expressed my feelings. I made mistakes, acknowledged them, and moved on. I performed a few random acts of kindness. But most importantly, I stopped doing long enough to ask myself where I was going. If you are lucky, life is supposed be a marathon. Not a sprint. If our thoughts are really at the origin of everything, and if our thoughts plant the seeds from which actions are born, than might as well give ourselves the chance to think constructively. For months now, I have put all of my thoughts into imagining my eventual demise as a human being should my career come to a screeching halt. And because I like to be right, I found countless examples to prove to myself that I would be doomed if I lost my job. But the truth is, as many examples exist to prove the contrary. We see what we want to see. Case in point: I ran into a friend at the park who had been a stay-at-home mom for a few years. She was looking forward to working again! She was ready, and hadn’t lost it all from staying home for a while. I had a frank conversation with a colleague who lost his teenage son in a tragic accident last year. He is brilliant, quite accomplished, and a high performer. He looked me straight in the eye and said: “At the end of the day, it’s just work Val, its just work.” I heard from a high school friend who hadn’t worked in seven years and had been home schooling his two daughters. He was happy, healthy, and no one was starving. Where am I going with this? Oh yes, the book. The truth is, I want to write. Period. Once upon a time I read an idea that claimed that successful people where successful because they take more risks and they fail more often. They learn from their mistakes, build on the knowledge, and try again. This idea resonated with me. That’s why I chose to self-publish. Not because I am “accomplished” or “unbelievable”. But rather because I choose to try, and maybe fail, or maybe not. At least I won’t live with regrets. Twenty people bought the book in the first 48 hours. Mostly family. But it’s a start! I hope there will be more. It isn’t a work of art. Every time I open it I want to change every sentence. But it’s my humble attempt at trying to live my best life. I hope it works. Here is the link to view and purchase the book. http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/virtually-yours/17977390?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1 Should you prefer e-book - here is the link: http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/virtually-yours/17353557