Saying Yes
I am a procrastinator. I tend to put things off, thinking I will get to them later. But as I've lived a little longer and learned more about myself, if I'm honest I'll admit that "later" often ends up "never." I don't like this about myself, but have procrastinated on changing it. Haha.
I can get things done if you give me a deadline. And I won't be late. So I guess I should be thankful that my life's been given a deadline of sorts. I can't put everything off until "later," because I don't know how much more time I have (or how much time I'll have feeling well enough to actually do things). So I've tried to take more of a "carpe diem" approach over the past 12-18 months.
This approach resulted in the checking off of a couple of "bucket list" items, like finally seeing a performance of Phantom of the Opera (bonus points for getting to do this with family) and visiting Prince Edward Island (bonus points for getting to do this with old friends and fellow Anne-fans). I also said yes to every opportunity I was given to share my story as part of my patient ambassador role. It's one thing I do that really feels like it makes a difference for others, hopefully leaving them with a message of encouragement and hope.
Saying yes to these events resulted in trips to DC, FL, NY, SC, MS, AZ, and some events closer to home - in Lynchburg, Richmond, and Charlottesville. And because of my new carpe diem approach,
I tried to take full advantage of each destination I was privileged to visit. That mostly meant catching up with friends living nearby, but a couple of times included extending my trip to include a few days of local fun. 2017's highlight for the "local fun" award goes to the Grand Canyon, which I was able to visit as part of my ambassador trip to Phoenix. While seeing the Grand Canyon wasn't technically on my bucket list, it is one of those places you just have to see before you die.
In the past, I probably wouldn't have extended my trip and stayed away from home longer than necessary; I was always mindful of work and responsibilities. I would have said I could catch the Grand Canyon "next time," because my lifetime stretched out long in front of me and its possibilities were endless. But now I know there might not be a next time.
I guess that's why I even dared to helicopter over and into the Canyon. Because when you know this is your one shot, "It's too expensive" and "I'm scared to fly" don't seem to matter so much. And after doing this, you might as well make your motto, "Do the thing(s) that scares you." You don't have mountaintop experiences with your feet at sea level.
Speaking of sea level, I also got to go snorkeling for the first time. This was another thing that I could have easily passed on in the past because it was outside my comfort zone and cost a little extra money. But once you've done one of the things that scare you and you've embraced carpe diem, you get on a roll with saying yes. And because I said yes, I got to swim in El Cielo reef, translated "the heavens" because of all the starfish it houses. (Starfish are kind of my thing. They remind me that even if I make a difference for one person, it matters.)
We celebrated a milestone in making a difference in Uganda this year - Vicent graduated from university and Kevin and I flew there to celebrate with him. We also had the opportunity to begin work on creating an official non-profit/NGO there, an formalizing and expansion of the work that's been going on there in an informal capacity for the past couple of years. You change lives when you say yes to reaching out your hand to another, and then they reach their hand out and change lives, and the cycle continues. And it's not just another's life that changes; it's yours, as well.
This year of saying yes was rich with experiences, packing a lot of living into a short amount of time. It wasn't all fun and games, though. I'll share more of that in the next post.
I can get things done if you give me a deadline. And I won't be late. So I guess I should be thankful that my life's been given a deadline of sorts. I can't put everything off until "later," because I don't know how much more time I have (or how much time I'll have feeling well enough to actually do things). So I've tried to take more of a "carpe diem" approach over the past 12-18 months.
This approach resulted in the checking off of a couple of "bucket list" items, like finally seeing a performance of Phantom of the Opera (bonus points for getting to do this with family) and visiting Prince Edward Island (bonus points for getting to do this with old friends and fellow Anne-fans). I also said yes to every opportunity I was given to share my story as part of my patient ambassador role. It's one thing I do that really feels like it makes a difference for others, hopefully leaving them with a message of encouragement and hope.
Saying yes to these events resulted in trips to DC, FL, NY, SC, MS, AZ, and some events closer to home - in Lynchburg, Richmond, and Charlottesville. And because of my new carpe diem approach,
I tried to take full advantage of each destination I was privileged to visit. That mostly meant catching up with friends living nearby, but a couple of times included extending my trip to include a few days of local fun. 2017's highlight for the "local fun" award goes to the Grand Canyon, which I was able to visit as part of my ambassador trip to Phoenix. While seeing the Grand Canyon wasn't technically on my bucket list, it is one of those places you just have to see before you die.
In the past, I probably wouldn't have extended my trip and stayed away from home longer than necessary; I was always mindful of work and responsibilities. I would have said I could catch the Grand Canyon "next time," because my lifetime stretched out long in front of me and its possibilities were endless. But now I know there might not be a next time.
I guess that's why I even dared to helicopter over and into the Canyon. Because when you know this is your one shot, "It's too expensive" and "I'm scared to fly" don't seem to matter so much. And after doing this, you might as well make your motto, "Do the thing(s) that scares you." You don't have mountaintop experiences with your feet at sea level.
Speaking of sea level, I also got to go snorkeling for the first time. This was another thing that I could have easily passed on in the past because it was outside my comfort zone and cost a little extra money. But once you've done one of the things that scare you and you've embraced carpe diem, you get on a roll with saying yes. And because I said yes, I got to swim in El Cielo reef, translated "the heavens" because of all the starfish it houses. (Starfish are kind of my thing. They remind me that even if I make a difference for one person, it matters.)
We celebrated a milestone in making a difference in Uganda this year - Vicent graduated from university and Kevin and I flew there to celebrate with him. We also had the opportunity to begin work on creating an official non-profit/NGO there, an formalizing and expansion of the work that's been going on there in an informal capacity for the past couple of years. You change lives when you say yes to reaching out your hand to another, and then they reach their hand out and change lives, and the cycle continues. And it's not just another's life that changes; it's yours, as well.
This year of saying yes was rich with experiences, packing a lot of living into a short amount of time. It wasn't all fun and games, though. I'll share more of that in the next post.
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