One Thing You Do Not Want to Take to the Grave with You

angel of grief

My dear friend Delatorro McNeal wrote a book entitled Robbing the Grave of its Greatness. In his book he describes how the graveyard is the richest place on Earth. In it lie unwritten books, unfinished screenplays, song ideas, and half-finished inventions…

When I first read this it stopped me dead in my tracks. I for sure did not want to be one of those people who took my dreams to the grave. I wanted to give life to my dreams, see them manifest, and utilized to make a difference in the world. What about you?

This Holiday season I challenge you to take a good hard look at your dreams. As we approach yet another year, you have the opportunity to take your dream and turn it into a reality. While it might seem easier to just wait and push it off a bit longer, consider the graveyard- how many people thought the same thing? Decide to pursue your dream and to reap the rewards for a job well done; now, while you can.

If there is one thing we can agree on, it’s that life is going fast. I was standing in my kitchen this morning, re-heating my coffee for the third time when a thought hit me. “Someday this will all be gone. My kids will be grown, we will move to a different home, it will be quiet and I’ll be left with my memories.” While great to have, it brought a sting of tears to my eyes instantly. “I don’t want my memories, I want my now!” I thought. So I reaffirmed in my mind that I would welcome this chaos we call family, the noise, the mess, the rush, the to do list and every darn thing that goes with it. I would continue to do everything within my power to give life to this movement, no matter how hard it is and I will savor every splendid moment I can, I would live in the now.

Stop for a moment yourself, look around, and ponder your life. Allow yourself to take it all in, even if for a moment. Then step back and reflect on how short the time is that you have left. I don’t want to depress you but instead inspire you. My goal is to help create urgency in regards to your dreams and goals, no matter what they are. Are you possibly in the prime of your life? What else are you capable of, what dream lives in your heart that is still unfinished? Do you want to bring that dream to life or take it to the grave with you one day? So finish that book of poetry, go after that invention, write your software, take that course, paint the picture…all you have to do is take the first step and keep walking. Let me and the women in our movement support you because you can do it. Visit http://gygb.com/join-the-movement/.

 

Written by Traci Bild

Author and Creator of the Get Your Girl Back movement

 

My Cancer Experience & Lesson Learned Loud & Clear

 

"Kiss Kiss," one of her favorite sayings.

“Kiss Kiss,” one of her favorite sayings.

I’ll never forget the anguish of learning of my mother in law Pat’s breast Cancer. At first it seems surreal, like it wasn’t real or that perhaps it was just a dream I would wake from. Yet that dream turned into a nightmare, and in a matter of two years I lost my beloved mother-in-law to Cancer.

There would be no more gourmet dinners, sounds of the piano pouring out of the music room, or echoes of her woody-wood pecker laugh throughout her home. For years there would be a silence, so palpable and real you could feel it.

Pat knew she had a lump in her breast. Yet having many cysts in the past she ignored it and by the time she went to the doctor that lump had morphed into stage four breast cancer. I imagine it crossed her mind to get the lump checked but she was busy. Like most women Pat had a lot going on in her life. The matriarch of the family she was incessant about taking care of everyone, she had a small business on the side, and lots of friends and hobbies that brought her great joy. That lump- it was there but sadly it never made it onto that very important to do list.

The Get Your Girl Back movement is about giving women permission to take care of themselves. With work, family, volunteer responsibilities, cooking, cleaning, laundry and everything else you do in a day, that self-care rarely happens. I imagine if Pat could do it all over again, she would put herself on the list. She would have gone to the doctor, done more yoga; stopped smoking sooner, exercised more, taken more walks, found pictures in the clouds…if only she had more time.

There is no guarantee how much time we have on this amazing Earth. Whatever you intend to do, do it now- don’t wait. It’s not a coincidence that people who have near death experiences completely transform their lives; it’s a wakeup call and in some rare cases, people are given second chances. My advice to you is to live. Choose to live now, while you can, before it’s too late and your dreams are only wishes that can no longer come true. People need you and if you’re not here, you can’t help them.

So laugh more…I mean a deep, laugh til you cry belly laugh. Dance more, play more, cry more, sing more, take more risk, say what you need to say, write more letters, hold your husband’s had, kiss your children at every opportunity, feel the grass on your feet, play tickle monster, build tents in the living room, and live. Take a moment and think about what you are not doing that you will commit to start doing today. Post it as a comment here on my blog or on my FB page where others can see so you own it! Something happens that is very real when you write things down, particularly for others to see. I read every post and always respond so say it out loud and then do it!

Written by Traci Bild, Author & Founder of the Get Your Girl Back movement

*Picture is of my husband David and my mother-in-law Pat, who I write this in tribute to and honor as we all learn the importance of putting ourselves on the list, through her loss.

You can learn more about the Get Your Girl Back movement at www.GYGB.com