From Mama Bear’s Den

We are not put on this earth to live small lives.

I made it to Denver, with my dogs Lollipop and Rainbow Sprinkles.  It was a long trip.  I am visiting with my sweet son Judson Pitman and his darling mate, Leslie Daly before I continue with my journey.  It is so great to see them experiencing life here in Colorado.  They are so in touch with what they want and how they want to live and are experiencing every ounce of it. They truly are an inspiration to me to live life to the fullest.  

Rainbow Sprinkles
Lollipop

Many folks think I am nuts to journey out in a camper with just my 2 dogs.  They may be right. I certainly have a large amount of excitement and a significant amount of anxiety about it.  After raising kids for 28 years, I feel a longing to connect with mother earth, to feel her soil beneath me, to view the stars at night, in a way that I cannot do in my comfortable condo I am so fortunate to call home.  So off I go.  

I don’t think of myself as being mechanically inclined.  I have never owned a camper or even camped with anyone that had one.  I have managed a lot of things on my own, including being a single mom for the last 15 years.  I have raised 3 beautiful children to adulthood.  I built skateboard ramps in the driveway.  I have changed my career numerous times.  All these things were things I hadn’t done before, but I did them anyway. 

We all limit ourselves about things we think we cannot do.  Maybe you view yourself as not smart because you did not get a college education.  Maybe dealing with finances gives you anxiety.  Maybe you think technology is your weakness (this is my first blog post ever – Yikes!)  Maybe you don’t see yourself as being athletic.  Sometimes the hardest thing is just to walk in the door of a yoga studio.  Maybe trying a pose that is scary, accomplishing something on the mat that we couldn’t do before, gives us the courage to try something in life that we never thought we could do.   

We were not on put on this earth to live small lives.  There is something in our nature or minds that wants us to stay in our comfortable homes and do the things that we are familiar doing.  But in order to expand our hearts and minds and bodies, we must venture out of that comfort zone and do the unfamiliar.  

My daughter Ella really struggled with math her senior year in high school.  She is now a student at the University of Kentucky.  She was so proud when she received a grade of 100 on her calculus test.  She sent me a text that read “ turns out I’m not actually bad at math when I go to class and do my homework. ”

Don’t let your past experiences define you.  Consider what inspires you, what brings you a sense of awe.  We are here on this beautiful earth for such a fleeting, temporary time.  How can we make this life one that is worthwhile and fulfilling?  What is the thing that you really want to experience?  What brings you joy and awe? 

I invite you to take some time to look inside yourself, to let go of that doubting voice in your head and live your heart’s desire.  Have that conversation that is so hard to do but too important not to.  Forgive someone.  Take that trip.  Change jobs, or move to another city.  Go to class.  Do the homework.  Whatever it is for you, just do it.