Single Moms Follow Your Dreams

I conducted two workshops at the PTA Leadership Summit in Dallas. After my first session, an attendee came up and talked to me. She said she had a dream, she just didn't know what it was.

She was entering a new phase in her life, in her early thirties, and just settling in after a divorce, and she wanted to know how to discover her dream... her passion. She didn't know where to start.

So many of us find ourselves in that same situation. We don't know where to start. Instead of asking questions, like my attendee, you quickly become overwhelmed and decide to give up. It's so easy to do. With being pulled in so many directions, you don't have the time, energy, or patience to take it slowly or one step at a time. You want it yesterday. But dreams don't happen like that. They take time to discover and years to develop.

That same night, I was taking a little "me" time and watching America's Got Talent. I love watching people's dreams come true. It was emotional for me... the suspense built as the judges used their words wisely keeping you guessing if the contestants were advancing. I watched as they broke the news to the contestants. An older comedian, a 39-year-old female singer who says it's her "last chance," and an opera singer who just wanted to be accepted by others, all received good news. As each of them heard, "You're going to New York City and Radio City Music Hall," tears came to my eyes.

Maybe their dreams didn't happen in the time or the way they planned, but life never does. Their dreams are coming true. WOO HOO! THEIR DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE!

The older comedian said, "Just because I'm 53 doesn't mean I've given up on my dream." No matter how old you are, you still want to turn your dream into reality. So don't wait any longer. You're not too old. You're not too overweight. You're not too busy. You're not too ____________ (fill in the blank).

As a single mom, maybe you put your dreams on hold. Maybe you forgot you even have dreams, but you do. You get so busy taking care of things, but what about taking care of you, looking out for you, and going after your dream.

You are perfect just the way you are to start pursuing your dream. Maybe you don't know the answers. Maybe you don't know what questions to ask. So often when this happens, we throw in the towel and give up. We tell ourselves we aren't worth it, it wouldn't happen anyways, or it's just too late. All of those things we tell ourselves are just not true. We want our dreams to happen. We can see them, taste them, and feel them. But we just don't know the first step to take.

Just start. Start somewhere. Start anywhere. Start by asking some questions or doing research. Be patience and learn to take it slowly. You have all the time you need, but just start. You will eventually make your way to the answers. Don't give up. You never know, maybe right around the corner your dreams will become your reality.

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