Who was the first person to tell you that you could do or be anything you wanted? Your mom? Dad? A teacher? A neighbor or close friend? And once armed with that information, how powerful did you feel in your world? With endless possibilities and boundless energy, you went out into the world ready to take it by storm.

And just as you prepared to launch yourself into the stratosphere, who was the person who told you it couldn’t be done? A parent? A teacher? A classmate? A competitor? And what did you do with that conflicting information? Yep. You lived your life! You engaged in the experiences that help define who you are…your own personal stamp on this lifetime.

For most of us, that conflicting information is the very essence of our journey. That duality that drives us to find out how we really feel about life and where we fit into the greater scheme of things. We go about living while trying desperately to return to the knowing that we can do or be anything we want. The realization that our own unique voice matters in this world. That we can celebrate our own crazy, ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ selves and be damn proud of it. That we can own our crazy…celebrate our quirkiness… or our quiet strength. Or our take charge ‘tude! Free to rejoice in whoever and whatever we are…a million different things that may or may not fit with someone else’s agenda for us. 

And what so often becomes of our unique voice along the way? It goes to the graveyard of our abandoned hopes and dreams. It gets buried in the soil of fear and self-judgment as we continue the long haul back to the purity of how we came into this life…full of the boundless, countless, endless possibilities that lie before us at any moment in time. The journey known as self-discovery.

My goal here, on the life expedition that we all share, is to encourage you to find the deeper, most personal message that you hold dear and get that message out to the world. To support you as you tap into your authentic voice and share that voice in significant and meaningful ways, shining your light on the issues that mean something to you.

This is about you. Your message. Your journey. Your own crazy, quirky, unique and wonderful way you see the world and your mission in it. I want to celebrate with you as we challenge each other to give the best that we have to offer. Whether you are called to write, speak or just live out loud, let us tap into our most powerful personal strengths, giving life to our purpose and empowerment to not only ourselves but to all who hear the call.