Every so often I look for inspirational content and one night I stumbled upon an episode of an Oprah soul-Sunday episode about Diana Nyad, a swimmer, speaker, and journalist. If you don’t know her story I strongly suggest that you Google her and find out more about her.  She was telling Oprah that at the tender of 60 (now where I am from, 60 is no prime time if anything you are actually blessed to still be alive with proper functioning knees but I digress), she decided to swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida, USA. For those of us who are spatially challenged it is about a distance of 164 Km, and I know there are a lot of controversies surrounding the accuracy of her story but that is not what I am discussing today, because it is neither here nor there.

So as I watched and became very inspired by her story, I opened Netflix, and guess what movie is being advertised, a movie about her life! Before your scientific and logical mind calls it coincidence please hear me out. What are the odds that I watch an episode recorded eight years prior and land on a movie about her life on the same night? I would say one in a million at least. I don’t believe it was a coincidence because quite honestly, there are times in my pursuit of my dreams, and purpose where I feel drained and wonder if I should just give it up.

Being a middle-aged single woman poses its own challenges in our modern world, we are constantly bombarded by information that makes us feel less than others because youth is a currency that most women use to get ahead and when you are no longer a spring chicken you are easily discarded. So this is a story that I believe God wanted to hear that He sent me double confirmation so that I will stay on track and not put a deadline on my dreams; time and space can feel so restricting at times and if I am being fully honest despair too often creeps in and make me feel alone and delusional for wanting more for myself.

This story is a story of a woman who thought that she was at her prime at 60 and for four years she endured hell and literally high waters and every danger that you can think of when you swim in an ocean but she had a resolve and after four years and four attempts she prevailed. So here are the lessons that I heed from her story:

• It does not matter how long it takes, whatever you put your mind to you can achieve,
• It is important to be surrounded by the right team of people who are devoted to your well-being and wish you well, her best friend is a prime example of that,
• Becoming a leader in these treacherous times is extremely challenging, but be one anyway,
• You will never regret going after the life that you want no matter how many times you fail, I know that a little too well,
• Your dream is your responsibility,
• Don’t let society decide on who you get to be, you decide,
• Strength of character, self-discipline, and willpower create champions.

So let that dream scare you, let the naysayers hate, but whatever happens believe that you can and deserve the life that you so yearn for. While I don’t advertise swimming from Havana to Florida at 64 or any grandiose or perilous act for that matter, I do believe that we can start where we are with what we have, so write the book, heal the marriage, reconnect with a loved one, create the business, etc. Do whatever you need to make this unpredictable journey of life meaningful! Learn to heed the little and subtle nudges that God sends your way to encourage you on your path. I hope that I gave you something to think about and would love to hear your take on this, and where you are on your journey!

HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY

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Rooting for y’all!

Xo,

Ange