What’s YOUR goal? To be a doctor, lawyer, garbage truck driver? To get sober, open a business, make it to the NHL? Maybe you want to lose weight, drink more water, or learn how to grow Brussels sprouts. You CAN do it, you just have to learn to “be about it!”
A couple of years ago I was watching HTV (one of my favourite past times) and a designer had created a sign for a family that struck a chord with me. The sign simply said, “be about it”. Normally when I resonate with something I just as quickly forget about it and end up trying to rack my brain in an attempt to remember.
Not this time. For the past two years the saying stuck with me and every day it would pop into my head and I soon started to believe that there was something those three simple words were trying to tell me. My thoughts traveled back to the day our first baby was born. There was nothing I wanted more in the world and I was overcome with complete love and joy when they placed him in my arms.
When the two of us were alone in our room, I held that baby on my lap, looked him in the eye and told him that the whole world was his to do as he chose. I told him that no matter what his desires and ambitions would be, I would be there cheering him on as his #1 cheerleader and support him any way I could to help him accomplish what made him happy.
As our children grew and became who they were meant to be the only constant reminder I gave them through their individual journey, was to put on their super hero cape. If they wanted something bad enough, dug deep enough, breezed through the easy and struggled through the hard, they WOULD live the life they desired.
Someone once asked me if I had told my son he was good enough to make it to the NHL when all he wanted to do with his life was play hockey. I answered by telling them that what I told him was he could do anything he wanted to as long as he LIVED it. As it turned out he was handed an opportunity to take the next step towards realizing his goals and dreams but he chose to not follow through. I knew then that he didn’t want it bad enough and it was with HIS decision that his course in life changed.
I believe this for everyone. We all start out that first day with the same ability to become who we want, to have all the things we dream of, and the choice to accomplish what we set out to do. I’m not naive to the fact that there are those who start out with huge disadvantages such as health and other issues that that they have no control over, however some of the most successful and influential people were born with unexpected obstacles.
Take Morgan Freeman as an example of someone who never gave up. He started acting at age nine but, it was not until his role in “Driving Miss Daisy” at 52 that his career took off!
Samuel Jackson, 46 years old (and in recovery from addiction to cocaine and heroin) before he starred alongside John Travolta in “Pulp Fiction”. Check out more famous people who never gave up and eventually found success.
https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/14-inspiring-people-who-found-crazy-success-later-in-life.html
Our entire world is made up of Yin and Yang. Black and white, night and day, sweet and sour, love and hate, good and bad. It goes without saying that life needs balance or without it we would have no way to appreciate the other. We need to look at the struggles we face as opportunities to learn and grow so we can become better at manifesting the good that we strive for in life.
I’ve had my own struggles with not being able to dig deep enough to accomplish what I’ve set out to do. Take smoking for example. They say to “never quit quitting” so five attempts later I am on my way to a tobacco free life. On the days that I feel like I’m going to cave in I think of what I’m telling others to do, take a deep breath, think about my end goal and carry on with my day.
And there’s the times we have to pick and choose our battles. My weight is the other big struggle I’ve faced my entire life and I struggle with the strength to “be about it”. The day I turned 50 changed all of that for me. I really did stand in front of the mirror analyzing the wrinkles, along with their friends and relatives, that had landed on my face, as well as the extra padding that had flourished on my butt. I suddenly didn’t care any more how I looked. I was happy and had everything I needed in life and decided that I LOVE Chinese, Italian and cheezies, and if I actually die from not eating enough vegetables then so be it. At least I’ll die with my hand in the chip bag!
Not everything we choose to do in life comes easy and I’m grateful for those who gather in my cheering section to root for me when I’m on a mission to achieve something. We can’t do life alone and there are so many people out there who just need someone to believe in them, to support them, and to stand by them through the good AND the bad. Like husband and wife or peanut butter and jelly!
My wish is to take “be about it”, share it’s true meaning with the world and encourage those who may be struggling along their journey to success and cheer them on as they embark on their way to creating their own happiness.
All three of our boys are on their own adventure becoming who they want to be. Our oldest son reached out to me a with a business idea (that frankly he is meant for) and asked me to come up with a fitting business name. I threw twenty or so ideas at him and then something he said hit me like a brick. I suddenly realized how, together, we could help each other realize our dreams.
And so we started Be About It Apparel & More! (Give us a like on Facebook). Is there someone in your life that could use some encouragement? Maybe a small gift of a thsirt/hoodie or a coffee mug with the words “be about it”. Our design line is our main focus in hopes of taking part of our earnings from the sale of those items and putting them back into the community (maybe Sunrise House or Kid’s Sport) to help inspire those who are less fortunate and struggling to rise above their challenges in hopes of making their own dreams come true.
Together we CAN make a difference.
PS…in the midst of writing this I stopped to “be about it” and took the time to make a salad for lunch! #practicewhatyoupreach I guess!