From My Perspective: Questions in Life

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Would you start a business, raise a family, fulfill a dream of yours or someone else, foster world peace, find a cure for cancer or find another way to make a difference? Maybe you would become the person you have been afraid to be and live your own dream, rather than that of someone else’s expectations for you.

What would you do if you had all the time and money in the world?

Would you travel, live in your dream home, become a philanthropist, or learn new skills? Is lack of time and money keeping you from doing what you love, and if so, what things could you list that you’d want to do?

What would you do and how would you live if you knew you only had a day, a month, or a year to live?

Sadly, we live our lives as if we know when our “end” will come, but the truth of the matter is, we never really know. My answer to this question lately…to be living my life as if it were my last day, month, or year.

What does that mean exactly? To me, it means living the life I want to live, doing the things that mean something to me, things that make a difference. It leads me to this question: how do I want to be remembered? Sadly, right now I think people would only remember me for the busy person that I’ve been and that’s really not what I want to be remembered for.

To put this in another perspective, I like to look back at all the roads that got me to where I’m at. Why have I chosen to be busy? What made me stay in bad relationships? Am I doing the things I love and being the person I think I was meant to be? All roads have led me here, but why and, more importantly, how?

Everything in life is a choice. While I’d like to say I didn’t choose to be busy, the reality of it is, I have. Yes, I grew up with a workaholic dad, which may have influenced me, but the truth is I chose this path. Recently, I’ve also chosen to step off that path onto a less-stressed, less busy, more meaningful one.

What’s made me stay in bad relationships? If I had to narrow it down to one word, that word would be fear. Fear of hurting others, even if staying hurt me more. Fear of moving on from something that wasn’t working because the fear of the unknown was more uncomfortable – until it wasn’t. Fear of disappointing others – until I realized the only person I was disappointing was myself.

Am I doing the things I love and being the person I think I was meant to be? More and more each day, and the roads I’ve followed have led me right here, to this very place in my life.

As a child, I loved animals, all kinds of animals. In high school, I wrote poetry, and even had some published. As much as I loved writing, even back then, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. Instead, I chose to be a veterinary technician. That eventually led me to working in animal shelters. I’ve also always loved working with people. I began waiting tables when I was 17 (yikes, that was 33 years ago!) and then, when I moved to Pennsylvania, I was lucky enough to work in the alumni relations department at the University of Pennsylvania. That particular job taught me so much. I learned about volunteer management and event planning, specifically reunion planning for up to about 5,000 alumni per year. I learned a lot about the travel industry when I was put in charge of the alumni travel program and chose destination tours for groups and even traveled abroad myself. I managed budgets for programming, and eventually grants for the school of arts and sciences. I was blessed with amazing role models and mentors in that job, and have carried a lot of what I learned, along with some lifelong friends throughout my life.

My favorite job, although at times almost unbearably emotional, was working at the SPCA OF Luzerne County in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. I started as a volunteer, and then was hired to be their Humane Education, Volunteer and Special Events Coordinator. I remember working there thinking, “they could not pay me and I would still show up every day,” although I was very grateful for my paycheck. I managed over 700 volunteers, with about 200 active at any time, and I coordinated several fundraising events for the shelter. The most meaningful and the part I loved most about that job, though, was getting to teach humane education programs to over 10,000 students per year, ages pre-school to college, with my little pug, Chloe. I loved making a difference, both for the animals, and the kids.

I have also always loved fiber arts, from crocheting, to knitting, to now owning sheep, and yes, teaching about the craft I love. I started my business with all the things in my life that have traveled with me since childhood… animals, people, fiber, education, writing, and travel.

Fast forward to now. I’m writing (clearly, you know this as you read this column). In a normal year not plagued by restrictions, I travel to teach a craft I love. I have animals (dogs, cats, horses, and sheep) that bring me more joy than I can express, and I live where it’s quiet and where I can appreciate lots of natural beauty around me.

Are there still things I want to do and learn? You betcha!

How about you? Things you want to learn, do, be, or see? It starts with a choice, and answering the three questions I started this column with… I’ll add one more… What will you choose to do (or not do) today that will get you closer to doing the things that matter to you, the things that you love, and the way you want to be living your life to the fullest?