Twenty-Five.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a dancer, or a singer.  Or both.

I never did try.

I told myself it was because it was a lot of work, but that wasn’t really the truth.

It was because I was scared of rejection,

Scared of the Simon Cowells of the world, who would tell me I wasn’t good enough.

Scared that my parents would tell me no.

Scared that my friends would laugh at me – and I had so few friends that I couldn’t afford that.

I wish I hadn’t been so scared to try, even if I had failed.

At the very least, it would have made a killer story.

Or it would have been a total shot to my self-esteem.

But, like Shakespeare says, it’s better to have tried and failed, than never to have tried at all.

Right?

I’m too old now to become a dancer, and I’m no longer interested in being a singer.

But I have these words.

I’m sharing them in memory of the little girl who could, but didn’t.

I want to make her proud, from whatever parallel universe she’s watching me from.

I want her to know that because she didn’t live her dream, I’m inspired to live mine.

Here’s to the little one in all of us,

Who didn’t get the chance to live their dream.

Maybe because we were too scared,

Or too shy,

Or not smart enough,

Tall enough,

Fast enough,

Strong enough,

Talented enough,

Fearless enough.

Enough is enough.

May we remember that we owe it to them to live now while we have the chance.

May we put on our grown-up pants and march fearlessly towards our goals,

(Or at least pretend that we’re fearless.)

May we never let anyone or anything hold us back from driving towards the landmark of our dreams,

Knowing that it’s not about how fast we get there,

It’s just about getting there.

‘Failure’ doesn’t apply to those who reach the finish line.

-J

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