The stories of other people’s lives….I love to read them, to learn of others hopes and dreams and the journey’s they take to bring them to life. Through an autobiography I get to experience the feeling of triumph over circumstances, to revel in the joy of the achievement of long-held dreams, written by someone else, lived by someone else.
I have a bookcase full of such stories yet I still look for them in book stores, buy them, savour them, laugh and cry over them.
What I have realised recently is that those real people in those true stories inspire me and they also keep me safe. I can live through their experience of conquering fears and taking on great challenges to achieve their dreams without having to leave the comfort and safety of my couch to face my own. Its easier. Its satisfying in the moment but the feeling doesn’t last. I still have my fears and my dreams yet to be lived.
Fear is a necessary part of life but are the fears we live with really necessary? Are they actually keeping us safe from certain disaster or are they just keeping us from living our dreams and having the life we really want?
This week another beautiful soul was taken from my world by cancer. She was just 30 years old and she was one of the most inspirational and courageous people I have ever met. In the face of fear she lived as many of her dreams as she could.
Her loss is hard to bear but it has reminded me of a promise I made. A commitment to live my life with purpose. I have the gift of health. I have already had the privilege of 15 years more than my dear friend Angela and I am now the same age as my husband was when he passed 21 months ago.
I consider myself lucky in spite of the sadness I have experienced. I also feel called to re-assert my commitment to live my own autobiography. To live all of my dreams despite my fears. to live the life that Ande and Jo and now Angela didn’t get to live. Full, joyful, and without a moment’s hesitation or regret.
My purpose is to LIVE…..what’s yours?
In loving memory of Angela Louise Sunkel
In Search of the Joybug 
Woooo! Well written Paula! Dam good food for thought. Almost a year since my original incorrect diagnosis, I got a ‘getoutofjail’ card – perhaps its time to change that to a ‘getoutandlive’ card! xoxo
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Love it Soph, I look forward to what the “getoutandlive” card brings you xx
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