HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
This is the story of the last 365 days of my life….(the spark notes)
Once upon a time, in a land far, far, far, far, wait that is too many. Anyways, in a land called: Laserville, a beautiful princess was playin’ in the field. She would stop and enjoy every scent and blade of grass. This princess would idolize the intricacy of each animal and creature that crossed her path. She would smile and capture the heart of those she spoke to. She loved to see if her smile would make a difference.
“Is it contagious?” she pondered… She loved to love.
This princess, we will call her Boots, was sitting in this gorgeous field on her back watching the clouds go by. Boots was enamored by the shapes of the clouds as they rolled by. She giggled and smiled at each moment. She was enjoying the space between the clouds. She was in it to win it. She was perfectly Boots.
As Princess Boots sat in the field this day, she knew she was being called to something great. She felt the quiet nudge of god to walk forward with great courage and bravery. She innately knew that the battle would be fierce, but she would prevail. Well, she thought she knew. The doubts were large and in charge at times. She believed in order to win the prize of her beloved (herself) she must step out and answer the call. Little did Boots know she was entering the Initiation phase of her Hero’s Journey.
When Boots would quiet her mind, which was a challenge in its own, she heard tremendous opposition:
YOU WILL WIN! VS. YOU WILL BATTLE!
To win you must battle, fight, struggle and squirm. “SIGN ME UP!” and “FUCK THAT!” were a few of the thoughts that ran through this sweet princesses mind…
“Boots, you must WILLINGLY enter the most FEARFUL experiences of your life to find the TREASURE,” her inner guide would say.
So what did Boots do? She started a blog. Isn’t that what all people at the precipice of adventure do? Shoot. I mean, Boots wasn’t no dummy. Boots was a complicated creature who enjoyed the complications of life. She thought, “Well, I guess if I am going to enter this outrageous amount of fearfully exciting parts of My-Me, I will let the whole fucking world know about it!” Yep, that’s Boots for ya. She is an outrageously vulnerable and BOLD princess.
“YOU will see, world! I will jump in and take you all with me! Let’s do this!”
From the beginning Boots felt a fire inside her that she hadn’t felt before. She didn’t know how much she would love writing. She didn’t know how much of an impact she would have on so many UNTIL SHE DID IT. Boots didn’t know what her bliss was until she conquered the fear inside of her that said she couldn’t, shouldn’t or wouldn’t meet her goal.
Boots, sweet Boots, was following her bliss. And stayed committed weekly. She claims that BLOGGING, writing, and “Leading at Scale” are probably the most rewarding part of her mosaic of the last year. Even compared to traveling through Bali. Boots found herself in her writing. Boots found her inner most ember as she dug deep to conquer and slay her dragon.
Lesson: YOU WON’T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE SOMETHING UNTIL YOU DO IT.
Boots doesn’t do things in a half-ass fashion. This princess does things with a full-ass. She likes to add as many variables as humanly possible. So, she decided it was time to start studying for her licensing exam, too. In the end of March 2014, Boots started studying for her licensing exam. Morning, noon and nights. Weekends, holidays and everyday, was full of study prep. She was at the coffee shop by 5:30 most mornings and spend 8-10 hours every weekend in preparation for the biggest TEST of her life.
This test wasn’t about passing a two part exam that she studied 6 months for. It was about believing in herself enough to know she could and would slay this paper dragon.
In August of 2014, Boots became a princess with a few more letters behind her name and a whole new field of opportunity in front of her.
Lesson: SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOTTA JUMP THE HOOPS TO WIN THE ULTIMATE PRIZE
As the summer started to end on one side of the princess’s world, it just began on the other. Princess Boots decided to continue her summer in Bali. Boots being the wild, courageous and some may say, CRAZY princess she is, ventured to Bali for 18 days on another solo tour of herself. Bali provided the platform to truly step into the cave she feared to enter. 
“Bali, oh Bali!” Boots sings, “Bali is my muse, my friend, my undying and ultimate love because this is where I found myself.”
Courageously this brave little princess took off to the other side of the world. With her backpack, journal and a few bucks, she headed out without knowing any details of the future. Knowing the whole time that voice she heard that day in the field was whispering,
“This, my dear princess, will also be a part of your gorgeous mosaic that will come with all aspects of a lesson: the call, the acceptance, the battle and the prize.”
Boots humbly accepted. Boots remembers trembling on the flight over knowing she was in the midst of a perfect storm. (I am getting verklempt as I write this part, readers.) This was one of the scariest moments of her life. 
As Princess Boots stumbled, tripped, soared, scuba dove and loved through Bali, she became highly aware of the inner turmoil that was coming to a gelatinous finality. This “jell-o” is the inner most webbing of her mosaic. Like a mermaid, Boots danced her way through the waters of her soul. Coming face to face with the scariest, and most rewarding parts of her travels Boots came back from Bali a changed princess!
Ready to LEAP!
LESSON: TRAVEL. AND WHEN YOU DO, LET IT BE A JOURNEY INWARD.
Since returning from the land of Bali…Boots felt a tremendous pull to figure out what the hell was next. Inundated, FROM WITHIN, to write a list as long as the Nile River in order to feel accomplished, Boots felt defeated. “Now what? What is next?” she thought. In the midst of the turmoil, Boots remembered that Bali had taught her thee most valuable lesson of her life:
HOW TO LISTEN TO HER INNER GUIDE, HER INNER TRUTH. HER INNER DESIRE. HOW TO LISTEN TO THE STILL VOICE INSIDE HER THAT SPEAKS BEAUTIFULLY AND CLEARLY. WITHOUT QUESTION OR DOUBT.
From this space Princess Boots turned down a job offer, which scared the piss out of her inner child.
“What are you thinking there sweet princess? Are you sure? Are you really sure? What if…”
Boots sweetly replied to those fearful voices: “Ssssshhh, I got this.”
Boots recognized through the guidance of her own therapist that less is by far more. And guess what she did? She let go. She let go of the need to control it all and ALLOWED her life to unfold…
Tired of the details, Boots continued to do the work. She knew there were bigger and better things beyond the majestic land of the castle grounds, but didn’t quite know which way to go. So, she sat still. She waited. She pondered. She embraced the moments of self exploration and the opportunities to envision EXACTLY what she wanted.
In October, Princess Boots opened the door to her private practice with the courage of a nat. She was so scared. She didn’t feel brave. She felt minuscule and worthless. Did she know enough? Would she be able to make it all happen? Would she be good enough? Would she fail? OH, THE FEAR! But she pressed through the fear and doubts. She opened her heart to those that needed guidance. Today, she is in the business of changing lives…and hearts.
Lesson: DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE DETAILS. JUST DO IT.
In the final chapter of this FAIRY TALE, Princess Boots couldn’t be more content with the wrapping up of an adventurous year.
In January, Princess Boots was offered a job working for the military. Five years ago, Princess Boots was standing in the Castle gym talking to a friend and stated:
“My dream job would be to work with the military inside and outside the office, hiking with them, training with them. Coaching them and doing therapy with them…”
Today, she is doing it. Princess Boots is now serving back in a commitment to her father i.e The King, and in a commitment to herself. As she wrapped up an 11 mile hike last week with her majestic army, she wept as she sat in her chariot. Princess Boots FELT the FEELINGS of her courageous journey.
Victory comes in the courage and bravery of the battle. You can’t win until you play. You can’t know true victory until you slay the dragons. You won’t know your inner self until you step in to the fearful cave. That is a message that Princess Boots wants YOU to know as TRUTH.
“Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it!” -Braveheart
There are moments that Princess Boots feels awkward, scared, and anxious. She isn’t immortal. She is human. She shares this humanity with all she is exposed to. Princess Boots speaks mantras to herself daily such as:
“Good is good.”
“I will write. I will travel. I will teach.”
“I am powerful.”
And today, this 9th day of March, 2015, Still Playin’ With It has 4,198 hits from 27 countries.
While Princess Boots enjoys her successes, she is grateful of each energetic mass and mosaic that have been a part of that 4,198! She embraces her readers. She sends them love. She recognizes she wouldn’t be the princess she is today without the support of her family, friends and followers of her bliss!
Princess Boots kissed some frogs, lost a slipper, or two. She slayed dragons, made deals with smoke and mirrors, fell, conquered, and bargained. AND SHE ROSE. SHE SAID YES.
she LIVES and LOVES happily ever after…
THANK YOU! GRATZI! TERIMA KASIH!
These F.G.O’s are simultaneously teaching me valuable lessons, and wiping me out mentally and physically. Please don’t hear this as bad. And don’t hear it as good. It just is. With new jobs, experiences, relationships, etc., comes adjustment. If not aware of and a bit cautious, we may become exhausted. I tend to jump in with all of me and then some. I have learned the hard way at times how to slow down. Like a GONG TO MY HEAD in BALI...I sometimes have to be wiped out to slow down. Hmmmm….not the best recipe! I am aware. 🙂
“BRING IT ON! I AM READY TO ROCK THIS MUSEUM CALLED LIFE!”
For this week, or at least for today, I am putting the links of three of my most favorite blogs. I do read through them and find it fascinating to see the growth I have made as a writer. Today is one of my best friends birthdays (Happy Birthday DAWN!) Dawn is one of my loyal followers and readers. She thanked me this am for continuing to 
stillplayinwithit 