Lightbulb moments...

While I was in Los Angeles last week, I had the opportunity to experience a bunch of new things, different people and amazing sights. There's so much to see and do in just one city, that it's quickly overwhelming. The parks, the restaurants, the shopping, the traffic, the sights, the entertainment---all add up to one astonishing place to visit. Add to that the fact that I have family there that I simply ADORE, and the result is a place that has easily and permanently become a fave.

During our departure from Universal Studios Hollywood one evening, I had the chance to share a life lesson with my daughter. On the way out, there was a man who was break-dancing, entertaining a crowd of people and involving the surrounding kids. He would stand behind them, grab their arms and make it look like they could pop-lock like him. He had a high-top fade (think: Cameo "Word UP" lol), he was funny, and he was REALLY GOOD.

Loo was itching to get out there. She LOVES hip-hop dance; she was tapping her toes and moving her body ever so slightly to the beat. I knew she was just praying for this guy to call on her. And he did. BUT when he headed in her direction, she ran! She totally freaked out... and he moved on to the next kid. I knew she was disappointed, so we stood around a while longer to see if he'd come back and try her again. He did not.

As we were walking out of the park, it dawned on me to teach her a lesson. I said, "Never be too scared to seize an opportunity when it shows up." I explained to her that her opportunity to do something she really wanted to do was right there, staring her in the face--walking toward her, even--and she let it pass by. Her reply was, "But I was scared, Mommie!"

"That's the fun of it!" I told her. Take a risk. Close your eyes and do it anyway. Why? Because when opportunities pass, sometimes--often--they never come back around. And you're left saying, "If I had just done it when I had the chance..." It may be scary, I said, but you have to try. There are lots of things that will come up in your life that you will want to do, but you will be nervous or afraid. Give it some thought, but don't think too long. And definitely NEVER say no just because you were afraid.

So as I was driving to work today, I was talking with a friend about a product that I REALLY liked... and as we talked, a business idea formed. The more we talked, the better the idea sounded. I started to think, "I should DO this. I COULD do this..." My friend agreed. "DO IT," he said, "At least look into it..." I said that I would and we continued to discuss the myriad possibilities that this opportunity posed. But in the middle of our conversation, I got a little scared. I thought to myself, Can I really do this? Could I succeed at this? Will this be another great idea that flops???

And what came to me, in addition to my friend's persistent encouragement, was my conversation with Loo. Here is an opportunity. There's nothing like it in this area. Will fear be the reason I say no? I had to take my own advice, and I did. I took the first step. And when the door opens, I plan to leap. It won't jump off immediately, but there's something brewing. And if the opportunity pans out, it will be BIG.

Since that talk, I have been wondering if this is a defining moment in my life. I know that my daughter will pattern herself after me, and I want to teach her how to speak up, be assertive, and to go after what you want--even if it seems like a long shot. But to do so, I've got to do the same. Furthermore, I have to be able to plant little seeds that will remain with her. At age 35, I still remember the things that my Dad told me about being independent and being a leader. And to this day, I still hear snippets of those talks we had when I was a kid. They have defined who I am and they drive me to try newer, bigger, better things...I can only pray that when Loolie becomes a teen, a college grad, a business woman, a wife and a mom, she will remember our talks, too, and never let one opportunity pass her by.

“I knew you’d be back.” -The Drawing Board