Turning 40 Quote #3: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

I can’t get enough of this quote and thanks to quotable, the company (co-founded by the talented Gillian Simon) that pairs meaningful quotes with inspired graphic design, I have it everywhere. It’s on my office bulletin board, it’s on a magnet in my kitchen, and on the cover of my journal.

It’s a constant reminder, at almost 40, that I must not settle for living anything less than the life I’ve imagined. If I didn’t have these words around me, I think I’d get really far off course – they pull me in whenever I stray.

Did I imagine that my evenings would center around watching LOST while eating leftovers on my lap, and then falling into bed? Not entirely – while it’s okay every now and then, I did not imagine a life as a couch potato. Those words get me to turn off the TV, light a candle, set the table.

Did I imagine that on Christmas morning in my late thirties, I’d be dressed in the same outfit as my children -- a red union suit from Red Envelope with my name embroidered on it? God, no. And while my mother gave it to me with love and I wore it once, those words tell me I cannot wear it again.

Did I imagine I’d be a writer? Well, start writing. Did I imagine a warm and inviting home? Start decorating. Did I imagine a life filled with family and friends? Start making more plans. Did I imagine being 40? Not really, but I’m imagining it’s going to be pretty good.