Dream Big. Do Bigger.

I have always been somewhat of a "head in the clouds" kinda person- imagining the world how I would like it to be and the person I hoped to become. When I was in 1st grade, I was actually nominated for & won the Disney "Dreamers and Doers" Award for enacting positive change in my community. As a 6 year old, I had no idea what that truly meant- to be a dreamer and doer- and yet, that has become such a huge piece of who I am today. As children, we all have crazy dreams. I wanted to be a figure skater, country music star, crime scene investigator, wife by 21 years old, and mother by 25 years old. None of that really worked out and I am REALLY thankful that it didn't- I am sure as hell not ready to be a momma and I pass out at the sight of blood so CSI definitely wouldn't have worked out well. Dreams evolve and grow, they give us vision for the future, and are the driving force in helping us find our path.

Somehow, between becoming a figure skater and landing my first job as a fraternity/sorority life advisor, my dream became to help, inspire, challenge others through the power of storytelling. Today, that dream came true. Today, I joined ForCollegeForLife as a professional college speaker, dedicated to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness and advancing fraternity/sorority life. A dream that seemed so unreal, so impossible came true today.

For years, I have told myself "not yet, you aren't ready, you can't do this". I have sifted through doubt, fear of failure, and self-set boundaries. The one thing, the only thing that can help overcome this overwhelming feeling of "I can't" is a deafening, resilient, unwavering sense of courage. Courage to dream big and do bigger. Where's your courage? What would YOU do without expectations, boundaries, or fear of failure? Do that.

"Have the courage to touch the butt" -Finding Nemo