By the time you read this, I will be frantically looking for a better body slimmer (also known as ye old Fat Tourniquet) that hopefully will take off the 10 pounds that the camera will mercilessly put on. And, I will yet again be marveling about the stuff of which dreams are made.
A while back, KJZZ offered me the opportunity to do my own TV show. My prior TV experience has been limited — 13 episodes for a TV show called "Standing Up" and a short segment for six months on KSL's Studio 5.
On both shows, I was obviously nervous and awkwardly new but had fantastic experiences. Just this past week in preparing for the KJZZ show launch, I was reminded of a few principles and feelings of gratitude that led to this point.
How vital it is to keep dreaming your dreams and looking to the fruition. Over the years, I've been focused on raising six children, yet on the side I've slowly worked toward developing sound growth messages and looking for effective ways to share them.
During this time, some people have considered this an annoying hobby, while others have outright discounted it. Last week I received an e-mail from a close friend who said, "I was thinking about years ago when you told us the vision of different areas that LIFEChange would be in — TV, radio, books, newspaper, etc, and to be honest with you, I kind of thought, 'OK, that's stretching a little on the TV thing.' Now you're starting your own show — you've come a long way despite all the naysayers and naythinkers!"
Another pivotal principle was that what goes around comes around. Wonderfully, we can extend to others the same opportunity for growth that previous people have given to us.
I watched my associate producer, a sharp woman whom I asked to help with the show but who hadn't officially done TV before, and was reminded of my own experience. Everything sounded unfamiliar, phrases such as "Bumper to the two-shot ... tease to open," and smiling and nodding seemed the best response to any question.
Later as we talked, we discovered, ironically, that each of us had started as broadcast journalism majors. Then ultimately, each had chosen a different path because of what it might do to future family options and the time/life sacrifices that would be required.
We marveled that as women, wives and mothers, with children, baby weight (OK me, definitely not her), stretch marks and all, we were still here, doing something we loved, sharing a message we felt was vital. It just was on our terms.
As you consider life, I invite you to excavate those old dreams that still glow somewhere in your core. Maybe it's to publish a book, graduate from college or invent something fabulous. Remember, your life is continually unfolding.
Alexia Abernathy invented the nonslosh bowl at the age of 11 which is now in Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart and Target. Julia Child wrote her famous cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" at age 49, and completed her PBS series at age 85.
Rediscover that thing that made your heart go pitter-pat and do a little here and there. Hoeing daily at your dream can yield fabulous fruits. Bette Nesmith wanted something that would paint over mistakes rather than erase them so she developed liquid paper. Five years after she started the developing process, she sold it to The Gillette Co. for $47.5 million. That's some fabulous fruit.
As I look over the past 15 years, it's clear what experiences — which at the time seemed mundane and ordinary — were pivotal in helping me progress to be able to take advantage of this opportunity now. That's not to say that I'm perfectly prepared — not by a long shot. But each building block has made it more enjoyable, more applicable, and more possible for me to enjoy the process and hopefully help someone else achieve her dream, too.
LIFETip: Spend 10 minutes with your eyes closed and go back to what you used to love to do or dream about doing in your life. Consider one way you can take a step in that direction again.
E-mail: info@LIFEChangeProgram.com