Today the online women’s magazine, Cape Women Online, featured an article on my author and friend, Joan Walsh, the founder of the Cape Cod Children’s Writer’s group that I belong to. A year ago she was working very hard to get her book, Cape Cod Memory Makers Explore the Town of Falmouth, published. I stand in awe of Joan for never giving up. She got her book written, illustrated, and now, published. A huge investment of time, money, and painstaking work. Now, one year later, it sits on the bookshelves of many area stores.

What if Joan didn’t pursue her dream? A year would have gone by anyway and she’d still be in the same spot, without a published book.

This morning when I went to yoga class my friend, Shirley, was there. I hugged her and stood in awe of her. I hadn’t seen her in nine weeks because she was in teacher training in LA. Shirley blogged her journey each week and I felt like I was there with her. She accomplished a Herculean task both physically and mentally. A year ago Shirley was tossing around the idea of attending teacher training. Now, one year later, she stands in front of me a certified Bikram yoga teacher.

What if Shirley didn’t pursue her dream? The year would’ve gone by anyway, and she’d still be in the same spot, but not a certified teacher.

Today is June 20, 2012. Where do you want to be on June 20, 2013? Do you have a dream? Do you have a goal? Do you want to make a life change? Do you have a vision? Decide today to stop putting it off. Take the first step, no matter how small, toward it. Even if it’s only making a phone call, writing an inquiring email, searching the Internet, or even just writing down what you want to do and taping it up on the bathroom mirror.

You know the old saying – a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. I watched both of these women take their first step. They are both my heroes. Because of them, I took my first steps to writing and publishing my picture book and starting a small business to support that. By June 21, 2013, I want my book submitted to at least ten publishers and I’d like my business to be pulling in at least $4000 a month. The year IS going to go by anyway. It’s just a matter of where I want to be at the end of it.

Our journeys, theirs and mine, are not easy. There are obstacles along the way, but knowing that didn’t stop Joan and Shirley. They just put their boots on and started walking. Joan, Shirley, – thank you both for being such an inspiration to Cape women everywhere.

And so, as another day goes by, please check out Joan’s article in Cape Women Online (link below), think seriously about putting on those shoes and taking that first step along with me this year, and …I have written.

Cape Women Online