[The people around me are my inspiration. They always help me find the courage I need along the way]

Imagine you’re reading a book… You get to the part where you don’t know what’s going to happen next. You think of all the outcomes and possibilities. What could go wrong and all the things that could go right. Will the character in the story be okay? What are they going to do? How will it all turn out? That’s what my life has become. An open book. Anything could happen and I have no idea how the story is going to unfold.

I had the best talk with my friend Bettina the other night. We always do… She has been an inspiration for me and so many other people around her. Going through more than any of us ever will, she is constantly persevering and with a positive outlook and smile on her face. We talked about how we’re both a getting to that age where most if not all of our friends are getting married, having kids, buying homes. We also talked about how we’re both okay with where we are in life, more than okay actually. But it’s hard to have the pressures of society surrounding you and people’s opinions wafting in the air. I think we’re both “successful” in our own right. To me she’s truly a success. Not because of any definition in a book. Who is Webster anyway? To me success can be so many things. My students taught me this actually. We were doing a lesson on some of the greatest “success stories”, famous CEO’s and entrepreneurs. And someone said, “but all of these people aren’t successes because of the money or the fame. It’s because they had the courage the try.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Success to me is about taking that leap of faith. Yes, of course we have to be smart about it… but we also can’t be our own worst enemy. We can’t let what others are doing define us or be the norm. You have to be the author and hero of your own story. Make it one you want to and are excited to read. Make each chapter better than the next. And never be afraid to make the next chapter the one where you follow your heart and your dreams.