Freedom On Toast

Our daughter who is 16 was recently asked to write a paper in school describing something in detail.  She choose to describe her dreams.  How cool is that?

She has been exposed to many personal development masters, including Michael Clouse whom she had the honor to meet.  It was shortly after this meeting that she really started to think about her dreams and put them on paper and in her dream book.  Thank you Michael for inspiring that!

Here’s her paper…

Once Upon a Dream

The first time I walked into that open arena my eyes lit up like the suns hello in the morning. I couldn’t believe that we were in the third row. This would not be my first time seeing them but every time they came back they got better and better. It’s a kind of attraction when I see they’re coming.   I wonder,  “what will they bring this time?”   Like Santa Clauses’ present bag, they would reach their hands into red velvet soft bag and give me a show that makes smile from ear to ear. The show was amazing how this person could do that, and how smooth it was, like they have done it a thousand times, which they probably have. But to them it’s another day to make a little girl like me smile. Every act was like a new day to me; the way they would move and do their tricks amazed me. I was like a little girl in a candy shop with a million dollars, the possibilities were endless. This is the cirque life and this is just the beginning.

A dream is merely an image you see when you are sleeping.  Or an ambition, a cherished desire in your life.  Well most of us at this age are starting to think about colleges and our future, well I could say I have known for awhile and yes I could tell you what college I am planning on going to but you wouldn’t believe me. I was at the age of 8 when all of this started. It wasn’t my first Cirque show but it was still amazing. But this time it made my mind click, like it was a clock that had been broken for many years and then all of a sudden started working again. Right then and there, at the show, I decided I wanted to be a Cirque performer when I grew up. Well all of us have had dreams, like when we were all little we wanted to be a little ballerina who wore the little pink tutu, or a police man who had that golden shinny badge that you thought was the coolest thing ever. And now you have this idea in your head that you were really going to be a fireman or whatever you dreamed of when you were little. And I still to this day want to be a Cirque performer and I am living my dream, taking those steps to reach my ultimate goal!

The months went by like normal and then one day my mom said are you ready for circus camp, and I thought she was joking. I thought there was no such thing as a circus camp, and she was crazy. But she wasn’t lying.  We were driving past all this new scenery to me, the trees green as new grass and the road as smooth as the sky. The whole way there I was excited. And when my mom turned into this empty parking lot with this big green building in the back I started to laugh.  I did not think that the little green building was a circus. There was no pinstriped tent or clowns.  The crowds of people were here for the same reason I was. As I stepped into the building I was just ready to get through the day. But as the day went on I really started to love circus more and more. Like with a mom and a newborn, the love grew on me over time. So the week went by, every night I would go to sleep early hoping that I would be able to get to circus faster. In the morning I was like a hummingbird. The way its wings move so fast you can’t even see them, I felt amazing.  Well the week ended and so did camp, and all my family came over for dinner one night. And there was something missing.  A piece of me was left behind. It was like when you eat a pizza without cheese or the sauce, it doesn’t work without the other.  And that was me.  I was the pizza with no sauce.  My mom says that the night my family was over I wasn’t with everyone; she couldn’t find me. So she came up to my room and found me crying, the tears rolling down my face like the tires on a car.  She says that I was upset that I didn’t have circus camp anymore and I said I wouldn’t ever come out of my room. Well it turns out that the place that held circus camp also has a year-round circus school! When those words came out of my mother’s mouth it was like I was reborn. I swear I could hear angles singing like they do in those cheesy Christmas movies you watched when you believed in Santa Clause. My life was finally complete; my pizza found its sauce.

My dream was coming together.  I was taking those steps.  I went from an audience member to a want-to be to a performer, to a performer. I only have two more steps; to become a student performer, and a professional performer. Like I said before I already know what I want to do with the rest of my life, I’ve known for awhile. I know what college I want to attend and how to get to where I belong. I’ve even had those people who think your dream sucks and will fail. In the 8^th grade I rode my unicycle in front of my whole 8^th grade class. And only 5 people clapped. I went home that night and cried. After that people teased me throughout the year calling me a freak and other horrible names. I would go home from school almost every day and cry. I tried to switch schools many times but it just wasn’t worth it. And I am finally opening up again hoping people will accept me for what I do and won’t go back to what they use to do. I’m never going to let other people push my dreams around; they are my dreams, not theirs. So my next step is to get into a circus college. And even though I’ve gone through rough parts and am where I am, it gave me character, it made me who I am today, and I hope other people learn from my experiences and take my same steps.

As most people say, “reach for the stars” and don’t stop until you reach your dreams, and if things get in your way just push past. Today I am living my dream or at least most of it.  I have circus practice three days a week, and every time I’m there it’s like another chapter in my dream story. When I perform, it’s like I am that person in the Cirque show that made me want to become what I am today.

Bravo girl!  I am proud of you and excited for you to see your full dreams come true.

Love, Mom 

My next Toastmasters Speech…

Life is Like a Circus

Some Moms are soccer Moms. Some Moms are hockey Moms. Me, I am a circus Mom. I spend about 10 hours a week at the circus. The real circus. My 16 year old daughter has been going to a program in St. Paul called Circus Juventas for about 10 years now. She started by riding a unicycle and now takes many classes including Flying Trapeze. So over my 10 years I have had the privilege of learning many lessons from these talented students that apply to everyone’s life.

1. Take balance – just as my daughter learned to balance on a unicycle, we all have to learn balance in our lives. This sounds so much easier than it really is. But without balance, life loses some of it’s zest.

For several years I worked in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office as a victim advocate. My caseload consisted of child sexual and physical abuse cases, working with children who had witnessed domestic violence and homicide cases. I really enjoyed this job but over time I lost my balance. Often we don’t really realize we are out of balance until something happens. In my case, I was standing in line waiting to order my daily large, skim vanilla latte with no foam when the lady in front on my turned around and said, “Hi, how are you?” Now, to most everyone else in the world this would be deemed as a nice comment. Me? I instantly thought the woman must be mentally ill. For nobody is THAT nice. Now I immediately realized my flawed thinking and laughed at myself – and put in my 2 weeks notice shortly after that.

We all need balance. In our physical health, mental health, family life, spiritual life, and fun! Without it – well, we think everyone ELSE is mentally ill!

2. Juggling – sometimes life just throws a lot our way and we have to decide which balls to catch. And even with our best efforts we may not catch them all. But organization and planning DO help. If you can look ahead a bit and plan for what’s coming your way, you are more likely to be able to juggle the many tasks at hand. Forget that multi-tasking idea. That was developed by some Corporate mucky-muck as a way to get more done. But in truth, steadfast focus will help you with all your juggling needs. After all, you don’t see a juggler multi-tasking! If all the balls were thrown in the air at once he or she would surely miss most of them.

3. Believe you can do anything! Well almost anything – we do want to avoid that whole mental illness aspect! Watching these kids try new acts and new equipment always amazes me. They go in believing that anything is possible. That they can fly through the air. That they can do aerial tricks 40 feet in the air. And it’s their belief that propels them forward. How often have you wanted to start something new but had that nagging voice in your head tell you “it’s just not possible.” Learn to ignore that dream stealer and believe that you can achieve your dreams and goals.

4. Take risks. I don’t mean the kind that are going to land you in prison so forget the bank heist. But think about your daily life. When is the last time you really took a risk and stepped outside your comfort zone? Probably not often if you really think about it. We are really creatures of habit and stepping outside of your comfort zone requires taking a risk and frankly that’s not usually all that comfortable. But without taking risks you are hindering your own personal growth. Now the kids at circus often have safety lines attached to them as they take risks but they still have to get past the mental aspect of taking the risk. As adults, we usually don’t have real safety lines but often have a support system that acts like a safety line, encouraging and cheering us on as we learn and grow.

Most, if not all of us, are in some type of business that requires interacting with people. What would your business look like if you took a risk and met just 2 new people a day? Got 2 more business cards a day from people that you aren’t currently doing business with? Would your business grow if you could expose your business to 250 new people a year? Would your sales be up? While taking risks can be scary, the benefits can be enormous!

5. Celebrate your success! As adults we often downplay our achievements. We may go out for dinner when we receive a promotion. Or we may get a pat on the back by a boss. But we really need to CELEBRATE! To achieve your goals you have had to put in a lot of time and effort to see the goal become reality. It’s not just a celebration of the end result but the journey along the way. Just as in circus where the students practice and practice, endure blisters and muscle pains, face their fears and do it all over again and again, we do the same when trying to accomplish our goals. So how do you get your “standing ovation?” What do you do to really acknowledge your journey?

6. And finally, have FUN! Make the most of any situation. If the situation just isn’t positive, find something to learn from the event. FIND something positive however small. There is almost always SOMETHING positive and let’s face it, fun is just more…fun!

So enjoy your own circus. As adults we tend to get wrapped up in the mundane. Take some time to think about your life. Do you live in balance? How’s your juggling? Do you believe? Are you taking risks? Are you celebrating your success? Are you having fun? If not, perhaps a visit to the circus is in order as the circus always brings out the best. And as they say at circus, “May all your days be circus days.”