Do you ever fear your dreams may not happen?
I do myself sometimes.
Like losing weight. I’ve tried everything under the sun to return to my svelte self of my 30s. I eat healthy. Walk at least 3-4 times a week. Skip bread and pasta. Never eat fast food. Meditate on “releasing” extra pounds.
Still, the scales never budge and those 30 extra pounds hug me tight.
Oh, well…more on that in the future. I’m not giving up.
In the meantime, I have plenty of other dreams coming true!
And, tomorrow one of them is happening.
This little Eiffel Tower box of soaps, a gift from Woman on Fire Angela Ittu, has been my daily reminder that my dream of going to Paris is coming true!
I’m going to PARIS for the first time ever – and taking 10 Women on Fire with me!!
And, this experience-of-a-lifetime all grew when one woman who was “burned out” — and unsure how to make a living doing what she really loved — decided to follow her spark…
Doni Belau, on the right, and I during one of our lunches to plan the upcoming trip to take Women on Fire to Paris!
Several years ago, Doni Belau attended a Women on Fire Tea in New York City. And, as we always do at a tea, each participant shares what she is “on fire” about – or not.
Doni was the last woman to speak that day. When it was her turn, she was a little sad and very thoughtful. “I must admit,” said, “I am burned out.”
She went on to say that listening to the plans, enthusiasm and joy of other women “on fire” about their lives inspired her to think of a step forward.
“So, I’m going to take a sabbatical — and go to France,” she announced to the cheers of everyone else!
You see, Doni loved all things French and possessed great knowledge of France and Paris, in particular. Up to that point, it was only an avocation. To make a living, she was in a totally different line of work as a consultant.
And, so she arranged to go to France for a few weeks.
When she returned, she knew what she wanted to do! She would start a travel website and a business to host trips for women to Paris.
In 2009, The Girls’ Guide To Paris with all the latest happenings in The City of Light was born. Today, Doni even has her own radio program on Overseas Radio Network.
And, now we are going to Paris…a dream and celebration for the women on the trip.
Thanks to Doni, who made her own powerful dream come true, there will be 11 Women on Fire in Paris next week riding Segways, sipping tea at Laduree, preparing a meal under the tutelage of French chefs — and many, many other activities!
We will be celebrating life and fun and our own next steps in life. The process of dreaming big starts all over again for the women on the trip.
I’m smiling at the ripple effect of one woman pursuing her BIG dream and the joy it is bringing now to us and so many others.
And, don’t worry, we won’t lose touch with you while we’re away. We’ll check in on Facebook, on Jamie Eslinger’s daily blog, and on this blog, so you can come along for the ride, too!
What is your big dream? How will you make it happen? What do you need for inspiration, strategies and support?
For me, I’m actually hoping that going to Paris will inspire the strategy I need next to lose a few pounds – double cafe mocha with chantilly and pain au chocolat, anyone? 😉
