Have you ever had someone in your life—a parent, a friend, a romantic partner—that has "wow'd" you? Not in the, got you an expensive birthday gift, remembered your pet's birthday, or cooked you a nice meal kind of way. What I'm referring to is someone in your life that you've had the privilege of observing how they live their life and truly being in awe of the simplicities of their every day.
I've had multiple people like that in my life. All of the above, actually. And I don't think it's talked about enough just how much of an impact our circle truly has on the outcome of our lives. Sure, we know the saying that we're the sum of the five people we spend the most time with (a quote from motivational speaker, Jim Rohn). But our circle's influence on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors may bear more weight than we regularly acknowledge.
There are people in my life who have fought life-threatening illnesses and come out on the other side. People who have picked up and moved to new cities alone. People who have tried and failed and tried again and again to make their dreams come true (and succeeded). People who have spent their free time helping others out of the goodness of their own hearts.
People who push and test their own limits regularly, and then push some more. People who have broken records and are still the most humble of humans. People who create the most exquisite art I've ever seen without even so much as one art lesson. People who spend their Sundays baking just to give a sweet treat to the neighbors. People who know how to live life on their terms.
Without these people, I don’t know who I'd be. I don’t know if I'd get up in front of a room full of people to sing cover songs, or volunteer at the local food pantry, or start this blog, or push through a hard workout. I don’t know if I'd have the strength to quit job after job, searching for a career that lights me up. I don’t know if I'd believe that I'm capable of moving across the country just because I want to. I think I'd be much more inclined to settle for mediocrity, a life full of, "okay's" rather than "unbelievable's".
There are people in our lives that show us the way, in both senses—what we dream of, and what we fear. I don't want to wake up one day and wonder about what could've been, if only I had taken the chance. I can only thank God and the universe for equipping me with role models to guide me on a path of abundance.
With the right people in my corner, I know I'm on the path to a life only described as "spectacular" because I, and they, refuse to accept just "okay".
Find your "wow" people, and learn how to go after your "spectacular" while you still have air in your lungs and enough courage to dream your dream.
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