The Blueprint
How much of your life have you spent trying to fit in? It seems that just as we pop out of our mother’s vagina shouting, “I’m here!!!”, Nurse Normal quickly shoves the doctor aside and stamps our tiny foreheads with the blueprint of how our future selves are to behave, look, and live so we will fit in.

It Takes a Long Time to Grow Young
I struggled in both school and then as a new mother to be “normal”. Attempting to place my square pegs into those round holes was impossible. I just didn’t fit the mould.

I had fallen into the trap of believing conformity meant acceptance, which would translate into happiness. But that never happened. Despite my best efforts, I was not happy, and I wasn’t accepted. When you try to be something you’re not, you lose your authenticity and, in my case, it showed. Deep down, I knew it was hopeless.

Over time, I came to understand what ‘different’ truly meant. That difference was something special, and if given the chance to grow, it could become something much greater than ‘normal’.

“…Yet it struck me that being a woman was akin to a performance, with its cues and lines that had to be learned. I knew how I was supposed to act and what I was supposed to say, I just wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to.” – The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

My Role Model
In hindsight, I should have known my attempts at fitting the mould were never meant to be. My mother, Elizabeth, was a reject from normalcy and was happy to be so.

She was eclectic, maybe even a bit eccentric, but that was just who she was. As her daughter, I sometimes found this a bit embarrassing. Having a mother who was an anomaly was a bit daunting.

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“Of all the ways you can limit yourself, your own self-definition is the most powerful.” — MICHAEL CRICHTON

You have a lifetime of knowledge, mistakes and achievements to work with. I’m wiser now than I’ve ever been and find the world as curious and intriguing as if I were a two-year-old. We are the sum total of all our missteps and accomplishments. Self-improvement begins in these five areas: mental, social, spiritual, emotional and physical. Get busy getting to know yourself. With all that life experience stored in your head, you can create magic! Discover how to implement and organize that knowledge.

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A Fishy StoryWatching fish calmly glide through an aquarium is so peaceful and relaxing. When life gets stressful, it would be almost spiritual to gaze upon a graceful little goldfish swimming about. I’d call my new buddy Sherman, and he would be my best friend in challenging times; such a better alternative than coping on anti-anxiety medications.
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I would create a lovely home for his occupancy in a reasonably large bowl, a castle to sleep in, swaying plants to hide behind, fresh water, and an abundance of his favourite foods. Heck, I might even throw in a mermaid or one of those deep-sea divers. And if he got lonely, I’d be happy to supply him with a few fishy friends. That sounds delightful. Sherman would feel like he had his own Tahitian slice of paradise.

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​​If we were the pilots of our own flight of life’s fulfillment and meaning, would the Universe choose who would accompany us on our journey? 
Let’s see. There would be a flight crew, a co-pilot, passengers, the occasional hijacker, terrorist, and a ground crew that would keep us safely soaring through the sky. We would round out our crew with that incompetent navigator who can’t seem to read a map  – but we love her anyway because she surprises us with never-ending detours.
With luck, our flight will be a long one, but many stops must be made along the way. As we soar through the skies of possibilities and destinations, some of those who share our journey will leave us. They will be dropped off at various airports to seek their own adventures, and we will continue on our odyssey with newcomers and our favourite remaining passengers. And, of course, there will always be those annoying hangers-on who will refuse to get off.
Those Intriguing Short-Haul Passengers
Some of those on board are short-haul passengers: making us laugh for a few moments, teaching us to cherish memorable acquaintances, and sharing their wisdom. They will remind us of the importance of appreciating different cultures and traditions during the brief time we spend together. 
Children will find mates of their own and board their own transport. Parents may cease to exist physically, and partners may decide your journey is no longer one they wish to share. Those nasty hijackers and terrorists may temporarily force us to deviate from our intended itineraries, but our trusty ground crew will set things right and have us on our way once again.
Sometimes there will be adversaries among our passengers. As the lionhearted pilot, we will equip them with parachutes and, with a quick farewell, send them on their way – perhaps with a gentle push. This will allow them to embark on their own escapades.

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