What is REALITY anyway?

You know the age old, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there does it make a sound?" I read an article Jennifer Crusie wrote for RWA about what is reality and truth when you are writing a book and want to get it published.

Many of the things she said apply to just about any dream or goal we have in life. It goes back to other old adages like, "You might as well please yourself because then at least one person will be happy."

Even though there are things we know, intellectually, it's nice to have a gentle reminder, or a graphic one like the rats and the island Jenny has in her article. It's good to be reminded that we shouldn't worry about how our dreams (work) will be accepted before we even start. No one would get started on anything at that rate.

It also reminded me of a line Robert Redford says in the movie "Out of Africa" when he is discussing his life choices with Meryl Streep's character. He says, "I didn't want to wake up one day realizing I've lived someone else's life."

So what does all my meandering around this topic mean? What am I trying to say? Well, I guess I'm tellling myself that it's okay to pursue a dream and to do something because you just feel in your own heart that you have to. It doesn't matter what conventional wisdom says.

I've read many articles and books about real people who didn't listen to what anyone said about what they were doing because they were convinced themselves that their chosen profession or career or art was what they were supposed to be doing. They couldn't do anything else, they just kept pursuing their goals until someone finally noticed.

What's inside of you? What are you holding back? I'm asking myself these questions. What haven't I done because "someone" said I was too old, too fat, too girl, too mom, too...whatever.

More on this later...I'm thinking.