Thank you for sharing this story. I have had difficulty with anxiety and depression throughout my life, and often have a great deal of difficulty appreciating my surroundings and connecting with those around me. My parents had a lot of very bad things happen to them when they were young, and were very mistrustful of the world and the motives of others. I don't blame them, but I do wish they could have seen more of the beauty in the world and in other people. Your children are very lucky to have you in their lives.

If you can do 1% of what you are passionate about, the rest of the 99% that you do to pay your bills will merge into the passion. It has to happen. There is no choice. It might take a year or 20 years. If you ain't willing to stay with not knowing how it will happen, ain't willing to wait without a timeline, ain't taking up every chance, however modest it may be, to engage with your passion, then it ain't your passion. But if it is, then you will be able to do what a simple man did centuries ago: Bleeding from a cross, he said, ""Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." His passion was to love everyone, no matter what, when, where or how was his situation. Trust me, paying bills is not so hard.

Of course but if you make time everyday for your so called "pipe dream" IT WILL EVENTUALLY COME TRUE!!!! It took me 12 years for mine to come true but i did it everyday for 12 years and now I'M LIVING MY DREAM!!!! If you are not optimistic, YOU HAVE ALREADY FAILED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It IS that Simple, although not always Easy. it's about making a choice, taking a chance and then LEAPING. I finally LEAPED in 2005; newly divorced (no alimony), quit my full-time job as a Children's Librarian (not a big paycheck, nor big savings) sold my small home and most possessions to be a full-time Professional Storyteller & create a volunteer literacy project based in Belize. What happened next still blows my mind. Over the last 7 years, I've donated programs for over 33,000 students and trained 800 teachers. This year the project is invited to Kenya, Ghana & India. I was a finalist in TED Talks, I perform Worldwide (PAID) and do a ton of volunteering! I love my life!

All because I offered the gift I had been given (Storytelling) and because I was living my passion; building bridges between cultures and people. Sure, there were (and still are) many challenges along the way. I may not have the biggest bank account, but I am HAPPY, Content, in JOY because I am LIVING and SHARING my passion. Please take the LEAP. I HUG you and encourage you! <3 Kristin