Sunday, September 1, 2013

Fairy Tales DO Come True—If You Let Them...


Years ago my husband and I had a big, walloping dream of moving to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Since we'd once lived 11 miles down a dirt logging road in the wilderness of Idaho (the inspiration for my magical novel Twixt), we knew we'd love the pristine outdoors and crisp air in spite of the high altitude. But I have to tell the truth here—though we were deeply committed to our dream, the reality was that we'd failed dozens of times to make it come true.  I've lost count of how many crucial job prospects slipped through our fingers or seemed to evaporate before our very eyes (often because the job got cut at the last moment due to the economic downturn). And because neither one of us have trust funds, getting good jobs with decent benefits was crucial to our security & future happiness. Oh, and then there was the time my husband had a job all lined up—but he simply couldn't sleep that night, tossing & turning in bed. Deep in my gut I knew the reason why—because the job paid significantly less than he was really worth, but it was the only opportunity we had. The next morning, I did one of the bravest things in my life: I got up, made a nice breakfast, and told him not to take it.


Why? Because I knew in our eagerness we were "settling" for less than our dream. And even though the thought of saying "no" to this opportunity turned me inside out, all I could see was a future where we were locked into disappointment (this particular job required a long-term commitment).  And after all these years, there's one thing I've learned: You can't force a miracle to happen. I know that sounds counter-intuitive in our American gusto, go-after-your-dreams-or die national consciousness. But when things are really right for you, they have a way of falling into place that is nothing short of a miraculous. And if you try to force a miracle using your limited human mindset, well—you'll end up with a limited human experience, far short of what you envisioned. So what I've discovered is that if I can find it within myself to set my ego aside and let the Angels lead the way and arrange everything in perfect timing and order, they'll deliver something better than I could have ever dreamed. But that requires PATIENCE and TRUST. Sigh...and tremendous fortitude of spirit.


Patience and trust are two of my least favorite words because I'm a "doer" by nature and I'd rather jump in head first with all the enthusiasm I can muster. Surely the universe will bless my unbridled passion, right? I shake my head as I write this because I know it's not true—divine timing is always better than MY timing. And sometimes life requires you to trust the Angels on your journey to bring you to your fairy tale ending...


Yet after an entire decade had slipped by, and there were many times when I wondered if (A) I was crazy, and if (B) this dream would ever come true, suddenly, like a delicate flower that seemed to blossom overnight when least expected, we got the call.

Mariposa Lily of Colorado

You know—THAT call. The one that says "Yes, you deserve it. We're choosing YOU for this job, this dream, this whole new LIFE." And in what seemed like a flash, we moved a thousand miles to our new home at 9,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains with all expenses paid and a buy-out of our old home. Holy Cow!!!!!!!!!!

Now, on my morning jogs, this is the vista I see along dirt roads that once hosted nineteenth-century wagon wheels...


And these are the brilliant alpine wildflowers that bloom in all their flaming glory in spite of the high altitude and harsh, semi-arid climate...

 Indian Paintbrush

Yet despite all of the beautiful scenery, nothing was as startling to me as the time my husband and I recently took a hike to 11,000 feet in elevation. As we stood gazing out over the Continental Divide, our chests swelled at the incomprehensible beauty of it all, I happened to glance down to spy these extraordinary mushrooms:


Seriously? Bright red polka-dotted mushrooms at a formidable 11,000 feet like something out of a...FAIRY TALE?? And that's when I began to laugh out loud...because surely the Angels have a sense of humor! 

Only this time, the joke is on me. Okay, so maybe it DID take a decade of near-constant struggle and unbelievable faith to make our dream come true. But when it finally happened, we were left pinching ourselves at the rightness of this miracle and how perfectly it fit our lives. The only ingredient we really needed all along was the belief that we were worth it—and to not settle for less than we'd dreamed or to try to rush the miracle. And I couldn't help but wonder if there was a divine purpose in this long journey towards our unique fairy tale ending. Because the woman who now stands at the top of the Continental Divide is different than the woman who began this journey. She's withstood trials, obstacles, heartbreak, and even brutal betrayal. But she has kept her sights high & listened to her Angels in spite of all of the naysayers who (at times) tried to bully her into believing that she's "impractical" and that fairy tell endings never really come true.

And all I have to say to those people now is BULLSHIT. Fairy tales are REAL. Your dreams are real and they are in your heart for a reason. And that reason is to step out on a journey that will require your whole heart and will at times freeze you to the bone, only to cause you to bloom more brilliantly than you ever dreamed possible. And your dream WILL come to you if you can muster the patience to trust the Angels to lead you to it. It may come in a different form or through a different channel than you imagined. But I believe the Angels are faithful to lead you to your heart's desire if you don't hang on too tightly to how your dream will manifest. Just be true to yourself, dream hard, and work even harder. But then do yourself a huge favor and let go. Let the Angels arrange those details that are beyond human willpower and comprehension. Because like I always say:

 When you let go and relax, miracles can find you... 




P.S. And speaking of fairy tales, my new fairy tale book for boys (and tomboys) is finally here: THE BOYS WHO FARTED AND FLEW! Young and old will treasure this whimsical tale that teaches the values of friendship and telling the truth—and warns against taking bites out of dragons ; ) But most of all, this charming story reminds us that sometimes magic gets STINKY...



Available NOW at Amazon/Kindle—just click here:  The Boys Who Farted and Flew



(Photo credit note: All images on my blog are either my own or were gleaned from pictures in the public domain of facebook or pinterest.
 If you own the copyright to any of these images & do NOT want them used publicly, please contact me & I will take them down immediately! : )



8 comments:

  1. Inspiration at your best in the latest entry of your blog~ I am so happy for you and YOU DESERVE it all~ that is no BULLSHIT! ;) Breathe the Rocky Mountain air and keep penning~ xoxo

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  2. Thank you! Can't wait to serve you flapjacks on my front porch one day! Dear friends like you gave me the strength to BELIEVE : )

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  3. I am so glad that you didn't stop believing in your Dream !

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  4. Thank you Kathleen! You have been quite an inspiration to me <3

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  5. Great post, Diane. Wishing you all the best, MG ;o)

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  6. Thank you so much for stopping by! Best to you as well : )

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  7. Dear Diane,

    I'm not quite sure how to describe my feelings and thoughts in an appropriate choice of words...
    This was awesome, wonderfull and made me cry! In a good way!
    Thank you! Thank you so much!
    Though I don't know you in person I dare to say you have beautiful soul!
    Too emotional? Well, I don't care :)
    Thank you again!
    - L

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  8. Oh my goodness—thank you so much, Laura! I pray abundant Autumn blessings will come your way & will make your soul sing! :D

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