Living the Dream
After almost two years of taking every precaution I could to avoid it, Covid-19 hit me in January 2022. Even though I felt extremely miserable during my week at home, it turned out to be one of the greatest gifts I have received. You see, it was a tough school year for me. I loved being a teacher and was so grateful to be back in the classroom with my 30 kiddos. But I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Almost every morning, I cried before school. Sometimes in my car. Sometimes while putting on my makeup. Through the tears, I’d practice the smile I was going to give my students when they walked into our classroom that day.
So a week to simply rest while my body battled Covid was welcome. The week prior, I felt the urge to look for a new book on self-development. (These are my favorite.) I went to a local bookstore, browsed for a bit, and ended up walking out with a bold, yellow book called, “Growing Boldly” by Emily Ley. I hoped to carve out some time in my busy schedule to read it. My week of resting was just the invitation I needed.
I could say so much about the inspiration this new resource brought me, or how it was a miracle I had time to read it in the middle of a school year! But, to save time, I’ll just say the Holy Spirit did an amazing work in my life through these pages. Emily Ley explores how to identify the dreams we have hidden in our minds and hearts and take practical steps to build them into a reality in our lives. Reading her words lit a spark of passion and excitement I hadn’t felt in years. I was reminded that even though I felt broken, the dreams God created in me were still very much alive. Those little roots just needed some space and nutrients to grow.
At the end of that school year, I made the extremely difficult decision to resign my teaching position. I had lost sight of some beautiful pieces of me, and I needed to create the opportunity to reunite with them. However, in this process, I made another decision. I was going to use a year away from the classroom to empower educators who were still there. I was going to revisit an idea left on hold. I decided I was going to write and publish a devotional book for teachers by the end of the next school year.
Taking a risk and leaving my job to pursue my wellness and explore a dream was a journey that included joys and challenges. The challenges came in the form of finding new employment and affording the medical costs associated with being a type 1 diabetic. Even though I was paying hundreds of dollars per month for health insurance, for a season I went without some medical supplies because I couldn’t afford the thousands of dollars it would have cost me. I juggled up to five part-time jobs at a time. There were days I questioned every decision I had made leading up to this point.
But you know what? That year, in spite of these challenges, I was the happiest and healthiest I had felt in a long time. Because the joys came along for the ride too. I had time and mental energy to wonder, learn, create, fail, and try again. In order to write my book in 9 months, I set goals and held myself to them. If I didn’t know something, I read a book or watched a YouTube video about it. I invited incredible people on this journey with me. I ate healthier and exercised more. My report from the doctor came back the best it’s ever been in my 11 years of having diabetes. On April 24, 2023, I self-published my book, “Called to the Classroom: Daily Reflections for Educators.” As I write this story, my book is being distributed to teachers all across the country who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, will be empowered by these words when they return to the classroom this fall.
My friends, I share my lengthy story to tell you that “living the dream” comes with obstacles, learning curves, and a whole lot of self-development. It also comes with the empowerment to bring your dream to life and be a source of positive change! Whatever your dream is, I guarantee you that chasing it will be risky. But the alternative is to never dream at all and risk leaving your potential impact behind.
