Dancing in the rain

On the internet earlier, I read something that caught my eye. "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain." Honestly I dismissed it at first as one of those goofy proverb things like "Love, Live, Laugh". But then I started thinking about what it really means, and how it applies to my life.

Scarily enough, after some introspection, I realized how much it does apply to my life.

I wrote an entry a while back about unfinished business and how I have so much of it in my life. This sign perfectly captures how I feel about that unfinished business.

But before I delve into my unfinished business, there are two things in my life that I believe I got right. I hope I don't come across as preachy, but I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs - I think I got that right. I married a fantastic woman, who is not only my best friend, but a wonderful, loving, and caring wife - I know I got that one right.

I do have many things that are unfinished, or were off track, but I think I have most of them back headed in the right direction. I have struggled with my weight due to lack of willpower (working at fast food places for years did not help any), but now I have learned to control my food portions, am eating healthier, and am steadily losing weight. I am working on many of the unfinished projects I have around my home and bringing them to completion. I am also helping my parents remodel their bathrooms and kitchen.

What I am most proud of, however, is the changes that I am making in my career/job path. My wife and I really examined what is holding me back from getting a career, rather than having low-skilled low-paying job after job. I needed a college degree, so two years ago, I went back to school. Yeah - I went back to school when I was 33. 15 years after I graduated High School, I started college. It has been an adventure. I finalized my degree recently - I'm shooting for a double major: Computer Science and Information Systems Management along with a certificate in Project Management for IT Professionals.

I would like to think I have turned my life around and fixed it. I needed a purpose in my life to motivate me to change. I found a purpose. I should correct that statement, I did not find a purpose, I rediscovered my purpose. See, my purpose to get my life back on track is the most important person in my life. Amanda, my wife. I kinda forgot that for a while, but I rediscovered it and I am improving my life for her.

The action of changing your life, to switch it from the path you are heading down to another, different, better track is hard to start. I knew I needed to change, and once I rediscovered the purpose in my life, I had to find the strength to make the transition. I marshaled my resources, namely my family's approval and promise of support and my wife's encouragement. I identified the new destination I needed in my life and the path I had to take to get there. And...

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain.

I've been waiting for too long.

I'm gonna go dance in the rain.

Perhaps I will dance the Macarena.