glorious triumphs even though checkered by 
failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who 
neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live 
in the gray twilight that knows neither victory or defeat."

~Theodore Roosevelt

I don't want to be a poor spirit who lives in the gray twilight. I don't want humdrum. Does that mean being reckless or an adrenaline junkie? Certainly not. I don't need to have a thrill-a-minute life, but I don't want to languish in mediocrity because I was afraid to dare mighty things. 

Mighty things come in many forms.

On some level, launching this joy letter was a mighty thing. I feared failure, being thought silly, fluffy, naive, foolish, sappy, etc. Maybe I am those things, but a simple weekly ezine has brought a lot of joy into my life and has helped countless others. So much good has come from it and so many doors have opened. There have been ups and downs, but it falls under the category of glorious triumph.

 We are conditioned to believe that playing it safe is the "right" way, when really it's the gray twilight. No real lows, but no real highs. We play it safe with our hearts, with our money, with our dreams. In the end, we suffer more by doing so. Life is a journey, and my motto is that joy is the journey of you. You decide if you are going to give yourself the joy of loving and living your life, or merely existing. 

I have made my decision. The "failures" are simply lessons that have propelled me on to even greater joys. If I am keeping score, and I'm not, the victories far outnumber and outweigh the defeats. 

The future holds many opportunities for you and me. Will I experience hesitation and doubt along the path? Sure. Do I want to be among those poor spirits who don't allow themselves to know joy? No way.

Words to Ponder: