dear_johnson: One Yr. Later

Integrity

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” 

-Thomas Jefferson-

My first post was a quote from Mark Victor Hansen. You may recognize the name. He is an author and motivational speaker, best known for his work; as the co-creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. If you have not already; I would like to ask you to take a few seconds. Please select the hyperlink here https://dearjonson.blog/2019/04/07/the-journey-begins/ to understand how it all began. As a child, some of Mr. Hanson’s works lie stocked and shelved in my parents’ home. Yet something about this quote enabled me to muster up the confidence I needed. That which lay dormant within me for years. Here is a summary of what I took from his message:

Stop waiting for situations to BE right; to FEEL: right. You may be waiting for a long time. There is no perfect moment to pursue anything your heart desires. Stop pretending that obstacles will not arise, they will. Be willing to take a calculated “thought-provoking” risk. Not tomorrow, not a week from now: but RIGHT now. At this moment. It is the only thing you are guaranteed. I mean, what do you have to lose? Every step taken towards the finish-line. Every mistake made: is an opportunity. One in which you grow to become wiser and stronger. This allows one to discover who they are. It also paves the road towards becoming who we inspire to be. 

It began a year ago, these words acted as the fuel I needed to set fire to the battlefield. Each chapter began with an idea and without fear or hesitation I wanted to #runwithit. I accomplished that. It has been just over a year since I began sharing a part of my life with the world. What is a dear Johnson? It is a modern spin on an adage. A rebuttal against adversity. It is the response to that dear-john letter. Its empowerment and taking back what no man has authority over: “Our Lives.” In most cases it’s been difficult to share some of the material I have written about. Being one hundred, even now I struggle with pulling from the corridors of my thoughts. It’s personal, it’s raw, it is real and most importantly; this is me; it is could also be you: unconditionally. That is Integrity 101. Here are just some of the pages to a chapter completed. 

I have always enjoyed writing. Blogging is something I naturally considered. Yet, I never knew how I would begin. What I would write about. You know the trials and error many of us struggle with. It began as a therapy session. Over the course of a fortnight. A fourteen-day period, I’d written over fifty journal entries. This provided a means to practice self-reflection. Now I am writing to help others in similar situations. Those who have experienced hardships we feel no one could relate to. Those people in uniform who feel they just must be strong. My message is for the regular joe who feels out of place; there is something for you as well. If not now, over time. Trust me I have a lot to say. I have posted several very real accounts of my life for the sake of being completely transparent. Transparency breeds honesty, after-all. Look there goes that word again. 

Due to my work schedule it’s been difficult, being as active as I would have liked. I can’t promise this will change any time soon. However; moving forward I Intend to share far more. That is; of course; If you are interested. On a side note, to anyone who has taken the time to read my post; thank you. Even if you did not care for the content. I appreciate you. This motivates me to continue taking those “Calculated” risk. Writing and doing what I enjoy. Helping others in need.