editor unleashed...
Anna with her pack Zoe, Chloe, Dougie and Rita.
"The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday." ~ Dr. Steve Maraboli
Few of us go through life unscathed, free of regrets. But, it is not the mistakes we’ve made that define who we are; it is how we handle them. At least, that is what smarter people than I have philosophized. Three years ago, I made a bad
decision that put my family and others I didn’t even know in danger. I had a drink and got behind the wheel of my car. Thankfully, no one was in the car with me. Not feeling the least bit impaired, I drove home to Dunedin from a social function in Sarasota that evening. I was pulled over for making an illegal lane change about five blocks from home. I will spare you the ugly details of what fol- lowed. Anyone who has been in a similar situation will know. Jail is not pleasant. “Nothing bad ever happens to a
writer; everything is material.” Ah yes, so says Garrison Keiller. While I have worked at not allowing
that mistake to define me, I have lived with that night - that mistake - regrettably as a secret to everyone. Even to my dearest friends. So, I have not been honest with them, with you and with myself. For that, I deeply apologize for not having more faith in my friends to realize they would have stood by and supported me. I am sorry, also to our readers, business associ- ates and to the people who make every issue of The New Barker possible – our advertisers – for letting you down. I am sorry for the pain of worrying I caused my husband. Mistakes. Bad decisions. Regrets.
6 THE NEW BARKER
We have all made them. The important thing to remember is that, no matter what you have been through, you are still here. Maybe you have been challenged, hurt, betrayed, beaten down and discouraged, but nothing has defeated you, because you are still here. As Dr. Steve Maraboli said, “You have been delayed, but not denied. You are not a victim, you are a victor. You have a history of victory.” We are the creators of our life story.
We have the ability to choose what type of person we will be and what impact that person will have on others – be it people or dogs. Maraboli tells us that once we
recognize the truth of our story, we should finish the story. Say to yourself, “It happened, but I made it through. I am still fully equipped with every single tool I need to fulfill my purpose.” What we do not have is the power to
undo a single thing we have ever done. Life does not come with a rewind button. But, we can make decisions today that propel us to the life we want and towards the healing we need, and deserve. Usually, the right thing to do and the
hard thing to do are the same thing. The page is turning for a new year. It is an opportunity for a new lease on life. Promise yourself to enjoy each happy moment. Happiness is not the absence of problems; it is the ability to deal with them. Happy New Year. I hope to hear from you and see you with the dogs in 2015.
U
www.TheNewBarker.com
Photograph by Laura Allen Studios.
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