Try It On For Size

The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.
Oprah Winfrey

So many times I have tried to make a collaboration, a partnership work. From musical bands to projects, to start-up businesses, I wanted to have a partner; a collaborator and they just never seemed to pan out.

It always starts out great, and I get so excited about sharing the road, the journey to success with someone by my side, sharing the ups and downs and everything in between and I have fantasized about getting to the ultimate place where we are standing on top of the mountain, my comrade and I, shouting with glee for we achieved success together.

However, somewhere along the road, it doesn’t work out and we part ways. I never regret these collaborations and with every one I learn more about life and myself.

Sometimes I wonder if I like collaborations because I am too afraid to go “there” alone. And that could very well be the case.

I still maintain, though, that I feel so much joy from the interaction, the coming together of minds and ideas, skills and talents. Some of my happiest moments are those spent in rehearsal playing music with other musicians.

But alas, as my father used to remind me, business is business and it’s nothing personal. Now there’s a sentence to ponder.

But today, I think of collaboration differently. I doubt I will be partnering with anyone any time soon to create a business, but I find myself collaborating all the time with people, almost every day.

They are the ones who make tweaks to my writing or concepts and take what I have and make it even better. Even people who I don’t know and meet once point me in the direction I need to go with just one sentence, one idea, or one suggestion. In a way, they are like unsung heroes because, in my mind, their input was a crucial part of what is being developed, but they don’t get much recognition.

So to all of you out there, who have tweaked, commented, edited, brainstormed, directed or even rejected me, I say a huge THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you for caring enough to lend your ear, share your feedback and ideas and for collaborating with me on this wild journey called life.

Be Brave, Be Strong, Be YOU!