All glitter, no guts

I love glitter, sparkle, bling....shiny objects. It catches my eye and makes me happy. I realize however, there is a fine line between tasteful bling and over the top "Oh my God how old does she think she is" glitter and bling. I also realize, that it takes on another layer when you get older. The whole glitter thing becomes something bigger than just the surface level sparkle you see.....all glitter and not guts doesn't really work.

If your going to do something, I say do it well. Don't half way do it, go into it with guns blazing and really give it 110%. I was talking to a co-worker who had just come from a meeting where she was trying to engage people in the idea of a new program. I don't know the details of the program, but she was trying to get buy-in from the group. She was trying to get everyone moving in the same direction and she said it's got "sparkle". She was describing this new potential program and repeatedly said it's got "sparkle". Finally someone said, "OK...but when the sparkle fades, what are we left with?" It's like you have to suddenly be brave with your mistakes and somehow keep on moving forward.

Sometimes it feels like life is all dependant on one moment. One single defining moment in time. We rush to grow up, to fall in love, to get that ring on our finger that says we are someone, that we matter, we belong, we are. Is life really wrapped inside a diamond ring?

We grow up learning to make wishes....we wish on falling stars, we close our eyes and wish with all our might as we blow out our birthday candles, we even make a wish and throw a penny in a fountain. What have you got to lose by wishing - right? Isn't wishing just a way for us to step outside our comfort zone? To look outside ourselves and want more, want what we don't have yet. To be brave and venture out onto a path we haven't yet walked on? The worst thing you've done is make a mistake, just make another wish. Isn't it time we learn to be brave with our own mistakes?

I like being first. The first one to open a jar of peanut butter, the first one in line at the coffee pots, the first one to be some where....being first. I feel like if I'm there first I get the choice of what I want, where I want to sit and mostly then I won't miss anything. That feels critical to me. Like if you don't want to be left behind. Maybe that's what the sparkle is for? To attract things to you. Who can avoid it? It's got a magnetic feel and pull to it. Even if your not a fan of it, you can't help but notice it.

It's time I suppose to put it all way, to pass it onto the younger generation of would-be's and forge onto a path that is uncluttered and unblinged and see what happens. What color is your life? When the sparkle fades, what are we left with?

It suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. I've been trying like hell to live my life with a sparkle effect....or bling-attude (if that isn't a word it should be!) and I thought wow....what do you do when your left with out something to distract, to deflect, to veer away from the reality of life?

What do you do when that's all gone?