When I was a kid, my parents (who were of two different faiths) didn’t do the holidays the same year after year.

Several times, they used ribbon to lead us to our gifts.

Not every ribbon led to anything.

But my sister and I kept going until we found our treasure.

If only pursuing life goals were as simple as following ribbons to the end.

Spoiler alert: It is.

Simple…but not easy. (You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?)

What ribbon are you following at the moment?

Be excited about it!

You have no idea what’s at the end of it.

You’re filled with hope.

Hope is (almost) better than the gift at the end anyway.

But what happens when your ribbon doesn’t lead to what you wanted?

You have yourself a choice.

You can quit right then and there.

Or you can go back to the start and follow another ribbon until you’re satisfied.

Sure, in reality, it’s a big disappointment because no one likes to start over.

Maybe it’s not starting over so much as finding a different ribbon, a different path.

Without our parents or a boss hanging over our shoulder telling us to find another ribbon, it’s up to us to decide whether to keep going or—sometimes—give up.

But it’s that deep-rooted “What if…” that keeps me going.

“What if it’s the next ribbon, next path, next agent, next story…?”

Who knows?

It’s different for everyone.

But I’m one of those people who can’t even stop reading a book once I’ve started.

So, I have to keep going.

“What if it gets better?”

Usually, it does get better. (Unless you’re reading Moby Dick, then I say, wholeheartedly, give up!)

I tend not to believe in “failure” but rather “lessons learned.”

I hope you find your ribbon.

Enjoy your week,

~Gail

(Tick tock)

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