So, in my second book, “Be A Hero To Your Heart”, I wrote about a dream I had. If you haven’t read the book, I’ll catch you up. If you had read the book, thanks! I like you more than those other people that didn’t read it! Before I left for California and while the decision was still forming in my mind, I had a strange dream (Like while I’m sleeping kind of dream. Not chase your dream kind of dream. But kind of… just keep reading.)
In this dream, I was standing next to a lighthouse. It felt like it was still early morning but the sun wasn’t up yet. My cell phone rang and it was Oprah. She had called to tell me she wanted me to be on a show to talk about my first book, “Choice and Triumph“ (Have you read that one?????? … kidding. But not really, go read it. Write a review. I love you.)
When I woke up, I realized there were no lighthouses in Pittsburgh, so I made the decision to go to California. You might be asking, “So you made the decision to move all the way across the country because you had a dream that Oprah called you?” To which I would reply, “Yes. You do you. I’ll do me.” There is more detail in that second book, but for the sake of blogging, we don’t have time to get into all that (Guess you just have to read the book!) After living in California for ten months, I was contacted to be on a show but it was over email and it wasn’t Oprah. I also never actually saw a lighthouse while I was there.
I know what you might be thinking, “that story sucks.” But the Universe is very interesting in working her ways. When I woke up from that dream, I had pure conviction within my heart to pursue California. After ten months of crazy struggle, a terrible relationship, and consistent homesickness, I decided to move back home to Pittsburgh. I left California with sixty-four cents in my bank account and maxed out credit cards. If not for my best friend’s parents, I wouldn’t have made it back. Speaking of my best friend’s parents, Mark and Judy, I moved in with them when I got back. Living with them was always kind of like moving back home with your parents for me. They’ve been in my life since Kindergarten and have treated me like their fourth son ever since.
Now after you’ve made some grand exit as I did to pursue your dreams in Los Angeles, but it turns out to be a slaughtering failure and you move back home into your best friend’s parent’s house, you can start to feel a bit down. On one particular morning of feeling like a grand failure, I was leaving the house to go to the gym. I turned a light off and it hit me that the light switch cover was a lighthouse. I looked around and was surrounded by lighthouses. Lighthouse paintings, lighthouse statues, lighthouse photos, a table with a lighthouse imprint… even the dishes and bowls that I had used for years had, you guessed it, lighthouses. During a time of some of my darkest moments, I looked around and realized I was living in a lighthouse. When you despair the most, that is typically when light shines the most. You just have to notice it.
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