Heros I Know

So I am thinking that maybe the root of my mid-life crisis is that I simply know too many successful people.

For example, a woman I know who is about my age, married, kids, house, etc. is a rock star. For real. In fact, tonight, she and her band are playing a gig in a very well respected venue in New York City. Now, I can't tell you how absolutely cool I think this is. I met this woman when we were mere striplings (well, we were just barely in our 20's) and she absolutely deserves to showcase her talents in this way. I mean, she has worked at her craft for years and years and truly loves what she does and truly is an artist. I am so very proud of her and wish I could be there tonight to applaud her, her hard work and the really important thing, that she never gave up the dream, no matter what life threw her way. She is my hero.

Example 2 is another woman I really admire. She is my favorite girl cousin. She is a bit younger than me, but she has directed and created a life that has made all the right turns and not only actually enjoyed all the big and small bumps in her road, but has savored them, used them and turned them to her advantage! She is incredibly smart, gutsy and had the courage and the brains to not only complete law school and work in our nations capital for 15 years, but had the guts to actually start over again and move overseas to Geneva. Along the way, she is raising three children, learning to live in a foreign country (including learning the language and teaching it to her kids) and in all, having a really great time of it! What a life! She is also my hero.

Example 3 of the hyper-successful people I know is actually my husband and this is the guy who decided to chuck it all and start his own business. Now, he gave up a really well paying job at a company he could basically write his own ticket at, benefits, company vehicle, huge bonuses, etc. He quit his job and started his own company so that he could spend more time with his family. He had a sick wife, a young child and absolutely no money in the bank. He put a desk in his garage, got on the telephone, and made it work. I don't think he's looked back once, since that day. Can you imagine having the SMARTS and the GUTS to do that? I can't. He decided what he wanted and did it. Even if his business hadn't been successful (it is), he would still be a winner in my book. He is my hero, too.

It's not so much what these people do, but the conviction and certainty with which they do it. They are just so SURE of what they're doing. I learned a long time ago that my job does not define me; it does not make me different or better than I would be otherwise; it is not necessary for me to have a label for me to feel valued. But, most people I share my life with are as awe-inspiring as the three I've mentioned here and they have the labels to prove it.

I need to think up a label for myself so the next time someone asks me "What are you doing these days?" I can have a snappy reply. That, or I seriously need to meet and befriend some fellow under-achievers who would never, ever ask that question!