I walked into a store the other day and the owner’s four-year-old daughter was there. She was the cutest little thing, and completely restless- the entire time, she was running up and down the aisles trying to get her mom’s attention. At one point, I looked over at her and she looked a bit frustrated. She was holding a pink marker in her hand and said something to her mother, who just shook her head “no”. As she walked past me, I heard the little girl whisper under her breath, “But I just wanted a piece of paper to draw on…” You could sense the dip in her mood as she went to sit down quietly in a chair, staring at the marker she couldn’t use. 

…I think my heart broke for her in that moment. This restless little girl, so full of energy and life, was trapped in a store on a late December evening- armed with her marker and ready to draw, but lacking the paper she needed to do so. 

Too often, as we become adults, the same thing happens to us. We carry our “markers” around with us – our amazing ideas, brilliant hopes, beautiful dreams, and inspiring plans. But as we go through life, running through each of our years as that little girl ran up and down the aisles, sometimes we run out of “paper”- a way of expressing and fostering those amazing ideas, hopes, dreams and plans that we have. 

Sometimes, it comes from a lack of financial, intellectual or emotional resources. All too often, we feel like we don’t have a place to turn our wonderful ideas into actions simply because there is no one around to remind us that there is always paper to write on, and to encourage us to use it. And almost always, the tip of our markers fade after using it on all of the ideas that get rejected by other people…all the ideas that we convince ourselves we can’t turn into a reality, or aren’t good enough to make a difference in the world. 

For Christmas this year, my wish for everyone is that you find a piece of paper and use it. In the literal sense, go grab a sheet of paper right now and start recording all of your ideas- the goals you have for yourself, the things you want to accomplish in 2010 and thereafter, and the hopes you have for your future and the future of the world. 

In a figurative sense, sit down and take a moment to realize how brilliant you are – how capable you are of making a good effort at absolutely anything you put your mind to. People may tell you that not everything is possible, and it’s a shame. Because often times, hearing that nonsense makes us stop trying and striving for the best out of life and from ourselves. NEVER STOP TRYING FOR WHAT YOU WANT. Your dreams are uniquely yours, and therefore, there is no better person in the world to turn them into a reality than you. 

Yes, life doesn’t always work out as planned. In fact 90% of the time it doesn’t. But here’s the thing – when you try, you win automatically. Because in trying, you are learning and growing…you are becoming the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. The actual realization of your specific dreams is simply icing on the cake. But if you want the icing, you need to bake the cake first. 

And if you want the paper to draw on, you need to realize the power of the marker that is already in your hands.Use it. Create something beautiful. Change the world. Because you can.