Advice to my Daughter...Post 6

"I always get to where I'm going by walking away from where I've been."

~Winnie the Pooh

Darling Ruby... walking away is hard. It can be the hardest thing you do.

But my advice to you this month?

Know when it is OK to walk away. Because sometimes it is.

We are, in essence, walking away. To friends and family who are reading this, and may not already know: we are walking away to California. We are all EXCITED... it is a grand adventure. A fresh start. Back to the West Coast, where we Papa and I feel at home. On the way? An outrageous, awesome road trip. We are exploring the entire USA for a month (follow along on Instagram @theadventuresofrubyd). But we leave behind Virginia... family... friends...memories.

When is it OK to walk away?

Walk away when you're ready for something new, but feel scared to take a leap. Walk away, to the new.

Walk away if you're staying simply for the happiness of others when you really want to go.

Walk away if you are bored with your work. Life needs passion, and work is where you'll probably spend a lot of time. If you don't love it or feel challenged from it, walk away.

Run, don't walk, run away if you don't fit the expectations.

Why? Mama and Papa are working to teach you commitment. Responsibility. This advice isn't to quit... it is to walk away when things aren't right. When you've given it your all. Because really... life is too short.

I love math.

I don't know if you will or not, so tolerate my numbers for a moment.

Lets say you live to be 90 years old.

90 years.

32,872 days.

788,929 hours.

47,335,680 minutes.

Assuming 8-ish hours of sleep a night, you'll spend 1/3 of your life sleeping.

That leaves you 31,557,120 minutes of life to live. 525,953 hours to live life.

It seems like a LOT of time when you read this (at age 12? 15? 18?) BUT IT ISN'T. And it goes by SO FAST. So honor yourself. Respect your heart. And walk away.

Walking away is the way I've made my life now, and I have no regrets. I have YOU!