There was a point in my life, about 9 years ago when I was forced to face my big-gest fear. I had to surrender all the plans I mapped out for the future. I was really looking forward to my plans: I was going to move back to the states and apply to grad school. But then suddenly, life hit me hard with a curveball. It was hard to believe how quickly life spun out of control.

You probably know that feeling I am talking about, right? UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN PLANS! Each one of us has been hit by one of life’s curveballs and maybe you have dodged a few, or are currently dealing with the impact of one. What I have learned from my curveball is that there are certain things that life makes us surrender, oftentimes our plans. But life has no control over how we react to these changes or the strength of our spirit and faith!

Our time on this planet is so limited and now is the best time to move past our fears and live our lives to its fullest! An aha moment came to me during the creation of this painting called “Meet Me There,” J. Dean’s quote, “Dream like you will live forever AND Live like you will die today!” shouted out to me. The realization that I may not be here tomorrow forced me to get my act together and was a great motivator to express deep gratitude for the passions, gifts, and relationships in my life.