The Year I Stopped Playing Small

December 30, 2018

2018 was an exceptionally good year for the Reid family.

My dad got inducted into the Nevada Writers’ Hall of Fame, an award he now shares with the likes of Mark Twain and 57 other accomplished writers who’ve taken up residence here throughout the state’s history. It’s the highest honor of his career, one we all know that he deserves, having watched him put decades of work into his craft. My dad always told me that if you really want to be good at something, you better wake up at 5 am every morning to work on it. He did so for forty years.

My mom graduated from her two-year program to become a spiritual director. This might not sound like such a big deal until you learn that she has been chronically ill my entire life, hardly able to get out of bed for some of those years. I’ve never known anyone more stoic than her; certainly no one capable of such boundless love in the midst of such suffering. Her entry into spiritual direction is a major milestone for our family, one that makes me immensely proud.

I began stepping into my own deep work. Before this year, I scarcely mentioned my story to anyone. In January, it became clear to me, in my heart of hearts, that it was time to begin expressing this mind-bending journey I have been on. I stood in front of a microphone at Samantha Fe’s event called Ascend and bared my soul in front of dozens of people. It woke something in me that wanted to come alive all these years, but that I had repressed for fear that it would be judged.

I decided to stop playing small. I realized there is a higher plan for my life, one that involves some self-sacrifice. Any doubt I felt initially has since vanished as there has been an outpouring of love in response to this message. I know that I hold an important piece of the puzzle and I’m not going to back down, even when the going gets tough, which it inevitably will.

My words ended up in the Christmas card of a family that sends out a meaningful update every year. I was honored to be featured in their card, and thought it was a fitting end to a year that was transmutational on many levels.

Peace to you in the new year.