Age: 49

Occupation: Homemaker

What would you tell your 14-year-old self?

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. 

I think the fear of failure and being judged because of it may have kept me from the crazy, wild, and fun experiences of youth. I may have missed out on more meaningful friendships because I only wanted to show the "perfect" side of me. 

My happiness now is the direct result of all the "mistakes" I have made; not my "perfect" achievements. I've learned to recognize the things that bring me joy and appreciate the people who love me despite my imperfections.

When was the last time you belly laughed?

Very recently my son and I spent the evening watching funny reels on Facebook. I've visited the Great Wall of China and cruised through the Panama Canal. But I think, at the end of my days, I'll remember rolling around in bed, laugh-crying my eyes out watching short videos about creepy 80's Halloween costumes and scare pranks with my baby boy more than I'll remember these great wonders of the world.

What is your favorite quote or motto that inspires you to live your best life?

What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful. - Dalai Lama

Do you know what can feel just as heartbreaking as not being able to fulfill a dream? Not having one. Someone with a dream has a goal to work towards; you live your life with purpose.  One step at time, even if it takes days or months or even years on that step, when your foot finally touches the ground, there's a sense of movement and accomplishment; and then you get to take another step forward.  When you have no dream, it feels as if you live your life on another plane, another dimension, compared to the rest of the world.  I feel like I'm watching everyone else pass me by.  I'm at the center of this life while people move around me as I watch them change and grow.  And here I am still in the center, not having moved with them. 

Although I have described this feeling in the beginning as heartbreaking and being still seems to evoke a sense of sadness; more often than not, I have found great happiness in the watching.  I imagine myself at the center, and when I see something I can contribute to another person's life, I reach out my hand.  I'm still at the center, not really moving towards anything, but that little hand out is my happiness - a little inspiration, a little encouragement and praise to help move others around me towards their dreams and goals. Do you have to have a dream to live a life with purpose?  It's not the dream that gives me happiness, it's the sense of purpose and being useful, no matter how small or how grand that purpose is.  If you can, dream big, and if you can't, that's ok too.  Just be useful.  There's greatness and joy in that too.