A few years ago, when my children were still children, my husband at the time sent me this photo of a girl holding a baby goat. The picture only shows a girl’s arm holding a goat. Since Madeline, our oldest daughter, had sent it to him, he naturally assumed it was of her, but when I asked about it, she said it was someone else. Then I asked her why she didn’t hold the goat and she said, “What if I held it wrong? I didn’t want to look silly. What if I didn’t do it right and they got angry with me?” It didn’t strike me like a bolt out of the heavens just then, but a seed had been planted and it started to grow in the back of my mind. It occurred to me that many times in life, it is the fear of the ”what if’s” that keep us from trying something new, reaching our goal or just plain ol’ putting ourselves out there. Looking back I realize I was the same way when I was that age. I was so overly concerned about looking foolish or making a mistake that I simply never tried many of the things that interested me or looked like fun, and that belief held me back from so many things.
I remember sitting in a high school class one day and the teacher asking a question. I knew the answer and no one else raised their hand, but I sat there too afraid to raise mine. I was thinking what if I really didn’t know the answer, what if my classmates laughed at me?
What if, what if, what if… don’t be afraid to reach for that brass ring, go for broke, just do it “Hold the Goat!” Don’t worry about the what if’s, turn that thinking around. What if something life changing happens?
Do you remember when you were a teenager what a forty year old looked like? Where you thought you would be at that age? How about 50 years old, 60, 70 or 80? I used to think by that age, a woman had reached her station in life; she was an “adult”. Woman that age certainly aren’t out reinventing themselves, they aren’t running 100 mile races, opening a new business or taking bartending classes. How wrong I was?
Finally I reached the point where I was ready to answer that question, overcome my own fear of failure and try something new. I realized I was ready.
I started “Hold the Goat” to help show the world what women over 40 are capable of. That the possibilities are endless if you’re not afraid to – Hold the Goat! You just never know, something wonderful may come of it..
I’ll be sitting down with inspiring, motivated and courageous women all across the country to hear their own stories of transformation. During these visits, as I am a working photographer, I’ll also be photographing these beautiful women to gives their stories a face and show that spirit and light in their eyes that says, yes I can.
I am hoping something wonderful happens, that I inspire someone else to go for it and Hold the Goat, and maybe, just maybe, transform myself in the process
Hold the Goat 