Patty Mayeux Blog

Forgive me for the total misuse of Lady Macbeth’s guilt-ridden appeal as she scrubs her hands, but those words keep popping into my own head while seeking a clear sightline through 2024. Like eyeglasses that constantly smudge from grit and grime of everyday living, that vision is blurred by negative self-talk, dream-squashing thoughts, and reluctance to enter a competitive field. Daily questions of why (couldn’t I be spending time elsewhere and otherwise?), concessions of going after a lesser dream (I’ll self-publish a few copies), self-doubt (surely, I’m no good at this) and roadblocks (gatekeepers and misinformation) obscure the wide-open and limitless future. But how does one metaphorically clean the lens of such passion-driven dreams? This present and fleeting moment is a storehouse of every decision, conversation, failure, and even ideas of others. Less noticed or regarded are successes and, more importantly, the inner drive powered by gifts that combine in a way as idiosyncratic (quirky even) as one’s thumbprint. The future is clear of doubtful specks. We smudge it up. The future is waiting for your one-off creation. So is the world, in need of spotless dreams.