look for “Comments For This Post” and just delete “Comments”.

The unfortunate desire for “instant gratification” is so prevalent in this society. We think it would be cool to HAVE certain things, or be able to DO certain things. Then, we start down the road to reaching that goal, hit a roadblock or plateau, and say, “nah . . . that’s a lot of hard work.” But dedication, hard work and sacrifice DO pay off in the end.

Most of my students have heard me preach . . . “If you’ll do now what other people WON’T do, you’ll eventually be able to do what other people CAN’T do.”

We have to get past the idea of instant gratification, the play now/pay later, and realize that anything worth having is worth working for. It may not happen overnight, but every step we make in that direction puts us that much closer to the goal. It is so easy to caught up in the result that we forget that the process is just as important if not more so.

One thing I can definitely say about you is that you are a great model for that drive and dedication that keeps you following your passions. Keep up the good work!!

Speaking of flight, the whole paragliding thing’s not nearly as “extreme” as one may think!

I really liked your last post. I am a fairly unassuming, middle of the road, even keel kind of guy – exactly the kind of person one would least expect to sell virtually everything he owns to move to a far away and foreign land to teach music. I can’t tell you how many people questioned my decision, not to mention the tons of advice to “be careful.”

But as you said, it comes down to one thing – what kind of life do you want to live right now? I share this philosophy with you, though I have come by it fairly recently. Upbringing and self-handicapping kept my perceived options rather narrow for a long time. It’s amazing what a good woman can do for your outlook on life.

Now, with all that being said, you’ll never get me paragliding