I was always good at tests, but I still hated them. Even though I knew I would do well on them, I still got nervous before every single one. Just saying the word out loud leaves a nasty acrid taste in my mouth.

Test.

You hear test, you think failure.

Blech.

A couple of days ago I was freaking out in my kitchen trying to hit a hard deadline while doing dishes and prepping dinner. I had five minutes left to get it all done before I had to rush out the door to pick up kids from school when it hit me.

Life is a test.

It really is. Whether you believe in an after life or not, whether you believe in karma or not, whether you believe in anything beyond your own five senses or not – life is a test.

We might not be getting graded, but trust me, you still don't want that F.

It’s a test of your resolve, of your will, of your good sense.

It’s a test of your planning abilities, your foresight, your cunning.

It’s a test of your strength, both internal and external.

It’s a test of your fortitude, your patience, your kindness.

But most of all, it’s a test of your imagination.

This year I took a giant leap, well several actually. I decided to hedge my bets so to speak and charge forward in multiple complex and difficult directions all at once.

The result has been overwhelming. In both good and bad ways. I cast all my nets at once, and Poseidon filled them all. Now, I could have done a lot of things at that point. I could have cut a few of my lines. I could have accepted my foolishness and drowned, or I could improvise.

Being me, I went all Harold and the Purple Crayon and improvised. I drew myself a bigger boat, stronger ropes, calmer seas. I’m still not safe on shore, and I might never be, but I’m having one heck of an adventure.

Along the way I am reminded daily that life isn’t what happens to you – it’s what you do with the things that are happening. Every day we are all given choices, little ones, big ones, life or death ones. And every day it’s up to us to choose our direction, pick our path, cast our nets. Then it’s time to choose again. We have to choose what to do with the nets that come back, how to view the scenery ahead, what to do at the next fork in the road.

You can choose to sink, or you can choose to swim, or you can grab your purple crayon and draw yourself a yacht.

Why swim with the sharks when you can just sail away?

I’ve been looking a lot at the great entrepeneurs in our country, and their lives proves exactly one thing: Einstein was right. Imagination IS more important than knowledge.

So, where do you imagine yourself being tomorrow, next month, next year, next decade? And how do you imagine yourself getting there?

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