It didn’t work out at all like I had imagined. In fact, it was so far from “perfect”,  you could almost call it a failure.

In addition to volunteering, my original vision for the FCAF North American program also included a house perched above the waves – the crash of the surf lulling cancer survivors to sleep – and dinner with a surprise celebrity guest. I mean – why wouldn’t Sheryl Crow want to meet a group of amazing fellow survivors while giving a private concert? I figured if I couldn’t bring the Taj Mahal to local survivors, I could create an EPIC experience that participants would talk about for weeks to come.

But, no matter how hard I tried to corral them, the pieces of the “perfect” weekend kept slipping through my fingers. Ten days before our scheduled start date, I almost postponed the program and admitted I had completely failed. After all, I had no mansion. No celebrities. No epic surprises. It looked like my time in the world of audacious dreaming had come to an end.

Then, I got a text message from one of our returning India participants telling me she had booked her flight to Los Angeles. She believed in me and AFC enough to buy her own plane ticket to LA. I felt like ready or not – the program had to move forward. Her text message forced me to let go of the idea of perfection and embrace what was still possible.

Somehow – with only days to go – the pieces of the 2 day program slid perfectly into place. Even if there was no mansion and no celebrity, our incredible Los Angeles partners went above and beyond to fulfill our mission of igniting a spark of possibility, purpose, and connection in our participants.

As we pulled weeds in the community garden at the 24th Street school, friendships were forged and survivors told their stories to each other (some for the first time). As the sun slipped into the ocean beyond Venice Beach, participants let go of old hurts and made room for fresh dreams. Throughout the weekend, one activity flowed effortlessly into the next. It flowed so perfectly that no one would have known it wasn’t perfect.  I can’t take credit for the magic. It was simply about bringing together the right people, at the right time, and in the right place(s).

Our weekend reminded me that epic is not about mansions or celebrities. It is about not feeling alone for the first time since a cancer diagnosis, meeting people who see the world the way you do (even if your circumstances couldn’t be more different), and finally finding the peace you need to sleep through the night (maybe for the first time in months).

I saw eyes light up with possibility, tears when we all said goodbye, and pacts formed when local survivors vowed to be part of FCAF India in 2015. If that isn’t perfection, I don’t know what is.

What Are You Waiting For?

Has imperfection ever paralyzed you? Maybe you are pressuring yourself to lose those last 10 pounds before you start dating or trying to perfect every sentence before letting anyone read the draft of your first novel? Whatever it is you are holding out for, let it go.

Life is NEVER going to be as perfect as you’d like it to be. But, what if you take a step forward anyways? What if you make a decision to open yourself up to love (even if your heart might get broken), apply for a new job (even if you might not get it), or dream about a brand new adventure (when you have no idea how you’re going to get there)?

Even if nothing turns out the way you hope it will, I bet you’ll find fresh joy, meaning, and adventure in those beautiful moments of imperfection. I know I did.