I believe that everything in life is for a reason. We don't always know the reason immediately or ever for that matter but I do believe there is one. I also believe that every decision we make has a ripple effect and that is precisely the case when it comes to Mike Dunphy. In January of 2017 I went to a casting call for a local dinner theatre that was getting put off by our theatre group. It was there I met Mike...well technically I met him years before but I barely remember that so I consider this point the first time. He instantly made me smile and feel at ease. His presence just spoke comfort. After that day we were both casted in the dinner theatre and from there our friendship grew slowly. It was actually after the dinner theatre had finished where our friendship took off. Obviously we both like acting but our love of music is mutual as well and that's where the connection started.

Looking back on it now I realize that Mike entered into my life at a time where I didn't think I needed a change but that's exactly what I got and I wouldn't change that for the world (no pun intended haha). Over a short period of time our jam sessions started to get paired with deep conversations of death, life, energy, spirituality, the universe, realms, personal history. I mean whatever deep conversation we could have, we had. We talked for hours on end. He spoke with so much love, openness and truth that it was infectious. I felt that being able to delve deep into conversations about topics no one really talks about was filling a place in my heart and soul that I didn't realize was empty. I always had this belief that there is so much more than what we see but I never really had anyone to talk about it with or bounce things off of until Mike. He opened my eyes to what else makes up this life and beyond. He has helped me see the bigger picture and in that he has changed me as a person.

I have always been an analytical person. I like to understand why things are the way they are, why people are the way they are but I never really took an analytical look at myself. These conversations I had with Mike not only helped me understand the bigger picture but helped me become more aware of how my actions and thoughts affected everything and everyone around me. He made me want to break down my barriers and figure out why I do and feel the way I do about things in both a good and bad way. In other words he really made me want to better myself and become my best self. So, I started.

Through the conversations and lessons I was learning from Mike I was gradually starting to change my negative mind set. I was really starting to listen to my thoughts and really take notice of the negativity that I was thinking about others and myself for that matter. Once I started paying attention and realizing the negative thoughts going through my mind I would stop the thought and ask myself why I was thinking it. Then, when I got the answer to that I would keep asking myself why to every answer I gave myself and from what Mike is after teaching me, you keep asking yourself why until you get to the root cause. For me whenever I got to the root cause it was something I didn't want to deal with or something that I've buried for a long time. The hard part. The part that if I didn't figure out would just continually keep stopping me from becoming my best self. Thankfully, I had Mike in my corner to help me through dealing with it. He was there to support, listen, and guide. God knows that man has the patience of a saint for what I've put him through haha. So, through the jigs and reels I really started to understand myself and in that I began understanding others. Now don't get me wrong, I don't understand myself completely and I am a total work in progress but having someone in my corner every step of the way knowing that when I get to the "hard parts" I have him to help me through it, makes everything a little easier.

This was not the only thing I started changing but this was more like the tip of the iceberg. Some other lessons I've started to live by is what you give out, you will get back. The Law of Attraction as it were. Thinking positively will bring positivity back to you and vice versa. It goes you can say this is like a ripple effect. I know we've all heard this before but give it a try for a certain amount of time and you will see for yourself. Accept and love everyone for who they are. We all deserve unconditional love and understanding. We are all love and to be your best self and love freely means you have to let go. Let go of your expectations, desires, wants, fears and just be. Yes, I know this is easier said than done and definitely something I am continuously working on but it's also something I will achieve at some point in my life as I keep learning and growing. Just making these changes has brought so much good into my life. It has opened me up to so much love and happiness. It has bettered and brought wonderful friendships into my life, opened me up to having better work ethic, better home life and a closer relationship with my family.

I could go on for pages and pages about ways Mike has shown me how to grow and become my best self but I'll spare you the read and let you find out for yourself. I can tell you this though, Michael Dunphy has shown me what true unconditional love and understanding looks like and feels like. This is rare and one of the best feelings in the world. He makes me want to give that to others and in that I am motivated to keep bettering myself and better understand others so I can give others what he has given me. So, if you are questioning if you should contact him, don't. You won't be sorry but rather you could become inspired.