Dr. Marry and Me,  Personal Writing

Keep your keys close

Dr Marry and I have been talking about how we want to go forward with our content creation, if we go forward at all. As per usual, we’ve been talking about it for awhile, and then yesterday, we just jumped in and did a livestream. This is the first thing we have done together since we shipped the final post (9c) of our nine-week series on April 2, 2020.

Reality check: that was only three months and three days ago!

Anyway, we had this conversation yesterday about where we’re going, or at least where we’re thinking about going.

This conversation goes all over the place, particularly at the start. But I think that’s part of our “charm” (wishful thinking on my part, perhaps?). We are very real—whether the camera is on or off, and I think that’s part of what makes us relatable/compelling as writers/bloggers/speakers to couples who are struggling with addiction challenges.

  • Perfect? Nope, not us. (I hadn’t even showered before this)
  • Without niggly challenges? Nope, not us. (Eaten toast, anyone?)
  • Free of insecurities? Nope, not us. (Admittedly, not our best angle)
  • Excellent set up? Nope, not us. (Dog doing unmentionable things in her “private parts” during much of this)
  • In dire need of a producer? YUP, so us.

But in the midst of all of those “problems” or “failures” is a simple story about Dr Marry and his keys. A story he told me sometime in early May that has stuck with me, like so much of what he has casually said in these three+ years since he got sober.

I hope you’ll take a listen. I hope you’ll help us define what is next for us. I hope you might want to produce content for us for the price of some really good baking to get started with the promise of a salary when we “hit it big.”

But, in all seriousness, it we never hit it any bigger than what we have right now, this minute, we’ve already been more blessed than most people can even imagine, and for that, I am filled with eternal gratitude…even if I am still a little bitter about the toast!

Dayna Del Val is on a mission to help others (re)discover the spark they were born with through her blog and newsletter, her professional talks and the (re)Discover Your Spark retreats she leads. Dayna works with people to help them not just identify and articulate their dreams but to develop a framework to get going on the pursuit of those dreams—today, in the next few months and for the years ahead. She's at the intersection of remarkable and so, so ordinary, but she knows that pretty much everyone else is, too. She's excited to be sharing this extraordinary journey with you.

5 Comments

  • Joanne Johnson

    Dayna and Dr. M., there is a very beautiful Ted Talk (on You Tube) by Dewitt Jones, a National Geographic photographer, that might help you with your contemplations of “what next.” My personal thoughts for maybe a side piece while you’re discovering your new direction is from what I remember you saying about the conference in Colorado … that people tended to disregard you when they learned where you were from. I’d love to see you burst that bubble of ignorance by sharing the incredible beauty and sacredness of that place you call home. It doesn’t need to be another ND tourism ad, but just your experiences of the heart and soul of Fargo and beyond. (That movie sure didn’t help collective images, from what I can tell.)
    So good luck with wherever your muse leads you ~ and continue to enjoy the ride that you’re allowing a lot of us to share. And don’t forget to savor the wisdom of Mr. Jones!

    xoxoxo Joanne

    • Dayna Del Val

      Wow, Joanne–thank you for this lovely response! We’re looking up Dewitt Jones’ talk right now and will be back in touch after that. Thanks for the suggestion and the note!

      • Dayna Del Val

        Joanne, we just finished Mr Jones’ talk–you were correct–that was fabulous! What an amazing way to look at the world. Change your lens to optimism. So true! Thank you for sharing. You don’t know him, do you????

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