Taking A Risk & Dreams

Taking A Risk & Dreams

Yesterday, I was listening to the radio and heard Bette Miller sing 'The Rose'.  I've heard it a hundred times but it was yesterday that the words brought some thoughts about "the dream afraid of waking that never takes a chance."  I don't want to have regrets that I missed opportunities in life to really live & dance and I've not always been like this.

"I say love it is like a flower.
And you it's only seed.
It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance"

When I was growing up, I was never a risk taker, I always followed the rules and colored within the lines.  I dotted my I's and crossed my T's with perfection.  I was never messy and didn't like messy.  Any adventure I was willing to take was within a good book. 

Then, why do some people take risks and others do not?  Does risk taking have to do with self esteem? 

I have heard so many negative comments about our plans to move Ecuador & that THEY would never do it.  So, why in the heavens am I moving to Cuenca, Ecuador? 

When did I become a risk taker?

Life in the military does force you take risks that you would not taken... 

I think my life began to change when Ed had to go to Vietnam for a year.  The risk of loosing my husband was more than I could think about.  Ed left on a cold February morning when our daughter was just two months old and our son was 17 months.  That year I had to make major decisions for the family without Ed's input on the matter.  I was taking a risk that I would make the 'wrong' decision.  OK, so putting new tires on the car was not a life changing matter but it did involve some serious money in those days.  But, I also learned that year, I was stronger than I ever believed; I worked part-time, ran a house, raised two babies, paid the bills, and kept up Ed's spirits as best as I could by letting him know we were OK at home.

For the next twenty years, as our children were being raised, the Army gave me opportunities to take risks and continue to grow.  We had assignments to Seoul, Korea and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and trust me, I would never have selected either of them.  But, with "I can do this" attitude (often faked for a while) both turned out to be good moves for us. 

It was about five years ago when Ed 'pushed' me into becoming a travel agent.  I had been asked by a small local travel agency to join them and they would train me.  My first thought was "No, I'm not qualified to do that."  Ed had to remind me that I had just planned and pulled off (by myself) an elaborate eight week trip for us to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.  To become a 'professional' seemed like a risk to me.  I told the travel agency that I would try it for just six months and would not sign a contract with them.  It was just a year later when I opened my own licensed agency.

Billy Wilder said "Trust your own instinct.  Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of some else's"

My instincts are good about people, travel and turning their dreams into destinations.  My business grew and I have loyal clients that trust me.

Owning the travel agency offered me the occasions to travel on my own, which I had never done before.  I was offered two professional training trips to Thailand by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to become a Thai expert.  These training trips lasted about 14 days and were fully paid for, including airfare, by TAT.  Also, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has Hosted me to attend several major travel forums in Asia.  All these were training trips and they covered my airfare and hotel during the conferences.  I've traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam; Phnom Pehn, Cambodia and Bali, Indonesia with ASEAN.  But, it was much more than just the wonderful trips for me... I was learning to trust my own instincts, explore dream locations, and learn to take risks all on my own.  Wow, what blessings those trip have been to me.

So, am I more comfortable now taking risks because:

1.  I have taken risks in the past and had some success  OR
2.  I now have a stronger sense of self esteem

Did the chicken or the egg come first???

For years Ed and I have been talking about doing more traveling but staying longer in the places.  But, the problem was we owned a home and had two darling mini-schnauzers.  It was just in February 2012 that we really looked at how much we wanted to follow that dream & we questioned if it was even possible AND were we willing to take the RISK.  It was a huge risk....

Mark Twain wrote:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."

Neither Ed nor I wanted to look back and have regrets about not taking the risk.  What would be the worst thing about moving.... we would hate Ecuador and then just find another location to move to OR maybe multi destinations is our path!  We took Bill Cosby words to heart;

"Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it."

So, we sold our home, had an estate sale, donated a ton of stuff, sent items to a local consignment shop, and gave the kids the items they wanted.  The hardest part by far was finding a new home for our girls, Maggie & Scarlett.  But, that even worked out,  we found a great couple who wanted both sisters and were experienced schnauzer owners. 

So, Ed and I have "thrown off the bowlines" (our home and possessions) and will be leaving our safe harbor of family & friends and will allow the trade winds to fill our travel sails.  Do we see it as a risk?  It doesn't feel risky now, just liberating & darn exciting.

So, my question to YOU is... what is your dream and what is holding you back from making it happen?  What are your bowlines?  Will you look back in 5, 10 or 20 years from now and have regrets?  I think many at my age have learned that our possessions are who we are, they tell the world we have arrived and are successful!  I was a serious about making my "I have arrived" statement but when I arrived so had all my friends and some had arrived at a much higher place than mine.

So, letting go of my "statement" possessions was different than what I expected.  First, I learned that my kids didn't want any of them and my friends wanted to pay a couple of dollars to own them.  Really, what they were to me were memories and I still have those memories.  It was also about the experiences I had in the places where I collected them and I still have those.  I guess I want more experiences and less things, so I'll take more pictures.....

Have a great day & think about your dreams.... Peggy