The Not-So-Impossible Dream/Doing Things For Yourself

For a long time now I've sought out inspiring articles written by people who encourage others to live their lives better; to be loyal to their essence. I do this not because I seek to change who I am. I believe that the core of who I am cannot be changed no matter how hard I try. I think this is 95% true of all human beings. A person can, over time and with hard work, change their habits but they cannot change their intrinsic nature. For better or for worse.

I recognize patterns in my life that have pushed me to become the adult that I am today. But there are lifestyle changes that I am in the process of making to become a happier, healthier me.

Several weeks ago I was wandering around HuffingtonPost.com and I found the Living section of the site. I read through numerous posts and liked what I found. I now check the Living section several times a day. For me it is calming to find so many viewpoints and suggestions on how to live a life that matters to you.

I love that so many blog authors pointed out that the way for you to best serve your fellow human beings is to take care of yourself first by making yourself as healthy (emotionally, physically and spiritually) as possible. Not narcissism but selfishness to a small degree.

One columnist that I like a lot is Judith Rich. She regularly posts on HuffPo. Last month she started posting a series in the key of 'The Impossible Dream'.

What she proposed is this: Although the economy is muddled and in duress, there has never been a better time to follow your dreams. The economy cannot be sustained long term by workers who make themselves drones, shuffling in out of work they hate or are uninspired to do. We each have a gift that we can contribute to this world. The best way to do that is to follow through with a dream that you had hereto thought impossible to bring to reality. Ms. Rich urges her readers to start creating a visual aid (collage, prayer place, etc) to encourage them to lay the groundwork to get started making your 'impossible' dream possible. She doesn't advocate rash decisions. She is merely pointing out that too many people end up leading lives they despise because they either couldn't or wouldn't go against the grain (or others' opinions) to accomplish their goals. It doesn't matter if your dream seems silly to others. It is your dream and yours alone and she encourages everyone to get started bringing it to fruition.

Here are links to Part 1-4:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-judith-rich/what-would-you-do-if-you_b_166896.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-judith-rich/living-the-impossible-dre_b_170934.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-judith-rich/what-makes-a-life-worth-l_b_172054.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-judith-rich/follow-your-bliss-the-hol_b_174538.html


These posts have made me feel more at ease and encouraged about seeing my impossible dream come true. Here is my impossible dream: I want to travel more. More specifically, I want to spend at least a couple of years traveling the world to certain locations and engage in activities that I've always longed to do. I want to use these experiences to write and complete an epic novel. I also want to have these experiences for personal growth and great memories.

Here are just a few things that I will pick and choose to do in my travel plan. I want to work on a horse or cattle ranch near Yellowstone National Park. I want to spend time exploring the music of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Brazil. I want to see the desserts and the glaciers of Chile. I want to spend time in Italy eating delicious food and speaking Italian. I want to work on an animal/nature preserve in Tanzania, Kenya or Botswanna. I want to see St. Petersburg and Mongolia I want to travel to Northern India to visit the Dalai Lama's residence, backpack around the country and party in Goa for a week. After this I want to make my way to either Australia, Canada, England, Ireland New Zealand with a work visa for a year.

When and if I get back to the United States I want to live somewhere new. Somewhere where there are lots of trees, blue sky and a slower pace of life. I want to be content where I live.

To make this a reality I know it will require a lot of sacrifices on my part. It will take about two years to make it happen. I will either have to forgo going back to school for a couple of years or take a leave of absence mid-program and complete it upon my return. I will have to get a part-time job on top of my regular job to save money for both the trip and my student loans while I'm gone. I will have to arrange my schedule so that I'm not exhausted all the time or can't work out regularly. This will require me to limit time with my friends and cut vacations short. I have to get my driver's license. I may have to give up cable. What, no True Blood, Rescue Me or Entourage? The horror!

But I know that ultimately, none of these are real deterrents. I will gladly make these sacrifices if it means that I will be making the transition to be a happier healthy person. I'm tired of hating the world and resenting the cards I've been dealt in life. I wouldn't be who I am today without these experiences. I wouldn't have the courage to recognize and act on what I really want to do with my life. I'm ready to change directions and live my best life!

I want to feel free dammit! Kris Kristofferson said it best: "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose". I don't fear the future. I don't fear losing or giving up things. I know that regardless off what happens to me, I'll be ok!