Are You Really Ready?

For years my husband and I have shared the “moving out to the country” dream.  We can feel our bodies relax as we head out of the city and into the less densely populated areas.  He is already a beekeeper, and I think he would enjoy puttering around in the garden as long as our existence didn’t depend on it.

He currently has a stable, fairly secure, 9-5 job that doesn’t require him to travel too much. We are able to pay the bills and take vacations. But there is still the inkling that there is another lifestyle we would like to try. Maybe it is a “grass is always greener” notion, but you never know until you try it out.

We actually bought 12 acres a little over an hour north of here a few years ago. We had plans for the house drawn up and made a few improvements to the land.  Then we chickened out and sold the place.

Our plans included my husband continuing to work at his current job. The commute and having him well over an hour away all day felt too far away. We also wanted to be involved in our current activities which would require driving to the city a few days a week. 

The bottom line…we still wanted the safety net, the life line to the life we already had, the life that was comfortable. But I know that to grab something new, we often have to let go of what we already have.

I gave my husband the following scenario:

Someone in the next state knocks on the door and says he wants to swap houses…for keeps. He has 20 acres with a big stream, a nice house, guest house, and barn. It is a great property, but he really needs to be in our area, and our house would really meet his needs. Do you swap knowing it would mean leaving the job and the area?

It took him a little while to agree to the swap. His dream was handed to him on a silver platter, and he hesitated.

I am glad he was honest about it. His concern was about financial security. But it seems that with every unfulfilled dream, there is some concern, some fear that is holding us back. Once that fear is overcome, then the dream can become reality.

Are you really ready for your dream?

Being Remembered

So I have given some (a little) thought to the idea of how I want to be remembered.

Here is what I came up with:

• Always put family first. No matter what was going on, always made time for the children.
• A successful businesswoman who’s business really helped make people’s lives better.
• An excellent example of living in joy.  Was always present in the moment, appreciating and having fun.

The common theme to all of my answers is they are things I need to work on.  I guess I have my ”To Do” list for the year. 

How about you?

New Year, New Choices

Well, it is the the first day of the new year, and I have already blown the traditional “eat only healthy foods” resolution.  I started out the day well, but we were travelling today.  Around 3 pm without sugar and caffeine, I was dozing off.  So I dug into the goodies our neighbors gave us before we left … just to keep up my energy, you know.  After that, you might as well just start again tomorrow, right? So it was pizza for dinner.

We were actually coming back from my grandfather’s funeral.  He was 96 when he passed the day after Christmas. He was the epitome of the life well lived. He was a small town doctor, who was a true community leader. He helped found the local hospital, the local theater group, the county SPCA, and the local museum. He was involved in the historical society, Boy Scouts, and American Legion.  He was proud of his service as a flight surgeon and loved to tell us tales of his adventures.  He also collected stamps and had a passion for orchids.

He continued to make house-calls long after other physicians had stopped.  He used common sense and probably knew as much about human psychology (although not formally trained) as human anatomy.  When you talked to him, you knew you had his full attention. He always had a positive attitude and an encouraging word, making everyone feel special. He was continuously described as a gentlemen.

Even though he had quit practicing medicine exactly 20 years ago, the church was full of friends, former patients, colleagues, and other well wishers. It was clear he had touched many lives.

While paying tribute to my grandfather this weekend, I was also thinking about my own life. 

How will I be remembered?

Who’s life have I made better?

Do I make people feel special?

I know my grandfather didn’t do what he did with the intent of having people say good things at his funeral.  He was just doing what he thought was right. But I still think that pausing to look at the path you’re on is a good thing.

With this introspection due to my grandfather’s passing and the beginning of the new year, it seems like a great time to start making some conscious choices about my life.