Tonight I have been reading a book I just purchased entitled, "Changing Gears" by Nancy Sathre-Vogel. It is the true story about a family of four that took three years and rode their bicycles from Alaska to Argentina. I found out about this book from a blog I follow- Bohemian Travelers and it hasn't disappointed so far.
At the very beginning of the book, the author describes the moment she questions if she is up for an undertaking of such magnitude. She describes lying in bed and asking herself the question,
"What would you do if you weren't afraid? If you weren't afraid of what people would say about you, or of the unknown, or of failure, what would you do?"
"What would you do if you weren't afraid? If you weren't afraid of what people would say about you, or of the unknown, or of failure, what would you do?"
Naturally, I found myself asking the same question as I read. It really doesn't take much thought, because my answer to that question is the same as it would have been in sixth grade, had I been asked.
Simply put, if I was afraid of nothing, I would get rid of everything and move to another country, traveling and taking in this amazing world and the people God has created. I would submerge myself in another culture, building relationships specifically with parentless children and abused women.
This is what my dreams have always consisted of, what my child-like idealism still believes can and will come true someday. I strongly believe in dreams. I think they give us something to strive for, something to work toward. But, perhaps even more importantly, I believe the process of pursuing our dreams often opens up unexpected opportunities and teaches us things about both ourselves and our world that we might have otherwise missed.
As I continue reading and end this night, the real questions on my mind are...
What am I really that afraid of?
At what point does/will the dream become more powerful than the fears?
How can I work at eliminating said fears?
One of my favorite dreamers, Amelia Earhart, once said,
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do."
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do."
Think about it...
What are your dreams made of?
What would you do if you were afraid of nothing?
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