Dont wait until it’s too late
Dont wait until it’s too late to live the life you’ve always dreamed of. No matter how ‘out of the box’ it may seem.
Bronnie Ware, an Australian hospice nurse wrote a book about the “Top Five Regrets of the Dying” based on her experience of asking her patients.
Number one was “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me”.
This is my whole and soul purpose for creating Courage to Travel!
I’ve always been passionate about supporting, inspiring and motivating people to overcome their fears and do what scares them. You can learn more about my Facing Fears programs here.
Since we began travelling full-time around the world so many people we’ve met or already knew have said, “I wish I could do what you guys are doing.” They’ve shared how it is also a dream of theirs and yet they seemed stuck in the beliefs that it wasn’t possible for them.
What’s stopping you?
Their ‘reasons’ when questioned about it were seemingly legitimate; kids at school still, good job or career, can’t afford it, would miss family. However, it got me wondering, how much are they living their life to the expectations of others or to societies rules?
I already knew that it only costs $10,000 a year to do it so I began exploring the other ‘reasons.’ I researched couples who travelled with their children and the pros and cons of that. How to transfer your career excellence to an online option to have the freedom of travelling. And what families really want for their loved ones (to be happy and live a fulfilled, prosperous and long life).
In doing so, I discovered that the real reason people don’t follow their dreams is that they‘re afraid to. This is what stopped us initially too.
The fear of the unknown. The fear of things going wrong. The fear of the non-traditional lifestyle. The fear of judgement from others and society. The ‘what if’ fears have them stuck in their safe zone.
They have them convinced that they could live their ideal life once the kids have moved out, or once they’ve saved enough money, or once they’ve reached retirement.
The problem is, what if you don’t make it to then?
Don’t assume there’s plenty of time
I had a dear friend who loved to travel and had so many dreams and aspirations to do so many things. She died before her 42nd birthday.
Another friend of ours finally reached retirement and was preparing to begin living his dream life. He passed away three months later. While he was still preparing his around the world trip.
So, I implore you, please dont wait.
Don’t wait for a better day to start living the life you really want to be living.
Live the life you want to live now.
Don’t assume that there will be a later. Don’t expect that you will always have plenty of time.
Don’t spend your life preparing for ‘later’
Dont wait for a ‘special day’ to bring out your favourite crockery set or to wear that pretty dress.
Don’t wait until you are old enough, pretty enough, strong enough, smart enough, prepared enough (or whatever “reason” you tell yourself as to why you can’t) to do what you really want to be doing.
Don’t wait until retirement to take that trip you’ve always wanted or to travel the world if that’s your dream.
Don’t wait to tell that person just how much you really love them.
Please, dont wait.
If you hear yourself saying, “when xyz happens then I will do [insert what you really want to be doing]”. Do yourself a favour, take a deep breath and just do go do it now.
What if you don’t ever get to xyz?
What if you never get to have that special day?
What if you don’t get to see that person again?
What if there is no later?
What if there is only now!
Do you really want to be one of those people who face their impending mortality with regrets?
There will never be a perfect time
The perfect time is now.
Imagine if everyone waited until everything was perfect before they had children…our race wouldn’t even exist!
And yet millions of people reproduce every day. Almost all of them are ill prepared. But most of them wouldn’t change it for the world.
Trust that if you follow your heart and take the opportunity you have now, take that step now, take that trip now, that you will be ok. It will work out for you.
Think of a time in the past when you did do something only you wanted to do. It worked out in the end. Everything was ok. There might have been a bit of a challenging moment but aren’t you glad you did it?
You will be ok.
As Gabrielle Bernstein says in her New York Times bestseller, “The universe has your back!“.
Don’t let your fear tell you that you can’t.
Sure, take note of your fear’s message but recognise it’s just trying to hold you back. To keep you in a perceived state of ‘safe’.
Take the step forward you really want to take.
Please don’t wait.
Do it now.
You’ll be so glad you did.
Love and travel always,
Tegan and Clark