Imagine If...

Posted by Rob & Jacq

Imagine if…

a seemingly implausible dream is born in a green plastic dingy in the middle of the lake.  The hot sun, small bathing suits and a new relationship (that is when it comes to defining the newness of such) seemed to be the perfect ingredients for manifesting farfetched thoughts and plans. As days pass, the hot sun slowly gives way to the warm breeze of the fall.  Leaves begin to turn to shades of red and orange, replacing the brilliant and energetic greens that had been there for the months before.  Amidst the loss of life in the natural world, the naivety, that too often our dreams are made of, fall from afar and make their way into our minds.  Our imaginary “what ifs” become buried beneath the realities of “what is”.  The temperatures drop and slowly our dreams become as stagnant as the air of skepticism around us.

Seven months later, we sit side by side, working away on several online businesses and I feel it an opportune, if not an imperative time to write.  I have pride that our “ifs” have become “whens” and all of our actions until the fastly encroaching July are to support our dreams.  While many people live and act in ways that society has deemed as right, we have decided that this social dream is not one that either of us hold true. Too often we do not take the time to question what we believe, and what we have been taught to believe is right.  As a little girl and boy, the world tells us (explicitly or implicitly) that happily ever after means getting a university education, working a 9 to 5, owning a home, getting married, having children, saving a nest egg for which upon retirement we can bask in the glory of our fruitful lifelong efforts.  Both of us have dabbled in, lived in and measured ourselves against this imagined stick of success.  After attempting to carefully, meticulously and quickly strip ourselves of this idea of norm, we have found something that is not “normal” at all.  For this we are proud.  The metaphor of nakedness continually makes its way into language of my life and I cannot help but feel an honest connection to that.  After stripping away the “shoulds” of our lives, we have been left with a naked vessel searching for possibilities.  

Our “imagine if” of seven months ago became language that we have chosen to live by.  Our dream means that we forgo the security of our careers, our home, and all of our possessions for that matter have become secondary to living in integrity with what it is we both truly want in this world.  After being called crazy, irresponsible, irrational and selfish we have more munitions in our pockets to demonstrate to the people around us that dreams do come true if we believe in them and act in way that supports them.  As I sit here writing at this moment, a shiny rock sits to my right which reads “write your own story” is a constant reminder that a life without risks is a life without living.

In the daze of August heat and the newness of love offered us a dream and I am so thankful that I have someone who believes in our journey enough to take the leap.  Several months from now, we are giving up everything that we know in this world to experience our lives in another.  We have realized that our most valuable learning experiences and those moments that make us feel truly alive are the connections we have with people.  We know we will begin and end at home; wherever that is.  We are sharing this story with you because it has been such a powerful learning experience for us to ask ourselves what it is that we truly want in this world.  We would like to also encourage all of you to take an opportunity to sit with yourself and ask the same questions.  What is it that you want?  What makes you happy?  Regardless of the answer, have the courage to follow your dreams because it is along this journey where happiness awaits and we wish this for all of you!

With Gratitude,

Rob and Jacq

Original Article: Imagine If...

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