“The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.” ~Lloyd Jones
Some days I just feel overwhelmed!
Don’t you ever just get overwhelmed?
Time just seems to be flying by. Just yesterday I was starting out high school with a head full of ideas and a heart full of dreams.
Over the past decade the ideas have changed but the dreams kept growing. I suppose that’s a good thing, but big dreams are overwhelming.
I’ve been censured for not being able to “settle” and decide, for wanting too many things, more especially for wanting BIG things. Mom wanting me to pick a solid career path (as moms do), Dad talking me down from my plans to study and live abroad (over protective) and friends perturbed by my cracked notions of worldly adventures and nonconformist nature. Saying, “Eish! You also just like goeters (things)”, at that age I didn’t know there was nothing wrong with liking “THINGS”.
Conceding, I chose a field of study and never got a real job in that specific field until seven years later. I waited for my Dad to get a job abroad so that I could live somewhere safe with him (#overprotective / never happened). Lastly I waited six years for friends to save up for an international vacation, which I ended up doing by myself anyway.
I have found the greatest misery in trying to shape my life around the public’s opinion of what my life should be. I’m much happier when trying new things and deciding for myself whether I should proceed with the task at hand or move on to the next adventure or project.
Don’t get me wrong. Life is good. I always aim for better, and am grateful that it’s not worse. I have been blessed with many opportunities; a full-time job, owning small businesses, leading a healthier lifestyle, I travel often and dabble in photography and other cultural activities when it suits me.
Granting, I do work harder than I think I should, and less smart than I know I could. I want to have fun, succeed, make a good impact in the lives of others, explore more often, live free, love hard, be more creative, have fun and just be HAPPY!
I often feel a hint of regret for the time I wasted, waiting for the right moment and the right people. Now that I’m through waiting and decided to take action and pursue, or at the very least investigate all these “Goeters”. I realised that there’s a whole world of opportunities out there and with my blinkers now off, they’re all just jumping out in front of me. “Pick Me! Pick Me! Pick Me!” And they’re all so pretty and sparkly and shiny…aaahhh!
Thank God for my family vacation to the USA in 2004. The trip that took the travel bug hatched during my childhood days spending holidays and weekends on road trips, fishing spots and campsites throughout and around my beautiful country of South Africa, super-sized it and turned it into an insatiable beast.
Fast-forward to 2011, I hopped on a plane to Europe all by myself, leaving my family behind and my very anxious dad in tears. Met amazing people and made some friends along the way. Two years later I spent my 27th birthday on a flight, with a friend I’d made in Europe, on the way to Egypt in the heights of the 2013 civil war. My poor dad… Yes, I know. We had originally planned to go to Mexico to meet up with the rest of our Euro clique. Because of our declined economy and in the spirit of Carpe Diem “Seize The Day” and economic feasibility, changed our plans do a tour of Egypt, where we met more incredible people!
I guess life in itself is overwhelming, and in letting fear rule us, we hold ourselves back. Sure, we’ll find ways to blame others for our situations but at some point we decide to let things, circumstances and people stand in our way. It really is up to us to get up off our butts and just do something!
“It is a mistake to suppose that people succeed through success; they often succeed through failures.” ~Author Unknown
Ciao! 😉
Recommended Reading: If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It Isn’t Big Enough: A Solo Journey Around the World by Kristine K. Stevens
In honour of her 40th birthday, Kristine K. Stevens sold her house, quit her job and travelled solo around the world.
Carrying a backpack and the naïve belief that the trip was nothing more than a six-month-long vacation, she hit the road. As her journey moved on and off the beaten tourist path, she braved a monsoon in Zanzibar, a safari in Kenya, trekking in Nepal, kayaking in Thailand, caves in Laos, red plaid fish and lava in Hawaii, and grizzly bears in Alaska.
Little did Kristine know that she was completing a pilgrimage that would change her life forever. She gained self-confidence with every mile and relearned how to trust her instincts.
Told with wonder, humour and suspense, with historical facts woven into the tale, “If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It Isn’t Big Enough” captures the twisted, unpredictable nature of global travel.
Find entertainment and inspiration through Kristine’s adventure.
Available through Amazon.com
Length: 272 pages
Price Range: $4.99 – $12.95
Format: Kindle and Paperback
