Living Your Dream
By Sophia Falke

I sat there just crying, tears streaming down my face. The situation at work seemed so hopeless, and I didn’t know what to do to make it any better. Listening to me was a trusted friend. He let me share freely how the people who had hired me were gone and had been replaced by a leadership team that didn’t fit for me.

When I finished my tearful rendition, I felt depleted, yet surprisingly peaceful after finally allowing myself to express what I had been suppressing for the past year. After a long, thoughtful pause, my friend said, “I don’t usually give people direct advice. I like them to make their own decisions. But in your circumstances, I think you should leave your job.”

Leave my job? How could I? The rules of the world (at least my world) were that you don’t leave a job unless you have another one waiting. Out loud I said, “That’s a big decision, I’ll sleep on it.” It was the end of the day, so I decided to go home to consider my friend’s advice. Before I left, he gave me a quotation by W. H. Murray from The Scottish Himalayan Expedition.

“Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets: ‘Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.’”

I headed home to think about such a huge decision but my car seemed to have a will of its own, and I found myself pulling into the parking lot at work. My boss was there. I gave three months’ notice. So much for “sleeping on it.” Now what? It was the right decision. My sense of release and freedom confirmed that. But now what?

I reread W. H. Murray’s statement, “Until one is committed…” Committed to what? I had no “what,” I had no dream. Slowly I realized I needed a dream and goal to anchor it to. Simply leaving my job was not a goal. Relief, yes. Goal, no. What did I really want? Did I dare even ask myself such a me-centered question?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you realized you had been living someone else’s dream instead of your own? That’s exactly what I had been doing. I had been living my employer’s dream. I had been doing what society expected of me. But what about me? What about my dream? Oh, that’s right. I didn’t have one.

I asked myself, “If I could do anything right now, what would it be?” I sat with that basic question, and slowly the answer emerged. I wanted to take the summer off and travel overland from Tucson, where I lived, to Alaska.

“Until one is committed…” I now had a dream: to travel unfettered by job responsibilities, and a goal: to reach the Arctic Circle in Alaska.

Once I committed to my dream, I didn’t wait for Providence. I took action. My actions didn’t always make sense, but they were all focused on my goal. That’s where Providence stepped in. I put my home up for sale. Providence kept the buyer away until I was ready to leave for my trip. I sold my car without knowing what I would use for my 10,000-mile round trip to the Arctic Circle. Providence provided me with friends who needed someone to take care of their cars while they were on vacation or recuperating from surgery.

As I shared my dream, people came into my life simply to help me with a particular segment of my journey: the car salesman who didn’t have what I needed, but caught my dream and coached me through the process of obtaining the right vehicle (a pickup truck); the fellow selling a used camper in my price range; the woman at Motor Vehicles that made sure I had the proper documentation for driving in Canada. The list goes on, but dearest to me is that my 75-year-old mother, who thought I was crazy to leave my job and sell my home, agreed to come with me. It was her first-ever camping trip.

I learned many valuable lessons during this time of my life. “You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?” (from the movie South Pacific) I had spent too much time living other people’s dreams.

Anchor your dream with a definite goal. I had a wonderful dream of traveling through the natural wonders of the Western United States, Canada and Alaska. I anchored it in reaching the Arctic Circle by August 5, 1989. It was a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based. Now “Providence” knew what it was responding to.

You must be committed to your dream. I quit my job, I sold most of my possessions. I studied James Mitchner’s Alaska, The Alaska Milepost (basic Bible for travel in Alaska), tour books, and maps. I shared my dream with anyone that would listen.

Take action! I didn’t wait for Providence to help me. I stepped out in faith and took the actions in physical reality that needed to be taken. My moving forward in this way allowed Providence to stream to me “all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings, and material assistance.”

Be willing to receive. I am still amazed, but no longer surprised, at how many people stepped forward to help me. They became part of my dream.

Was it worth it? Mom and I made it to the Arctic Circle. That night, we experienced a sense of awe and fulfillment as we watched a brilliant sun shimmering over the Yukon River as it set in the West. It is a dream fulfilled that I carry with me as a reminder and inspiration to continue dreaming. What’s your dream?

Sophia is a certified coach, seminar leader, and motivational speaker through Embracing Greatness. She is also minister at Unity Center in the Valley (uciv.org). Learn more about fulfilling your personal or professional dreams. Contact Sophia at 702-456-9133 or, Sophia@EmbracingGreatness.com .