Look Past The Battle For The Lesson

06/03/2022

Any journey worth its salt, comes with as many defeats as it does victories. It's easy to write about how great things are, how happy you are, or how blessed you are.

But you didn't arrive at ‘great-happy-and blessed’ without pushing through disappointment, heartache, and defeat.

I can handle readjusting my vision, or re-tweaking the plan, and I don't even mind scaling back on a grand idea for a more modest one. What I don't handle well is when I cant change the things that are getting in my way.

3 months ago, I had everything dialed in perfectly with the sale of my home, the plans completed for the new home, a rental lined up for the in-between time, and I am 80% packed up in boxes ready to go.

It’s no secret that the economy has taken a nosedive. Home sales have slowed down as the cost of living increases to a ridiculously high level, and people are struggling to make ends meet.

These are the times that staying laser focused on what you want is so important. The ‘end game’ is all that matters. The commotion that goes on in-between is merely distraction tossed in your path to see what you’re made of.

As long as you know where you want to be, do whatever you have to do to get there.

I have realized the current economy isn't going to let me have what I planned on 6 months ago. I thought maybe I should just stay put in my current home and wait for a better time to sell. But that would mean selling the land I bought to build my new home on instead. I’m not in a position to finance both at the same time.

After a lot of soul searching I realized… I want to be on that new property so desperately, I don't care if I live in a hut with a Tiki Torch and an outhouse! My heart smiles when I think of living there. I breathe easier…..the weight lifts off my shoulders…and in the quiet I can hear myself think and I can feel my heart beat.

I need that.

It can be challenging to sit still in the waters of the unknown, remain patient...and wait for options of change to present themselves. It is during those 'pauses in time' you need to .to take care of yourself, rest, eat well, and reflect on how much you have actually achieved ...and not stress over things you cannot control.

A humorous side note:

Realizing I am going to sell this house no matter what…I looked around for anything I could do to make the house more appealing to a potential buyer. I cant change the floor plan or the architecture. But I zeroed in on an overgrown bush in the front yard that was blocking the view off the downstairs deck. I thought if I took it down about 3 feet, it would open up that area and look more inviting. All I had was an electric hedge trimmer and one extension cord I hadn’t packed up yet.

I jumped on a step stool and attacked the bush like Edward Scissorhands, and naively thought it would turn out equally impressive. It didn't. Half way through the process, the extension cord literally blew up in half…and also blew out my hedge trimmer. So I tossed it all in the trash, and grabbed a pair of hedge shears in an attempt to finish the job. It was so butchered at that point I couldn't just leave it.

The shears were too long and awkward to work with so I grabbed a pair of regular craft scissors and finished the entire bush with them.:)

And while the bush will take a few weeks to recover from the trauma I put it through….I looked out past it, and saw the view of beautiful trees I couldn't see from that deck before.

I realized I attacked that poor thing because I was uncomfortable with the lack of momentum I was feeling. It was a physical attempt to do something…..anything…..to help me feel like I was still on track to get where I need to be.

My full blown assault on that bush isn't going to make my house sell any faster….and yet I felt one step closer.

Whatever is on your horizon of dreams, never stop trying to achieve them. In the end, they may end up looking a bit different that you initially envisioned…..but if there's a smile on your face and there is peace in your heart ……it doesn't matter.

But that’s just my opinion. :)