What if I Went for My Dreams In spite of Everything?
By Barb Rees
On our dream board was a picture of a woman crossing the finish line of a race. That winner pictures me! My face is ecstatic, bursting with happiness and pride. My arms are raised above my head in victory. It was a long journey across Canada with minimal income but first let’s go back to 2003. My husband took early retirement at 58 and I at 54 didn’t have a “real” job. I was making money where ever I could. No more mill pay cheque every two weeks, just a much smaller pension once a month which seemed to rule out our dream to RV across Canada.
“What if we sold stuff at farmer’s markets to pay for the trip?” I asked Dave. It was the first of many years of him rolling his eyes at my hair-brained dreams but bless his heart he keeps going along with them. People thought we were crazy. Ever had a big dream your friends said you were nuts or irresponsible to even think of? That was us and not spring chickens anymore either.
I am a big believer in abundance mentality. Hold out your left hand and make a fist. Hold out your right hand and keep it open palm up. If the universe (or God, call it what you may) is going to send abundance your way, which hand will receive it? That is the difference between scarcity mentality and abundance mentality. Always stay open to ideas and opportunities. Avoid naysayers. Sweep fear and doubt out the door before they poison your dreams.
June 2003 we left Powell River, BC, $300 in hand in a 1977 motor-home loaded with driftwood, brandied blackberry sauce, my first book “Lessons From the Potholes of Life” and a ton of faith that we would make it to PEI and back. Boy oh boy did that trip test us but we made it and I was the woman doing the yippee skippee dance around the tourism lot in PEI singing, “We did it. We really really did it!” In 2006 I wrote my first RV Canada book about the trip, “RV Canada On A Dime And A Dream” then in 2007 took it back across in a cranky van I named “Boo the menopausal van.” She grumbled her way across, repeatedly breaking down towing a 27 ft trailer. She became the title for the next book “RV Canada With Boo the Menopausal Van” which we took up to Yukon and Northwest Territories in 2009, and stood in the Arctic Ocean.
It was the same story; not much money, humongous dreams, vehicle problems and lots of creative selling to keep us going. It became the third book “RV Canada’s Far North On A Dream” which we took on tour to Hudson Bay, MB in 2011. That trip is the latest book “RV Canada And The Polar Bear Dream” which we are taking to Newfoundland this summer.
Money is tight but we have faith we will sell enough to help pay for the trip. I’m sure we will be tested but oh the joy of standing at Cape Spears as we greet the first sunrise in NA.
Each trip has taught us not to give up on our dreams. They have taught us to be grateful each day for what we call “gifts of abundance” those big and small gifts people give us. It can be a vendor giving us extra potatoes or no charge for camping. We are grateful for them all.
Our favorite quote posted on the wall for all our trips is from Dr. Robert Schuller, “You don’t have a money problem. You have an idea problem.” Anytime we have been stuck far from home down to our last few dollars, we look for ideas and with them comes the money.
Spread out both your hands palms up. What abundance could the universe send your way if no matter what happened or what people said you followed your dreams? Can you live with the worst that can happen? Then go for it!!
