Monday, May 27, 2013

Carpe Diem

The title of this blog post might as well be my life's motto.  I never felt it was acceptable to become too comfortable.  The world is just too full of every intense emotion and experience.  It's why I prefer having a job where I'm constantly busy and challenged, even if it means long hours, to one where I may have plenty of leisure time but that offers no challenges, no conquests to be won.  It's why I choose to travel to countries everyone else is afraid to go to-it has to be incredible if everyone would rather stay behind.  It's why I prefer the energy of the city to the predictability of suburbia.  It's probably why I, normally practical, had a whirlwind courtship that resulted in an engagement nearly six months later (4.5 months till the wedding!).

Everyone always told me how brave I am for this, as if pursuing the desires of one's heart is only for the valiant.  No, I'm not brave.  I just pursue what I want to pursue and conforming to society's vision just never spoke to me.  I'd rather have a career that involves helping to create a better world than one where I simply come out with a lot of money, so that's what I studied for and pursued work experiences in.  I wanted to travel, so I found ways to make that happen.  Sometimes, the opportunity has to present itself, so I keep my eyes peeled-whether in terms of my career, an opportunity to travel or simply the ability to build and maintain my singing voice.

It just seems pretty simple to me, actually.  If you want something, you find a way to prioritize, even if it means you can only take one small step today to get there. Even if it means today, just starting to turn the, "Oh, that'll never happen," into a , "Well, maybe someday." Even if it means putting those pennies you found on the sidewalk into a coffee can, with the intention of slowly saving for whatever dream you wish to pursue. We've all heard that every journey begins with a single step, why not start with that step?

What's your dream? What baby steps will you take to make it happen?  What mountains will you climb to follow your heart?