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Ordinary Traveler / Blog / Business Building / The Secret to Living the Life of Your Dreams

The Secret to Living the Life of Your Dreams

By Scott Calafiore, Last Modified: November 1, 2018

As 2014 came wandering in, I couldn’t help but think about things that had come to pass in 2013. I think we all do it — at least for a second or two — a short little daydream about what we could have done differently.

A new year always brings thoughts of new resolutions: some people want to lose weight, others want to make more money, eat healthier, become an astronaut, take a cooking class in Italy, become a professional wrestler — I know I’m rambling, so I’ll stop.

I’m not one for regretting my past mistakes. I make mistakes all the time, but I feel those mistakes and shortcomings are best left forgotten. That doesn’t mean I don’t wish to change things about myself or my life.

Christy and I recently talked in some detail about our lives, if we are happy and if we are where we want to be. She answered my question without me even asking. She said that she is so glad to be taking a life risk and not worrying about having a steady job.

“Five years ago, I couldn’t say that I had taken the steps to make my dreams a reality. It’s not exactly as I had envisioned it, but I am happy with the way things are turning out.” she stated confidently.

Living the Life of my Dreams in Baja, Mexco

My New Year’s resolution is to take advantage of more opportunities and not let my anxiety drag me down. Yep, one of my worst fears is heights. I hate them!! It’s odd because I’ve been skydiving, flown helicopters and travel on planes often. But it’s those little heights that get me — like a tall mesh staircase or a cliff on the side of mountain.

More than a couple of times, this fear has stopped me from doing things. I get vertigo, plain and simple, but I’ve been learning to breathe and work it out. It got so bad one time that I couldn’t walk all the way onto a paved bridge in Taos, NM. I had to hold onto the side railing and tried to focus on the yellow line in the middle of the road.

The second part of my resolution is this: there are times when I feel I haven’t pushed the envelope enough and I have just given up. Like that scuba certification I never finished or that guitar which now sits dormant in my closet. Oh, and I also get seasick. I really want to get over it, but all I can think of is getting used to hurling over the side.

How to live the life of your dreams

I guess my resolution is to explore and feel more childlike and wondrous about life. I want to seek out all this life has to offer, to succeed and fail, but all the while trying to make the most out of each and every day.

There are more than a few of us that get stuck or feel like we could do more in this life. Maybe you zone out sometimes (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) and wonder if things could be different.

Sometimes I wish I could be more like Christy and risk it all to get to what I need, but I also don’t think it always has to be as dramatic as quitting your job and starting your own business. I just want to get to the center of the bridge, focus, and just go!! To take that wave that I think is just a little too big and steep for me.

I want to say YES to all the things that my mind says no to. I think that is the secret to living the life of your dreams.

How to live the life of your dreams

About Scott Calafiore

Scott Calafiore is a co-founder of Ordinary Traveler and has been traveling around the world with his partner in crime, Christy, since 2006. Join them in their quest to find off-the-beaten-path destinations by signing up for weekly emails and following him on Google+.

Filed Under: Business Building

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Optimum RV says

    We help people live their dreams by traveling in RVs. What we’ve noticed is A LOT of people are actually taking their jobs mobile and living their dreams while still working but doing it remotely. I think we will continue to see this trend of mobile workers increase.

    Reply
  2. Ordinary Traveler says

    Thanks, Julie. It’s definitely one of those movies that make you think. I may need to rent it again soon. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Echo Santos says

    Thank you for inspiring people to follow their bliss!

    Reply
    • Ordinary Traveler says

      Thanks for reading, Echo!

      Reply
  4. Julie Danes says

    It is great that you took the time to realistically analyze your current life. It takes courage to state the truth. Keep loving and being loved. 😉 P.S: I find The Secret Life of Walter Mitty a great movie, too. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Daisy @ Credit Walk says

    This is a really inspiring post. Saying “YES” to things that would regularly be outside of your comfort zone is probably the secret to living your dreams; this past summer, I decided to say “yes” to doing everything I was invited to do, as long as it was within my financial and physical means. I ended up doing a lot more than I normally would have. I’m grateful for the experience!

    Reply

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Welcome to our adventure travel blog! We are Christy and Scott and we've been traveling the world together since 2006. Our goal is to inspire others to live an adventurous life, as well as provide trip ideas and helpful travel tips for people with limited vacation time.
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