Chasing the Dream or Living the Dream...

Chasing the dream or living the dream…

When I first moved up here a neighbor (anyone who lives withing 20 miles of our home) came by.  He has known Seth most of Seth’s life.  He wanted to come and meet the girl that married him…me.  His story was a unique one about how he ended up in Conrad, Montana.  He shared that with Seth and I.  I love hearing about people’s journeys.  He asked a lot about my journey.  I love sharing my journey as well.  It was a lot of fun sharing experiences and life lessons.  At the very end he said, the happiest people can make a home anywhere…or something to that extent.  And I couldn’t agree more.

I have spent time in all corners of the USA and overseas.  I remember being homesick, but looking back I can’t remember hating where I lived.  I found the good where ever it was.  I found ways to do the things I love…or at least versions of them.  And sometimes the things I love changed or grew.

My dad once told me a story about a man he knew.  The man would often say I will ________ when I _______.  My dad was asking this particular person if he could help donate to a family in need.  He responded, I will donate more when I make X amount more, and so on and so on.  One day my dad saw this gentleman again in a different setting.  He appeared to be very well off by the clothes he wore and the car he drove, however his attitude about what he was willing to do didn’t change.  The only thing that changed was what he chasing in order to feel he was in a place to help. 

Those two different experiences have stuck with me.  Can I be happy anywhere AND am I chasing a moving goal post where that contentment is placed? 

So back to am I living the dream? Or chasing the dream?  To some the idea of living the dream seems like you are living in complacency.  Such as you have arrived and therefore you are done working to achieve.  And the idea of chasing the dream is setting goals and achieving them over and over and over…meaning the chase is on. 

To me it is the opposite.  The example my dad gave me is someone who is chasing the dream. I will be HAPPY when I CAN MOVE TO WARMER WEATHER.  I will be MORE GENEROUS when I HAVE MORE MONEY.  Making your happiness or how content you are in life being contingent on something else…that moving goal post. 

Living the dream represents to me that feeling of being content.  Feeling content doesn’t mean no movement or lack of goals.  To me it means you are happy where you are, finding joy in the journey. 

Moving the north-central Montana wasn’t easy.  Moving to Memphis, TN wasn’t easy.  Moving to central Missouri wasn’t easy.  You get the picture.  But I made the decision to look at it like I was living the dream.  I felt content and happy in all those places.  I still have goals.  I still have dreams.  I’ve never stopped progressing.  I’ve gone from premed, to chemistry, to missionary, to teaching, to stay at home ranch mama, to beef business owner and who knows what else…but I am not chasing anything, just living it as I go. 

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