It is a phrase that sounds so cool! What would it be like to fly by the seat of your pants? How would it feel to take a leap of faith and try something totally different? What would happen if you took a chance and changed your life?
I have been asked a lot lately how I manage to live such a cool life, how I live/play/work in two different countries.
Most of the comments/questions are filled with curiosity. Like how much time do I spend in each place? How do I make my income?’ Others sound a bit envious, as in “Wow, must be nice to live in Mexico and Whistler” or “You sure have a rough life living in Mexico and Whistler.” I read something a few days ago that really resonated with me:
Life is only as amazing as the chances you take!
This sentence made me think of all the times I took a chance, winged it, followed my heart, was scared shitless or took a leap of faith. So I’m changing my response to the relentless question of how can I have such a cool life and live in two places? My new answer is, yes, I am truly blessed to have such an amazing life; I guess all those chances I have taken over the past 10 years have finally paid off. Have you ever wanted to really take a chance and do something different? Make a change, take a risk or do something that others think is crazy?
Would you:
- Move across the country for someone you loved?
- Would you drive your car more than 5,000 km to live in a different country?
- Would you live on your credit card for a few months to experience a different culture?
- Would you quit your job and start your own business?
- Would you change your life to practice a sport or hobby that you loved?
If you want to do any of those things, or even just take a leap of faith, then I can tell you exactly what will happen. Isn’t that what everyone wants to know? Most people want to know the outcome of their choices before they choose. They want a guarantee if things don’t work out exactly as planned. Well, I can’t tell you the future of your choices but I can give you some insight to what might happen if you decide to take a risk in life and do something different.
The first thing is that you will be faced with a whole shit load of fear and doubt. Yup, you got it! Your friends, family, partner and co-workers are all gonna crap all over your idea! Even if you are excited about taking a chance, the moment you share that idea with anyone they will listen and share their doubt. It’s not that they don’t want you to succeed – of course then do. But deep inside they are more afraid of you failing. People that love and care for you generally do not want to see you fail and if they do, they really don’t love and care for you. This will trigger your own excuses and sometimes they are so great that you will completely abandon your exciting idea. Some of the best excuses I have ever heard are:- I don’t have enough money. I personally love this one but no one ever thinks they have enough money. Even wealthy people say the same thing.
- I can’t quit my job. This is a good one too, but what people are really saying is that they don’t want to look for a new or different job.
- I have family responsibilities. Yes, we all have responsibilities and they will evolve and go with you when you make changes and take chances.
- It is not safe to live in another country. Hahaha . . . it’s not safe to live anywhere on this planet! But we still do!
These excuses are really just our brains processing the emotion of fear. No one likes to admit that they are fearful or afraid so it’s easier to make up an excuse. The true reason for not taking a chance in your life is due to one thing, and one thing only . . . FEAR! The biggest fears:
- Fear of the unknown!
- Fear of not having enough!
- Fear of falling in love!
- Fear of failure.
To truly have an amazing life and love what you do and whom you do it with, you have to, at some point, overcome 
your fear. Just look around. Do you know a person who is always negative, doubtful and miserable? Are they scared to travel? Do they worry constantly about what could happen? Are they mistrustful of others and think other people are going to rip them off? When you find that person (and you will), ask yourself, do you want to end up that unhappy? If you don’t, then get over your fear and take a chance in life! Because if you do, then this one does come with a guarantee!
Don’t forget that everything happens for a reason and when life unfolds, trust that you will be prepared for the very moment that you are in. You have the skills, knowledge and courage to take a chance, even a little wee one! It could be a leap of faith, a jump off a cliff or a complete dive into the unknown.
Here is a tip: get a thick skin and let go of what others think! Because there will be lots of doubters, lots of people who discredit what you want to do and lots and lots of fearful people who are trying to stop you from “making a mistake” or getting hurt. If you really believe in yourself and the universe, there are no mistakes, only amazing lessons. But amazing lessons and taking chances are all part of creating an amazing life.
My Conclusion
This year, in 2016, just take a chance! Start the wheel turning and create the step/leap/jump towards truly living a life that blows your mind. A life where people will ask you in a few years . . . how do you live such an amazing life? You will be able to answer, I guess all those crazy ideas I had and chances I took finally paid off!
Cheers,
Marjie Martini
