Now More Than Ever, Keep Those Dreams Alive!

Good morning, and happy Hump Day! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

I keep reading all these posts on Facebook, asking people what’s the first thing you’re going to do when this is all over. Go shopping? Been there. Take a long walk? Done that. Find the biggest cheeseburger on the planet and eat the whole thing in one bite? Got the tee shirt, and now it doesn’t fit. Guess I should’ve waited until after I ate that big meal.

Those posts are an insight into who we are and where we place our values. After six weeks of being cooped up in the house with the rest of the family, the first thing we can think of is getting out and doing something with the family. So, on the one hand, it’s good that family takes such a high priority. But what have we been doing all this time? Playing hide and seek?

Well, if you work from home, the answer is pretty simple. That’s exactly what you’ve been doing. Just about every day in meetings, we hear dogs barking in the background and see cats climbing on a co-worker’s computer. But rarely do we hear any kids. I’m not judging. I just want to know how that works. There’s a reason I hide in the basement all day.

First of all, the kids aren’t allowed down here. So, in a game of hide and seek, I win. Besides, it’s the only place in this house big enough to hide me. The only way I can hide behind a door is to close it, and there’s not a closet in this house that big. Well, I do have one walk-in closet. It’s in the basement. So here we are, right back to square one. Dave lives in the dungeon.

But still, I dream of a time when I can come out of the bat cave and live among the surface dwellers. I’ve had visions of a laptop sitting on the dining table with real sunlight instead of a desk lamp. Okay, and the view through the window is a lot more appealing than what’s out my back door. Think mountains, beaches, rolling meadows. And any time I get bored, we move.

Can you imagine what it’s like to finally fulfill a lifelong dream and then you can’t enjoy it? Okay, maybe not “lifelong” but it’s been a lot of years. March 13, we bought our first motorhome. March 16, the country shut down and everybody was told to stay home. We got one weekend outing before the campgrounds closed. But it sure looks pretty sitting there in storage.

So, for me, the answer is obvious. As soon as this is over, we’re going camping. As of last week, we’ve paid more money to store the RV than in campground fees. And never mind the monthly payment. My goal is simple. I want to reverse those numbers. I want to get one of those cheesy US maps and start putting stickers all over it. I have the mortgage. Now I want the adventure.

In a meeting with some business associates a few nights ago, we were talking about dreams in terms of the things we want. A bigger house, a nicer car, bills paid off, money in the bank. You know, the typical stuff. And it’s important to have those dreams because, why else are we working so hard? You have to have a reason – a “why.” Otherwise, it’s easier to just sleep.

But it’s important to make the distinction between what we want, and why we want it. In all honesty, an RV isn’t exactly luxurious living. It’s small, it’s expensive to run, it takes a lot of upkeep, and everybody knows if you break wind. So, why an RV? Because of the things it’ll allow us to do. You see, the RV isn’t the dream – it’s the means of achieving that dream.

Hopefully you’ve taken a little time over the past couple of months to focus on your own dreams. I know that’s hard to do when life has been turned completely upside-down, but it’s important. When we lose sight of our dreams, we lose our sense of purpose. And without a sense of purpose, it’s hard to focus on anything. After a while, nothing seems to matter.

Keep those dreams in focus. Take a moment to write them down. What will you do when this is all over? Not just that first night out with the family, but beyond that? Where do you want to be in a year? How do you want your life to change? And most importantly, why? The answers to those questions will bring you back to life just when you need it the most.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

© 2020 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved

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