The bigger life

"A goal or a dream that doesn't challenge the dreamer to become more than they've ever been, to go where they've never gone, and to feel things they've never felt, is actually like wishing for a giant life-snooze button." - Notes from the Universe

There are days, sometimes many days, when I doubt I can make my B&B dream a reality. There are a lot of hurdles to jump between where we are and where we want to be. Do we let an available property dictate the location? Or do we choose a location first regardless of whether there are any B&Bs for sale there? Do we buy an existing inn or start one from scratch? How are we financing this venture—SBA loan, borrow from our 401K/IRA, some combination of the two? It can feel pretty overwhelming at times. 

These doubts even creep into my dreams. Just the other night, I dreamt that I visited the house I had with my ex-husband and he was running it as a B&B. Exasperated, I cried, "Why does he get to live my dream?"

Fortunately, I am surrounded by at least as many positive influences as doubts. Just before I had that dream, I read this blog post about two little words that can change everything: "What if?" 

The feeling left by that dream could have thrown me into a funk. Instead, thanks to that seed of inspiration from Katie Bagby, upon waking from that dream, my first thought was "What if I get it live my dream?"

It is that glimmer of hope that motivates me to keep moving forward in the face of doubt, researching, networking, even writing this post. That and remembering this sage advice from Gretchen Rubin: "When trying to make a decision, choose the bigger life." 

What that life will ultimately look like, I have no idea really. All I know is that as long as I keep choosing that which sparks joy and challenges me, it will be anything but a giant life-snooze button.