A Picture is Worth a Thousand Carrots!

Image courtesy of Jurveston

I’m sure I don’t have to convince you that a clear image of your dreams in life is crucial to obtaining them.  So I won’t try to.  But I will share an image of what I desire.  The carrots I am referring to are the ones on then end of the stick.  The kinds that we dangle in front of ourselves to keep us motivated to achieving our goals. They are reminders of why we push ahead with such intensity.

So what do you see in this particular image?  I’ll tell you what I see; complete and total FREEDOM!  I see people enjoying the wonders and beauty of this great world while most people are still asleep.  I see fresh air and a cool breeze.

You can look at a lot of beautiful images and be inspired.  But what I do when I see something like this is lace it with the background story that I am in the process of creating.  I see myself and my wife in those kayaks floating along, taking in the scenery.  We slept well the night before and feel great.  Through multiple income rich ventures I have gained my financial freedom.  As the sun rises so do my opportunities for the day.  I am not worried about going into work and pleasing my boss, dealing with irate customers.  I am instead just enjoying a relaxing morning with my wife.

Is that it?  Is this one of those happily ever after scenarios?  Absolutely not!  Let’s be realistic here.  The story of my life doesn’t just end here.  What I also see in this picture is the rest of the day.  As the sun rises higher we pull ashore and pack up for a relaxing ride home.  Now I’m starting to get into pursuit mode.  I start to chew on the previous days ideas, the untapped potential of the opportunities at hand.  You know how they say that the anticipation of the prize is often times better than the actual prize itself?  Well, for me, it’s the process of living life to the fullest that is what I enjoy.  I don’t see it as working really hard and then arriving.  That just doesn’t happen.  For me, if there was just an arrival and then that was it, I would be bored out of my mind!  Even if you think you are retired, if you are still pursuing all that this life has to offer, you are still in the “process”.

Now let’s not get carried away and imply that five years into a pursuit doesn’t have the potential of being a much better situation for you than at the beginning.  I mean, these carrots I’m talking about would just be a form of manipulation if you couldn’t take hold of them at some point in your life.  But I just don’t want you to see that moment as arrival.  It’s just one more step in the process.  These moments are what make it all worth while.  They are the seasoning in our pursuits.  And each milestone that we hit enhances our lives and strengthens our resolve.

So on that car ride home, I’m not thinking to myself, “Ahhhh, I’ve arrived!”.  Instead I am thinking, “Ahhhh, what a great way to start the day!  I’m so blessed to be here with my wife and making choices that positively affect our lives.  Now that I’m refreshed, let’s take a look at the goals at hand.  How can we move forward today?”