boats in tiny trunks

Driving down the road, I stopped at a light behind this car.

…maybe a bit of a last minute packer or someone like me who thinks I can make anything fit.

Please tell me I am not the only one who thinks it is hilarious that a boat is hanging out of car trunk. I was laughing and taking a phone picture. The driver next to me looked at me like I was the crazy one for thinking it was a funny site. Oh the little things in life. Thank you driver for fitting that boat in your trunk, you brought a big smile to my face.

It brought a smile to my face and the image lingered in my head for days…it still lingers there. I have no idea why the driver decided to shove a boat in the trunk, but I have created my own little story about it. I like to think it was a guy that really wanted to go fishing, but didn’t have a truck. Instead of sitting in front of the tv all day, knowing fish like to bite on rainy days, he did what had to be done to get out on the water. He shoved that little boat nose first into the trunk of his car, tied it with a rope and headed to the pond. He wanted to fish. He made it happen. Well, that is my version anyway.

There are lots of things in life that just take a little gumption and drive. Many many months ago, fellow blogger Elizabeth Owens sent me a copy her book. As I read it I kept thinking about the mere fact that Elizabeth wrote a book. A lot of people talk about doing things like writing a book. She actually did it.

It is a beautiful story of two friends and the influence of that friendship on both of their lives. I asked Elizabeth about taking the jump to finally do what she dreamed of doing…write a book.

” I can come up with a million excuses for not writing. What if it’s not good enough? What if I can’t find an agent? What if no one likes it? What if it never gets published? When I hit 30, I developed a new motto: “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.” I began to realize the only way I could ever insulate myself from failure was to never pursue what I loved, to never write. What a terribly depressing thought! I believe that God gives us our talents to use. The way we use them, the outcomes that happen, may not come about the way we think they will. But God’s plan is always good, and the talents he give us are always good. So my advice for someone who is pondering a life long dream or goal is to remind them that if they don’t try, if they don’t pursue it, they already know the outcome. God gives us gifts for a reason, so that we can have a full and happy life, but more importantly, so we can walk in step with his plans. Ask, and while the answer may not be what you expected, the answer is always yes.”

Writing a blog is far from writing a book, but it has allowed me to meet a lot of incredible people. After seeing the trunk boat and thinking about people that make their dreams happen, I began thinking about all the sponsors I’ve had on this blog. So many have full time jobs and are trying to get their ‘dream’ jobs going on the side. I’m always surprised by business start ups and all that must go into them. Last month one of my sponsors was Muvazi.

I was intrigued by the company. I mean, how does one just go about creating a skin care line? I thought about all the scientific things involved and my head hurt. I asked Tia, the owner, about chasing her dream and making it happen.

” The one thing that always seems to holds us back when we are wanting to follow our dreams is fear. But fear of what?  Generally, it is fear of failure. Once you realize that failure is actually a great learning tool, it becomes less scary. Many successful people have failed before they have succeeded. In fact, they have failed a lot before they finally have become successful. The key is to never give up, and to learn and adjust your plan according to your failures. It is when you stop being scared and really listen to what your experiences are telling you, that things will become clear, and a light shines on the path to your dreams. NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!”

So my mind works in weird ways. A boat in a car trunk makes me think about dreams and failure and having some gumption. I’m not working on writing a book, creating a skin care line or even going fishing. But, there are things I hope to accomplish. Things I’d like to try.

My daughter likes to dance in my shoes. She knows they are too big, but that doesn’t stop her. She dances. She falls. She gets back up. She dances.

So, yeah, I’m thinking about dreams. And dancing. And boats in the trunks of little cars.  I don’t want to be a person that uses excuses or fear to never try something. I want to be a person that dances in shoes that are too big and squeezes a boat in my tiny trunk.