Some sharks MUST keep swimming in order to keep oxygen-rich water flowing over their gills. One day at the beginning of the year I wrote in my calendar that on April 21st 2018 I would swim with sharks. I honestly think that I was throwing out into the universe my dream to vacation with The Bucket List Family and actually swim with sharks. I did not go swimming with sharks yesterday, but instead brought to fruition a few dreams that I and my husband have been planning for the last four years. A few weeks ago Ryan was talking to me about sharks and that he wanted to be like one. An image of him with sharp pointy teeth swimming with his head swaying back and forth popped into my head. He had explained about how some must keep swimming to survive and he wanted to be just like a shark, he wanted to keep moving forward towards our goals. Ryan and I had predicted that he would be a realtor by September 2017, it did not happen because like life usually does, it gets in the way.
Yesterday I produced and hosted an amazing event at my church. The Woodlands Spring Market was meant to be empowering, inspiring and motivating. I have hosted a few other shopping events but none like this. I organized over 40 shopping vendors to come sell their wares at my church gym and four local business owners to come and speak about their journey of entrepreneurship. I also had planned for dance performers to come and represent their company as well as a martial arts demonstration. Both fell through and an impromptu meet with Elite Yong Li Martial Arts 24 hours prior to our event saved our entertainment portion of the event. We also had some amazing food made by founder and head chef, Wayne Schilleci, of Schilleci’s New Orleans Kitchen. The day was perfect and meant so much to have supportive and positive friends around me.
The best part of the day was that my husband had scheduled his real estate test that day. At first I panicked, only thinking of myself and how I needed him to stay with me to help run the market. I did not have the heart to tell him to reschedule and told him that I was so proud of him and that he was going to kill it! We were already seven months past our predicted due date for this goal and I did not want to postpone it any longer. It was fitting that on this day surrounded by dozens of small businesses and entrepreneurs he had his test that was a gateway to his entrepreneurial dreams.
I snapped this photo before Ryan left to take his test.
Ryan left me around noon, in the middle of my Market, and his test was scheduled at 3:30. He wanted to get a little extra studying in and I supported him 100%. All that day and weeks leading up to his test I ran into friends that were aware of our newest ventures in our lives, yes the whole full-time RV life dream. I told them about Ryan’s test and they met me with hopeful excitement and made sure to wish Ryan good luck via texts and phone calls. All day I excitedly told everyone of the people at the market about his test and to think positive thoughts for him. Before he left he ran into a realtor friend that met him with enthusiastic encouragement. The best part was that on the way to take his test he called his mentor for some last words of wisdom and prayers. They prayed together over the phone and talked double checking his test before submitting.
Ryan said that he studied in the stairwell for two hours. After the test was over he took his paper and waited until he got to the car before he flipped it over. He PASSED! I was so ecstatic when I heard the news and we celebrated with my sister and brother in law. My mom was in town and we all stayed up late chatting and playing dominos.
Today I am just so thankful. I keep looking back on the past three years when we started our goals of living more intentional lives. I kept thinking about how everything happened in perfect timing and not the timing that we had wanted, but the timing that we needed. I myself have a few goals that I have not reached yet. I think my struggle has been that I am placing too much importance on things that do not matter and are not getting me to our true passions. I have a hard time saying No. I’ve been told countless times in the past year through friends, mentors and books that your passion will find you. I know I am meant to have purpose and that I am motivated to leave this world better than how I found it. I not sure what my TRUE passion is, but I know that I am getting closer.
My husband still has a full-time job and I am not sure what our next step is at this moment. I do know that our RV adventure must change in order to accommodate my husband’s newest venture to become a full-time real estate agent. When I do I will write it down and wish it into existence.
