I pass along your article to people I know and meet from time to time (doing so now). We have a sustainable community (Finca Las Brisas) as it turns out over in the Samara area near you in Nosara. Our project manager on-site has met you and tells us that you have a great place. Anyway, I thought I would just say hello and that I appreciate your message.

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Many of you have contacted me directly via e-mail to share your dreams, and your barriers to reaching them. A common theme to the barriers is not having all the answers, not knowing how it would all work–money-wise, job-wise, logistics-wise.

Recently a reporter asked me, “What did it take to go from suburbs to jungle?” Well, it took lots of things. But I think she was really asking me, “What did it take WITHIN YOU?” And the answer is: it took stepping off into the unknown.

You simply can’t have all aspects of your dream figured out before you do it; it just doesn’t work like that. You will cripple yourself with “paralysis by analysis.” You will find so many roadblocks that it will never happen. At the very least, you’ll limit your dream by putting formed parameters around it and thus block the flow of energy that opens to possibilities you haven’t even conceived of!

The rationale for stepping off into the unknown is very difficult to explain or convince others of trying. Interestingly, most people assume the ability to do it has to do with having money, and lots of it. In fact, money has little or nothing to do with it. Most people I know with money are incredibly trapped by it because they fear loosing it and thus need to do everything in their power to keep it.

Stepping off into the unknown has to do with a state of mind. Or rather, a state of Being. I recently found a quote while re-reading Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” this week. When I read it, it explained to me the state of Being that allowed me to make the move, even though I did not know exactly what we’d be doing in Costa Rica to make a living or how it would all turn out (and STILL don’t, because it’s not over!). I offer it here to you; see if it resonates:

“When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life. It means fear is no longer a dominant factor in what you do and no longer prevents you from taking action to initiate change. The Roman philosopher Tacitus rightly observed that ‘the desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.’ If change is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness and creativity.”

We are strong, powerful, intelligent women. We are trained that it’s powerful to have the answers. To not have the answers signals weakness. But it’s NOT, especially when it comes to manifesting your dream. In what is perhaps a paradoxical truth, you need to be willing to step into uncertainty in order for the answers to come for how your dream is going to work.

Also in Tolle’s book this past week I came across an entire passage on the aspect of joy, including this quote which astounded me, given that I was invited to “Let in the joy”:

“Joy is the dynamic aspect of Being. When the creative power of the universe becomes conscious of itself, it manifests as joy. You don’t have to wait for something ‘meaningful’ to come into your life so you can finally enjoy what you do. There is more meaning in joy than you will ever need. The ‘waiting to start living’ syndrome is one of the most common delusions of the unconscious state.”

When the voice said to, “Let in the joy,” I believe that translated somewhere deep within me as, “Open to the unkown.”

Many people are choosing to view the current world economic situation as an opportunity to step into the unknown. I’ve read several articles about people who’ve lost their jobs deciding that, instead of looking at it as disaster, to view it as a chance to do something else. Something they’ve always wanted to or neglected to do. This is a time of great fear for some and great opportunity for others.

If a dream is calling you, if this article is resonating with you, I invite you to make the leap. Come on in–the unknown’s fine!

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What a surprise to hear from you! Sounds like a great quest you have set forth. Adventure is the spice of life, in my book!

Give my regards to Milwaukee and that sweet spot of Wildwood Ave. where we were living when all three of our boys were born.

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This is your former neighbor on Wildwood Ave. (recently named a “sweet spot” of neighborhoods in Milwaukee magazine BTW) Joe, Patricia and I are in Alajuela ready to fly home tommorow after a week here. I mentioned to Joe that I remembered that you guys had moved to CR and we found your web sites. Very interesting………..my quest may be to re-gain the spirit of adventure and courage that led me here in 1973 as an exchange student in the central valley with a coffee grower’s family. We visited with them today after driving up from Jaco. I have admired your writing projects from Outpost Exchange, etc.

Best wishes in San Jose!

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I remember when I was more in a place like you describe here. I knew I wasn’t fulfilled, but I wasn’t sure yet what I needed to do to feel otherwise. A wise physician friend said, “You need a quest.” To me, a quest is different than a dream. To me, a quest signifies a challenge, an exploration, an adventure. Delving into yoga, learning about alternative health practices that I used personally and also wrote about–this became the quest. While questing, my dream started to take shape.

Everything is a step on the journey! Recognizing that you’re not happy is a great first step. Exploring a practice like yoga is another excellent step. Don’t worry if you didn’t go to class yesterday, or last week, or last year. You can go today! As the Chinese proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Congratulations on getting your journey underway!

Maggie

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I recently started practicing yoga. It took me a long time. There were so many days that I should have gone to a class after work but didn’t because I had a long day, or there was laundry to do, or I had to get up early for a meeting, or “insert excuse here”. I’m glad I finally went and found something that just makes my mind relax, if only for a short time.

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Maggie

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Thank you for sharing your comments and your story. You have set the goal–that is such an important step! You have a vision for what you want your life to look like. I wish you all the best in manifesting your dream!

Maggie

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