So, in my last post (What’s Your Life Plan?) I gave you a task, to lay out in detail the perfect day, 5 years from now. Now what kinda evil person would I be if I asked you to do something, and not require the same of myself? So here’s a peek into my crazy little brain, as I share with you a lifelong dream/fantasy I have had ever since I can remember. This took me about three minutes to write because, for all of my adult life this exact picture, this exact day, has been what I’ve fantasized of as my perfect life.
This is my lifelong fantasy.
It’s 2016: I am 41, Kanen is 13 and the girls (my twins) are 9 years old.
I’m standing on the balcony of a villa over-looking the Italian countryside. Vineyards stretched out over the rolling hills. It’s a warm summer evening, lavender in the air. I take a slow sip from my glass of wine; inhale the bouquet, let my nose do a little dance, savoring the flavors swirling them around my mouth.
There’s a tall, gorgeous man walking towards me with an open bottle of Barbaresco. He graciously tops off my glass, leans in to kiss my forehead, and rests his hand on the small of my back. We lean against the brick railing, and I smile watching the girls play in the vineyard. They are kicking a soccer ball, trying to score goals against their strong, tall older brother. A few of the neighbor kids are playing too, working up a sweet, shouting soccer plays in Italian. They try to keep the ball from the girls, who are enjoying the competition.
My kids are in Italy! Laughing and saying things like “Ciao” and “Bella.”
I’ve found my bliss. The kind of happiness that glows on the inside, and never stops manifesting itself on the outside. The kind that brings its best friend joy, along for the ride. I am filled with a peaceful calmness I rarely know. I’m not worried, or stressed. My brain is not overwellmed with thoughts of bills because money is no longer an issue. There are no schedules, or emails, text messages, Facebook, or phones.
Nothing but this moment occupies my thoughts. I don’t have to work a 9-5:00 anymore. This is the reward for a lifetime of pain, suffering, struggle and hard work.
Time does not expire here.
We play, we eat amazing food, we cook. We shop in the open-air markets; we drink wine, and sip espresso.
The kids use their Italian to order dinner when we go out to dimly lit restaurants with large Italian grandmothers bringing us plates of meaty pasta. We eat fresh seafood that leathery old fishermen bring off their aging fishing boats. We dip warm freshly baked bread in cold pressed olive oil.
We drive to the Rivera in a sports car, the girls and I with scarfs around our hair like 1940’s movie stars. We stay in brightly colored stucco hotels overlooking the cliffs with the mist of the sea in the air. Drink chilled Champagne. We take the train, go to museums, and sing hymns in ancient cathedrals.
Our minds expand, our knowledge grows.
I feel beautiful, maybe for the first time in my life. I am fit and confident, the result of compleating my first (and only) marathon.
In quiet moments I write. One day I’ll hold a book I wrote in these hands.
This is all the heaven I need.
This is what I hustle for. This is my dream, and one day it will be my reality.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. -Thoreau
Sarah Centrella is the author of the book Hustle Believe Receive which teaches you how to apply the #HBRMethod to change your life and live your dream.
Author | Life Coach | Motivational Speaker and single mama. I'm a chick on a mission to prove anything is possible for ANYONE. My story featured in the New York Times, Steve Harvey Show and NBC.
Good Lord woman I’ve had almost the same vision except the one I see begins in Rome (but without theguy of course ;D). I began writing about it several months ago and I was even thinking about it a couple days ago. Thank you Sarah for reminding me of it. Blessings
Johnny
You got me! And I’m working on making it happen, I know you’ve said it before (not these exact words but same meaning) but a dream without a plan is just a wish that will never come true. So after reading one of your essays earlier this summer I took the time to really figure things out. It was much more difficult than I thought but I now have a plan. The hardest bit was figuring out how to fund the lifestyle I wanted and I think I’ve found a way. It means learning all new stuff (again), taking risks and staying on the plan (i.e. not drifting to spend any new money on frivolous things). I’m at the beginning of my journey and you in part helped get me here. Thanks!! xxx PS did I tell you how attractive you are? Aww shucks . . .
@ John so happy that recharged your dream. Looking at those pictures alone brings me so much gitty joy!
@Mike I’m so happy that you took the time to find out what you really want, that is such an important step and your right most people when they really sit down and try to map it out DONT know what they really want. It’s much harder then it seams.
But HERE is where the magic of the LOA comes in, you DONT need to figure out how you are gonna make this dream happen. I do believe in plans and i do believe in working towards your goals, but it’s the goal and the end result I focus on. The LOA will be the added magic that brings that into your life through opportunities. Thats what gives us the hope to believe that anything is possible, if we dreamed a dream and then it was 100% on us to make it come true it would be very discouraging. So focusing on the end result, knowing it will come when the time is right, continuing to work hard in your life, taking advantage of every importunity presented to you, and the rest is the LOA magic. Because if we rely soly on our “plan” then when our plan falls through (and lets be real it often does) we are devastated and more prone to lose faith and give up. But if we put our focus and intention on the end result, when pieces of our plan fall out we still believe in the end result, we still believe this is happening for a reason and that something else better is trying to shift into place to get us to our dream. Does that make any sense? It SHOULD be a relief. Because your doing all the right things, but you don’t need to stress about the “how” work your plan but don’t put all your intention there, keep it on the big picture.
For example, i have no earthly idea how i’m going to make my dream come true. It’s the equivalent of dreaming i would wake up and BE Angelina Jole, it seems that far fetched in relation to my reality. BUT I believe with UNWAVERING FAITH that I will one day live that dream. So in the mean time I’m gonna work my plan day and night, keeping that end goal in mind, it will keep me focused when things look like they are falling apart. I will take advantage of the opportunities presented to me and I will make it happen. Hope that helps 🙂
I love your enthusiasm and I totally agree with you!! Just because I believe in the “end result” things are falling into place; not in any way that I imagined but its working and it’s almost like someone or something has decided to give me the big push. People and things are coming into my life almost like a great novel don’t want to jinx it but I’m loving it! Relaxing into my destiny one day at a time is the way I put it, And don’t get me wrong it’s hard and I’m scared in so many ways but at the same time I’m determined to be strong and be who I am. And yes you make so much sense I’m so glad I found you!!