I swear I feel most inspired to write when I travel.
Maybe it’s because I grew up dirt poor and traveling meant something entirely different. As a kid we’d pile into whatever beat-up old station wagon we had at the time. My dad had spent all week; day and night under its hood covered in grease, in hopes we would not spend the majority of our trip on the side the road. That was the extent of our traveling, long ill planned road trips. We’d usually leave late at night, make-shift beds in the back (who needs a seat belt?), peanut butter and honey sandwiches packed in the cooler and off we’d go into the night. I’d always be on keep Dad awake and out of the ditch duty. I was the responsible kid, the one afraid something would go array…
I’d see Dad veering over the lane, and quietly at first, so as not to wake the rest of the sleeping car, say “Dad? Daaad? DAD!? You ok? You awake? Cuz your kinda in the other lane!” He’d make this quick sighing/snorting/startled sound and reply “yep! Yep! I’m good. I’m awake”. I’d repeat the process every 15-20 minutes, while everyone else snored away.
Between wake up calls, I’d stare out my window; my face stuck to the cold glass and watch the stars. I’d wonder what life was like out there. What the world looked like. What I would be when I got big. I’d day
dream elaborate movies in my mind. Someday I’d be a famous singer; I pictured every detail… the crowd, the songs, the stage, the lights, hitting the high notes. I practiced my speeches like reel tape in my mind, who’d I’d thank at the Awards show, when I made my acceptance speech.
dream elaborate movies in my mind. Someday I’d be a famous singer; I pictured every detail… the crowd, the songs, the stage, the lights, hitting the high notes. I practiced my speeches like reel tape in my mind, who’d I’d thank at the Awards show, when I made my acceptance speech.
I wondered what it was like to fly on an airplane.
To walk the sidewalks of a crowded city, what it would smell like, sound like. I had never seen much of the world first hand and we weren’t allowed to watch TV. But somehow I just knew it was big, shinny, and amazing.
Inevitably we’d end up broken down on the side of a desolate strip of highway, dark and scary. My dad would get back under the hood, and I’d hold the flashlight at the problem area. Steam escaping every conceivable exit like a bees nest kicked by an angry kid. Or I’d shine it on the lug-nuts when he’d change the flat tire, everyone in the car trying to hold still as he jacked it up on one side.
Most of the time we would have enough money for gas to make it to our destination, but the return trip was always left in God’s hands, and the hands of faith. “God will provide” my mom was famous for saying. But we believed that without question there would be a way, and all would be ok, and it always was. It was an unpredictable adventure, that much we knew to expect.
Real travel, the kind people do when they take a “vacation” was something I had never
experienced until my honeymoon. Growing up poor, the idea to take a vacation never even entered my vocabulary. That was something only rich people did. I dint know anyone who took a vacation.
Hell I didn’t even know what one was!
experienced until my honeymoon. Growing up poor, the idea to take a vacation never even entered my vocabulary. That was something only rich people did. I dint know anyone who took a vacation.
Hell I didn’t even know what one was!
So now, though I am surly NOT rich by even the most active imaginations standards, I am faith and
belief rich like my family was so long ago.
belief rich like my family was so long ago.
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| My Vision Board w/ pic of Ravens Stadium lower left |
Now I KNOW that anything is possible.
I dream the big dream and then I let it go, KNOWING in a state of expectancy that it will come true when the time is right.
I made a commitment to myself and my son 2 years ago that the two of us would plan and take a vacation alone together every year. We rarely get alone time, so this would be our annual quality time, just him and me. We put up our plan/goal on my Future Board and we visualize it, and talked about it constantly, about how awesome it will be when it happens. We talk about every detail, what we’ll do, what we’ll see, what pictures we want to take. We go on YouTube and watch videos to get us excited. We look at maps and plan our activities, all the while knowing that from the looks of it, this is the most ridiculous thing imaginable.
The “how” does not exist. I could never figure out the “how”. It would stress me out to no end. I’d feel like a failure because I’d try to make it happen and then I’d fall short and feel like I failed him. So we
don’t worry or talk about the “how”. I just reassure him that IT WILL happen, and when it does it will be everything we dreamed of and more. That is good enough for him and we get right back to planning our dream.
don’t worry or talk about the “how”. I just reassure him that IT WILL happen, and when it does it will be everything we dreamed of and more. That is good enough for him and we get right back to planning our dream.
Last year magic happened at the last minute when the trip I’d been hoping to take him on to Disney World (our first vacation together) fell through because flights were too expensive. Not willing to give up on our dream for a vacation that we would fit in my meager budget, I stumbled upon flights to Hawaii that were basically free with my miles. Then did the same for the little Bed and Breakfast we stayed at while there for $40 a night. We had the most amazing trip, 7 days just him and me exploring Maui. We both left that trip believing that magic was alive and well, everything just fell into place without any effort or worry, it literately came to me. I wanted it, envisioned it, and it showed up.
When we got home from Hawaii last year, we picked our next dream vacation… Washington DC and an FNL Baltimore Raven’s home game. Up it went on the Future Board. Again the “how” was beyond me. But I didn’t care. Then this last 8 months took place, nothing but disaster after disaster. Two layoffs in 6 weeks, then our house flooding, then back to work then recently another lay off. It seems sooooo out of the question.
But we still believed.
Then through my Success Coaching I was introduced to the former starting quarterback for the Ravens, and became great friends, he let me know should we ever make it to Baltimore that the tickets were taken care of. It’s amazing how Hustle.Believe.Receive. brings it all to you!
We’d said last year we wanted to go in October so for fun, one day in August I looked up the game schedule and flights. I was beyond shocked to see only 2 seats left for 25,000 miles each. I have never seen cross country round-trip flights for that low of miles. I had 51,000 Alaska Air miles saved up.
Right then and there I booked our free flights!
Right then and there I booked our free flights!
A friend who works in the hotel industry offered up her employee discount for our hotel stay and just like that the entire trip was taken care of. Like MAGIC.
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| Kanen boarding our flight to Baltimore |
So I’m sitting next to my son, who’s watching SpongeBob SquarePants (god I hate that show!) on his mini TV in the head-rest of the seat in front of him, periodically staring out the window at the puzzle below, as I write. He’s excitement at the Utah airport magazine shop was legendary! He just
kept saying “this is so amazing! I’ve never been here before!” I can’t help but glow just a little. I love seeing him this excited.
He squeezed my hand while we lifted off in Portland, but
informed me that now he’s “too old to do that” when we took off from our layover in Utah (sigh).
informed me that now he’s “too old to do that” when we took off from our layover in Utah (sigh).
We are in route to Baltimore. I’ve always wanted to come to
DC, and this will be my first time. Who better to go on this adventure with then my boy. I’ve envisioned a picture on my desk of us in front of the White House, and him next to the statue of Lincoln. Pictures of us decked out in ourRaven’s gear, screaming like maniacs. It’s finally here!
DC, and this will be my first time. Who better to go on this adventure with then my boy. I’ve envisioned a picture on my desk of us in front of the White House, and him next to the statue of Lincoln. Pictures of us decked out in ourRaven’s gear, screaming like maniacs. It’s finally here!
Let me remind each of you, that it is NOT your job to understand HOW your dreams will come true. It is your JOB to dream them.
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| Our hotel in DC |
Once you have defined that dream, you know EXACTLY what it
looks like, then your homework is to tell yourself that it WILL COME TRUE. Period.
END OF STORY.
You tell yourself that every single day. You lie a little
lie to your brain, and tell it “duhh, of course this is what’s going to happen, and when it does this is what it will look and feel like.” You live in a state of utter expectancy. In other words, you tell
yourself it will happen sooooo much, that you slowly begin to believe that it will. And when you believe, then you have faith (which is in my opinion the unconditional part of belief), and in that state of faith without worry you will be shocked how quickly and accurately your
dream will show up.
lie to your brain, and tell it “duhh, of course this is what’s going to happen, and when it does this is what it will look and feel like.” You live in a state of utter expectancy. In other words, you tell
yourself it will happen sooooo much, that you slowly begin to believe that it will. And when you believe, then you have faith (which is in my opinion the unconditional part of belief), and in that state of faith without worry you will be shocked how quickly and accurately your
dream will show up.
The ONLY thing in your life, the ONLY THING IN YOUR LIFE that is limiting you, or holding you back right now… is your inability to dream it.
So throw out reality.
Throw out logic.
Throw out what YOU believed was possible for you.
Knock down the wall between what you believed was possible for YOU and what you believe is possible for the “lucky, rich, famous, successful”. Tear down that barrier. As soon as you do that…. Oh man…. Shit gonna change my friend!!!
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| Me in Georgetown with my favorite word… |
“I believe that nothing is impossible to the person who backs desire with enduring faith.”
-Napoleon Hill
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.
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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.
Hi Sarah ,
What an inspiring post and i am getting major goosebumps while i am typing this :)I don’t know how this happens but whenever i need to read something I automatically come across it and this post was something which i needed to READ big time 🙂 I so loved this
The ONLY thing in your life, the ONLY THING IN YOUR LIFE that is limiting you, or holding you back right now… is your inability to dream it. …………..and yes i am definetely throwing out logic 🙂 Thanks a ton 🙂 Have Fun 🙂
Love ,
Divya
Lovely article sarah !!!! thanks for sharing it gives such a boast to live all over again and dream big .. lovely
Thanks so much you guys. My goal is to prove that anyone can create whatever life you chose for yourself regardless of circumstances. You really can live your dream.