So, the Worldwide Watson tribe has been on this adventure for a little over a month. While we’ve had our moments like this…

(replacing “pancreas” with “ox tongue” or “frog legs”, if you want to be accurate)

…overall, yes, this has been pretty cool.

Here’s the thing:

We. Are. Not. Anything. Special.

No kidding.  If I hear one more “I could never do that myself!” I might just have to get out my chancla and smack some sense into people.

I recently got an email from Paula of Afford Anything, and two parts really stood out as having been a part of our process to get to where we are, figuratively and literally:

1. We can’t afford EVERYTHING, but we can afford anything.  Here’s the way she puts it:
   

   Don’t tell me your values. Show me how you spend your money, and I’ll know what you value.  Don’t tell me, for example, that you “can’t afford” to travel the globe or invest for retirement if you’re simultaneously buying nice clothes and hitting the bars.  There’s nothing wrong with clothes and bars if it’s a deliberate, conscious choice, and you’re cool with the trade-offs. But don’t claim that bigger goals are out-of-reach. You’re the master of the bills that escape your wallet. Spend with your eyes open.  Don’t utter, “I can’t afford it,” without asking yourself: “How did I afford a decent car, restaurant dining and an iPad?”

   
   Maybe you really value having a new car – awesome!  Or travel isn’t your thing, but having the money to attend yearly family reunions is important to you – thumbs up!

   We at Worldwide Watsons made very deliberate choices to be able to do this year, which meant some things got left by the wayside.  Goodbye, YMCA membership, T-Mobile phone plan, Netflix, field trips, milk and cereal, and familiar home!

   In exchange, we’ve gained new sights to see…

   

   Devil’s Tower, WY (this MEANS something…)

   …new foods to eat…

   

   Sampling the day’s offerings while waiting to leave port in Alaska

   …field trips we previously could only imagine (or see in the movies)…

   

   walking down Cannon Beach, OR

   …and shared experiences that will stay with us for a lifetime.

   

   Crater Lake lunch break

    

2.  We challenged our ideas of what was possible.Again, here’s Paula:
   

   With the exception of, say, colonizing Jupiter or understanding why Celine Dion is so popular, you can accomplish pretty much anything.  It won’t be easy. It won’t be fast. But you can make sh*t happen.  Start a fist-fight with your limiting beliefs. Instead of saying “I can’t,” or even asking “Can I?” (with the implication that the answer is no), start phrasing your questions with, “How can I?”

Want to make changes in your life?  Surround yourself with people who have done the same – or who are doing it right now (and blogging about it 😉 ).  For years, I’ve been reading blogs of travelers, digital nomads, adventurers – especially those doing it with children.  My “there’s no way we could ever do that” slowly evolved into “I wonder if we could do that” and eventually to “I think we can do that, maybe even in the near future.”

The next time you finding yourself saying “I wish I could…”, challenge yourself.  Why can’t you?  Is it time, money, circumstance?  What portion of that dream could you do now or soon?  What would it take to get yourself there?  Then, go out and find people who ARE doing it.  Learn from them.  Sort out what would work for you and what wouldn’t.  Maybe take a risk or two.  🙂

Yes, it’s true: you might never get there, wherever or whatever “there” is for you.

Then again, you just might.

Would you like to find out?