Update from Leah

This week three years ago, I went on a trip that, little did I know, would end up being one of the most important trips of my life, for two reasons.

The trip was to the Canary Islands of Spain, followed by Barcelona, with my then-boyfriend (now husband). We went to the Canary Islands to see my dad off. He embarked on a TransAtlantic sailing trip from there to St. Lucia- the same path as Christopher Columbus!

After he left, Adam and I went to Barcelona to spend Thanksgiving there.

This trip changed my life because…

1- It was one of the last times I ever saw my dad. While waving away at my dad’s sailboat as he departed the Canary Islands, I had no idea it would be one of the last times I would ever see him.

2- It was when I made a commitment to my side hustle. I had my first experience making money from my side hustle while traveling in Barcelona and was ready to get used to it. I made a promise to myself to return to the States and do whatever it takes to get my side hustle to be my full-time job. I gave myself a year window.

Both of these important memories taught me the same important lesson: you have to take the opportunities life gives you, even (and especially) when they scare you.

I nearly didn’t go to the Canary Islands at all because it wasn’t the responsible thing to do. I was making a nonprofit salary. Spending on a trip to Spain wasn’t exactly a responsible financial move. But if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t have seen my dad, who unexpectedly passed away just four months later.

When I returned to the States, I started learning about some entrepreneurship programs that I knew could help me. But again, joining them wasn’t exactly a responsible financial move. However, I remembered the commitment I made to myself and knew time was my most valuable asset. If I didn’t start investing in my business then, I wouldn’t have been self-employed and making $10k per month by the next Thanksgiving.
In short, the lesson is to take the opportunities that tug at your heartstrings. You don’t have to always have all the resources or reasons. And, if you constantly wait for all the resources to make decisions, you’ll miss out on so much that life is offering you.

It comes full circle that I learned this lesson on this trip seeing my dad. He himself was a living example of how true this lesson is, and he was teaching it to me there in Spain. Watching him embark on a sailing adventure was him pursuing an opportunity even with so many reasons why it was a “bad” idea. He was a moderate sailor at best, he barely knew the crew he met (story for another time), he had a (supportive, but nonetheless) wife at home, and a job that he had to manage to leave for multiple weeks.

But it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. So he didn’t.

Life is short. Don’t wait for all the pieces to fit together. Make your own opportunity- you don’t know how precious it can be to do so!

Sharing my story, and his, I hope it encourages you to pursue an opportunity today, even if all the resources and reasons aren’t apparent yet. They’ll appear. Believe in yourself!