Denying Your Dreams in the Name of Practicality?

"So many of us choose a path [in life] out of fear, disguised as practicality." 

Be practical. 

That's the statement I'd hear in my head whenever I'd consider leaving my full-time, tenured position with full benefits to stay home with my kids.  

"So you want to be home with your kids...is it really practical to leave your career to do so?"

"I mean, you went through 6 years of college in order to get a job just like this one," my practical brain reminded me. "Have you seen CNN lately? The economy is $h*t. Your husband won't be able to find another job right now. Get your head out of the clouds. You know how many people want to stay home with their kids, but don't? Can't? It's completely impractical. You have the weekends and the evenings with them. Work like the rest of the world, and quit dreaming irresponsibly."

And so the conversation went for 4 years, while I cried or desperately whispered prayers each day on the drive in to work, and crawled home each night, completely stressed out, with zero energy left in my tank to share with my family.

What's the opposite of a life denying its dreams in the name of practicality? 

A life motivated by love, making decisions from a heart full of passion. 

You see, the opposite of a life motivated by love is one motivated by fear. I was so afraid to leave the comforts of what I knew (a job I hated) because I was afraid of the multitude of tragedies that lay on the other side of that coin.

Starvation?

Medical emergency with no insurance?

Failure? What if this doesn't work out?

Ego? Who am I without this career?

House Foreclosure?

I have to say that it was my faith and a few very dear friends who gave me the courage to say yes to the impossible and most definitely impractical.

Somehow, amidst all the wrong decisions I've ever made in life, amongst all the times I chose fear instead of courage, I got this right. This one time. 

And it saved my life. 

I quit in August of 2013 and I haven't looked back since. I had to take that first step into this life, the life I wanted, in order for it to unfold before me.  Some people call it a step of faith. 

Sometimes the thing you've been wanting requires you to step out first and then receive, instead of receiving before you step. I wish I knew why. I can only guess life is sweeter that way.

I hope you've got a minute to watch this video. I hope it motivates you to dream irresponsibly & listen to your heart, if only this one time, because that's all it takes to get unstuck and really start living.