When I first got involved with Monty Roberts’ training methods I never thought it would lead to re-assessing my entire life! Reading your blog Joe makes me realise that I’m NOT living the dream… I’m sort-of part way there as my husband and I work for ourselves. However, as we need a steady income to pay the bills I have to go out and do programming work which – frankly – I’ve hated for a long time now. Sure, I do a good job and there are occasions where I’ve got into the flow and enjoyed my working day, but on the whole I feel like I’m wasting my life!

Hubby Damien says it’s all a means to an end and that having the money means we can continue to treat ourselves to life’s little luxuries such as having a roof over our heads and eating. In theory it should also provide some treats, like the company of my horses, but as I’ve been ill for some time it feels like all I do is work! I’ve felt so tired that my horses have had to make so with the scraps of my time. Hopefully, the medical problems are now fixed as I’ve had a pretty major operation, but I’m still left with the feeling that life shouldn’t be like this. I don’t expect things to always be easy and I don’t feel that God owes me any favours, but surely this struggle to get through every day means that I’m on the wrong path?

I can *feel* the dream though. Part of it is a country house in the English countryside (probably not far from where I live now) with my horses in the yard and quite possibly roses in the garden. Damien and I will also have the sprog who has been eluding us for the past 5 years!

But how do I live the dream? I’ve picked up so many self-help books like the ones mentioned in your blog in an effort to find a guide, but I only manage to read a few pages as they don’t “speak” to me. I think at heart I’m simply scared (perhaps even terrified!) to take a leap. Like a lot of people I feel that I have a story to write and I keep saying I’ll do it! But in comes good old self-doubt saying things like “You’ll never finish it” or “You’ll never get it published” and even “People might actually read it”.

Your dad gave you a great bit of advice Joe. I think I’m going to take it too and start putting fingers to keyboard in earnest. Will I get published? Who knows? I feel that I have to try. I don’t want to be looking back on my life in the years to come and always wondering why I didn’t follow my dream.

Thank you for stimulating a whole lot of soul-searching this morning! :-)

Catherine.

PS: I love the photo on the cover of your new book – it’s just perfect and fits the title so well.

Unfortunately, mine did. Finally, I had taken all of living his advice I could take, and did start following my dream. 6-1/2 years later, we’re still here, and we’re still pushing forward with our dreams.

Also unfortunately, that advice “of the times” is still still out there and very strongly ensconced in many folks’ minds and hearts. Breaking away from it is hard, but absolutely necessary.

We are blessed, indeed. Thanks for the reminder. I really did need it today.

P.S. “Who Needs Hollywood” came in at our local bookstore, Rock Point Books. I’ll pick it up tomorrow. Looking forward to reading it.