A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about themselves, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation with life changing results.
Far from home, on a beautiful, sunny August afternoon, under an old Horse Chestnut tree in the small sleepy town of Margaretsville, Nova Scotia, I sit here reflecting on my journey thus far. Song birds sing melodically above while a gentle, cool breeze passes through the trees across the Bay of Fundy; I am grateful for the serenity and clarity I am able to experience here.
I committed to myself that I was going to capture some of the clarity that has come to me from a journey that has taken me across the continent from Alberta to Nova Scotia. A journey that by no means is over, in fact, it is just getting started. The decisions resulting from this journey will likely shape the rest of my life with major impacts to my life - this is both exciting and scary at the same time!
It can be hard most of the time to leave that comfort zone and venture out into the unknown, but I find myself more and more drawn to poking the beast and the beast is more friendly than I would have expected; in fact, I would venture to say we are on the verge of becoming friends.
The incessant ticking of the clock in the back of my head telling me, "you only have so much time to get it all done - life is short" has always driven me to try harder and do better. Pushing ahead, making money, promotions, paying mortgages, buying cars and toys only to satisfy society's label to redeem myself as successful and show the world I have done something with my life. I have always said, I don't care what other people think, but really, deep down, as much as I don't want to admit it, "I do". I want to be respected and taken seriously and want people to recognize and appreciate my accomplishments, experience and knowledge. And what better way to show this than to live in a big house in a prominent neighbourhood and drive an expensive car, even if you have to leverage everything and compromise your lifestyle to do it.
My departure from thinking in line with societal norms began quite a few years ago, but I took no action and repressed those thoughts as it was uncomfortable to consider any change in direction. It's a simple equation really; no action = no change.
As time passed, I felt myself less satisfied with the things that I used to find rewarding and more joy and pleasure in the most simple things.
I am very lucky to have found a partner in this life that shares the same values and lust for life that I do. Together we are a collective force. We have slowly refined and evolved our principles and morales and passed them on to our children so they can share the same passion for living as we do.
As part of our evolution as individuals/a couple, we have realized that we have always let careers and jobs dictate where and how we lived - we have not made the decisions for where and how we live based on what is most desirable or important to us as people from a values or cultural perspective; we focused on the best opportunity to make money and advance our careers. This was a sobering thought for me as I had always fooled myself into believing that I was putting my family first.
As we evolved as a family, we had a strong yearning to travel and see the world and we stepped further out of our comfort zones to slowly refine what it is we were really looking for in our lives.
Venturing out and seeing other regions, locations, cultures and perspectives allows a person to really see the bigger picture and also see where you fit in or don't fit in. Our children began to feel strongly about the same things we did and were more vocal and passionate about wanting to live a life that more closely reflects our values as a family. I felt that if I want to be a good role model for them, I better start walking the talk.
So why am I sitting under this tree in a quaint, little Nova Scotia town on the Bay of Fundy?
To eliminate all the noise of the daily grind and really try to understand what is important in my life. To disconnect, focus and understand what drives my family and I and what fills our bucket of fulfillment.
This Pilgrimage has thus far allowed me to understand those things which I truly appreciate in life and wish to focus on versus those things that take up space in my life and add no value.
If I can provide any insight from our adventures, travels and life experiences leading up to this moment, it would be that you should follow your internal compass and do what "feels" right, not what seems logical or practical by society's standards.
This is the best road map to lead you to a future of fulfillment and happiness!
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
Chinese proverb
Now go and seize the future that belongs to you! Don't let it slip away. Safe travels wherever your journey takes you!
All the best,
Aaron
Live Your Story Crew
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