In the grand scheme of things, my grand schemes seem fairly insignificant. In a global sense it's easy to feel as if my life counts for nothing, or at most, counts for little.
I've had several earnest people tell me in no uncertain terms that I was wasting my life as I sailed around the world on my yacht, and I can understand why they felt that way. Those people thought I was on a prolonged vacation, and they didn't understand that I was making a life and doing things that were important to me.
They couldn't see that I was giving my children a multicultural experience that made them into citizens of the world.
We didn't just sail around the world, we sailed around the world as a family.
In the age of single parent families we were doing things the old fashioned way - we were a real deal family unit in which every person on board had responsibilities that contributed to a safe voyage.
My children survived without cell phones and a dreaded peer group to complicate their lives, and they grew up to be good citizens of the world who actually cared about other people - even people from the third world.
During that eleven year voyage, I maintained the yacht, wrote five books, started three web sites, and paid for my children's college education. There weren't enough hours in a day to do all the important things that demanded my attention.
Now that I have sailed around the world, I can finally take a real vacation from all of that work. A long time ago I learned that what other people think of me is none of my business, and I focused on doing what was important to me.
Life is an inside job that works best when I start from the inside and work my way out.
When someone tells me that I shouldn't be doing things that are important to me, and that I'm wasting my life, they are really saying that my dreams don't count in their scheme of things. My dreams aren't important, and instead, I should live dreams that make sense to them.
These people are Outside-Inners because they are taking their outside dreams and trying to cram them down my throat, and that doesn't work. It's the recipe for anger and frustration, and is a terrible way to make a life.
In the grand scheme of things, my grand schemes are supremely important to me and to me alone.
I have a choice. I can either live my dreams, not worrying about what other people think, or I can forget my dreams, and let them wither.
If I do that, my spirit will wither as well.
Joy will no longer spring up in my heart, and each step I take will echo the dull thud of dread I feel in my heart that results from not living my dreams.
The handwriting is on the wall, and the message is clear.
There is simply nothing more important than living my dreams.
Even if I don't rock the world, I can still rock my world and that's what counts.
Someone much smarter than me said, "What you do isn't important, but it's important that you do it."
Those words have the ring of truth, and you can build your life on them.
So fire up your dream machine and have a few grand schemes of your own, because that's why you're here on planet earth.
God gave you the capacity to dream, and He gave you a lifetime to make those dreams come true.
Please excuse me. I must go now because it's time to work on my grand schemes.
Awesome music video that captures the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. David Abbott from Too Many Drummers sings the vocals, and he also edited the footage from our Red Sea adventures. This is the theme song from the Red Sea Chronicles.
Sailing up the Red Sea is not for the faint of heart. From the Bab al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, adventures and adversity are in abundance. If you take things too seriously, you just might get the Red Sea Blues.
If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.
Flying fish assault Exit Only in the middle of the night as we sail through the Arabian Gulf from the Maldives to Oman. And so begins our Red Sea adventures.
Sailing through Pirate Alley between Yemen and Somalia involves calculated risk. It may not be Russian Roulette, but it is a bit of a worry. Follow Team Maxing Out as they navigate through Pirate Alley.
Stopping in Yemen was just what the doctor ordered. We refueled, repaired our alternator, and we made friends with our gracious Yemeni hosts. We also went to Baskins Robbins as a reward for surviving Pirate Alley.
After you survive Pirate Alley, you must sail through the Gate of Sorrows (Bab Al Mandab) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Gate of Sorrows lived up to its name with fifty knots of wind and a sandstorm that pummeled Exit Only for two days. Life is good.
Although I like the feel of a paper book in my hand, I love trees even more. When people purchase an eBook, they actually save trees and save money as well. Ebooks are less expensive and have no negative impact on the environment. All of Dr. Dave's books are available at Save A Tree Bookstore. Visit the bookstore today and start putting good things into your mind. It's easy to fill your mind with positive things using eBooks. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pull out your smart phone or tablet and start reading. You can even use electronic highlighters and make annotations in your eBooks just like paper books.
