BE A MATCH TO WHAT YOU WANT :: Holidays are not about driving for hours or days to see relatives in Canadian cities. This I can safely conclude having ever only done so. Holidays are about going to a destination completely outside of our usual daily lives (preferably in a warmer climate if it’s winter) than what we’re used to. I’ve never been on a proper holiday and until recently, could not even image myself going on one.
This is a story about a lesson I have learned: Be a match to what you want. Stick with me and see what happened when I did just that.
As a small business owner who has done some very cool things but has struggled financially for a decade, I am absolutely over the moon that the opportunity to take a proper holiday knocked upon my door this summer. This year has the best year in my business ever, and during my best July ever, my friend (and GGN publisher) Shaun Proulx told me about his 2015 party plane excursion to the Dominican Republic, including the excellent rate for the all-inclusive January get-away.
“You have to come,” he said over martinis on a sunny neighbourhood patio.
At the time, money was good and I felt confident that I could actually pull off the spend. I started to look into it.
By the time August rolled around, business tapered off some. I decided that a holiday was too extravagant. I would have to put a trip off until another more resource-rich time.
In September Shaun mentioned the holiday price actually dropped. But I told him no, I just wasn’t comfortable spending that much money; I was freaked out about making a commitment like that to my credit card company.
Time passed. Shaun and I saw each other in October and he teased me about not coming. But by this time, business had picked up. A holiday looked feasible once more. I spoke to the potential roommate about going on the beach holiday. He told me that a week on an island in paradise with nothing to do but to have fun truly forces you to relax.
Relax? This was a foreign concept to me but I liked the sound of it.
Holy snow dump #Toronto! Who’s up for 7 nights in paradise? https://t.co/WDCokAcRkh
— Shaun Proulx (@ShaunProulx) December 11, 2014
As I listened to what this veteran holiday-taker had to say about spending time in the Caribbean. I looked online at pictures of the Dominican Republic and the resort we’d stay at.
I was overwhelmed; tears came to my eyes.
“Yes, I’m going,” I finally said.
Once I made that decision, it was as though the Universe heard, “Okay, she’s committed, let’s make this happen”.
Since then business has been reliably steady. There is enough money coming in that I can pay off the trip before I even get there, and there is no stress associated with my decision. It still doesn’t feel real, but it is a wonderful goal to reach for. Instead of living in financial fear, I am focused on this amazing January trip that is sure to take my breath away and give my brain a long-needed rest.
Now that I’ve said yes, I’ve watched things change in my favour. To say yes makes the wheels turn and sets good intentions in motion. To say yes has put me and my well-being in the spotlight. To say yes is to close your eyes and run toward a glimmering light that promises only good things.
I can’t wait. I am so lucky to be able to do this that I can’t believe it’s happening. Now that the passport is being processed, the only thing I have to worry about is finding the perfect swim suit.
– Leah Morrigan is a men’s image consultant who has written on the subject of moobs for GGN in the past.
– This post was originally published in 2014.
