Never sacrifice your dreams.

Sometimes it takes a near-death experience to wake you up!  I have, fortunately had several such moments.  The one that comes to mind is in happened 12 years ago one the Severn River in remote northern Canada. 

I do these crazy fishing trips with three friends every year.  We all meet together at a base camp and load out provisions on a fifty-year old float plane, to be whisked away to an isolated cabin literally in the middle of nowhere.  There is no electricity.  No cell coverage.  No flushing toilet.  No other people around you literally for 100 miles.  Arriving you will find a wooden shack that has makeshift bunks, a kitchen that is run on propane gas, small dented metal boats, and an outhouse that’s 50 yards away from the house.  That’s it.   If you don’t bring something along, you’re not going to find it.

What you do find is unimaginable beauty masking over a totally unforgiving environment with some of the best fishing in the world!  You are dropped off in a place that requires you plan 5 steps ahead of anything you do.  If you make a mistake you have to depend on your wits and those people with you to get you out.  There is no one else to call.

We discovered an island on the river that had rushing water on all sides with LOTS of fish.  We kept wondering about how the fishing would be further down the past the island and one day decided to brave to rapids to get to it.  That was the easy part.  The decision seemed to pay off as we found a real “honey hole” of fish but after a few hours we had to get back.  The first boat navigated its way up the rapids no problem.  I carefully watched how they did it and I could see the right path.  My friend who was running the boat wouldn’t listen to me and decided to try another route.  The boat was turned sideways, hung on a rock with rushing water with a bottomless pit on the other side.  The only way we could get straight was for one of us to get out to push.  Without hesitation I jumped out, pushed the boat out of danger but there I was, standing alone on a rock with massive rapids going around all sides of me.  If I slipped, I would die.  Period.

At first all I could think of is, “I’ll either be laughing about this tonight or I’ll be a good meal for a bear later.”  The guys in the other boat saw my situation and came back to help.  I was pretty calm.  They were panicked.  After 3 hours of throwing trees and anything else they could find on the ledge where I was stranded, I slowly made my way to safety.

I was never afraid.  Yes, the glimpses of my family and children came, wondering if I’d see them again, but what came out of me most was regret.  Regret that I had not done everything I wanted to do.  Regret that I had let others keep me from exploring opportunities.  Regret that I had not taken more risks for what I wanted most.

Sacrifice your dreams and your dreams become the sacrifice!