You only live once! PLEASE READ!

This life is special.  We are only given one and need to make the most of it.  Too often I have heard stories of people that have strolled through their existence, got to the end of their life and had a lengthy list of 'I wish I had done's'.  I do not want to be one of these people...

Life is all about risks too.  Some of us only take calculated ones, within our safety zones and are content with this.  Not that there is anything wrong with that but I am not one of these people...I want to be someone who lives on the edge, a soppy old cliche but a good one.  I want to strangle life for all it is worth, live with a healthy fear, chase my dreams, inspire people to do what they really want to do.  I don't want to live a life where I am 'ho-hum' happy.  I want to do what I am passionate about, learn, expand my knowledge beyond my brains current existence, seek out the unknown....knowledge is power.

A number of athletes have created a spark in me over the years, leaving their 'amazing careers' and chasing their dreams.  Rich Roll, Dean Karnezes etc.  He probably doesn't realise it but I have also been greatly inspired by my friend Dave who was a School Teacher and had a dream to quit and go have better, more fulfilling life managing a skate shop.  Quality of life...Thanks Dave for being a leader, you are an amazing man and you inspire me to be a better person!    

This also all ties in with my running and my sense of adventure and exploring my limits and unknowns.  Toady's blog however is not about running.  It is about a significant day in my, and my beautiful little families lives. 

For those reading this that don't know all about me, I am currently a Police Officer and have been in this stable, steady career, a good career, for the last four and a half years.  While I do like policing, it has not for sometime been where my passion is.  For the last year to two years I have wanted to change careers but have felt really stuck and felt like there was no way out.  This has really got me down at times and the sense of my responsibility as a father and husband (money earning, job etc) sometimes felt overbearing.  It is a big commitment having a family, mortgage and becoming used to a certain way of living.  But I wanted more.  I wanted to chase my dreams and get out of the comfortable.  Mundane was killing me...

My wife, friends and family are the most amazing people ever.  Some special friends have been incredible and for their support and encouragement I can not thank them enough.  Lori, Jodie, Tanya, Nix, Andrew, Tylana and an array of others, I love you all and thank you!  My family have also encouraged me to go after what I have wanted and we would make it work.  The love and support that Tegan (my wife) has shown over the last year has been above words.  Her support, pushing, care and 'go with the flow' attitude has boggled my mind!  She has sent me beautiful bible verses, encouraging texts and been so cruisy with it all...incredible.  Without her by my side I would never have been able to follow through on my ideas and wouldn't be able to embark on the massive journey that is ahead.  She is my rock and my best friend....thank you Tegan for letting me chase my dreams and live a wild free existence.

So, with this said, today, the 17th of January, 2013, I quit my stable, steady, good job.  I have been accepted into CQU Uni as a full time student in Physiotherapy!  I have a dream of completing my degree, majoring in Sports Rehab and in the future starting my own practise in Sports Rehab with alternative therapy (ie. barefoot practises and combining nutrition programs with rehab). 

This decision and acceptance petrifies the life out of me!  Will I be able to handle the study?  Who knows.  But you know what?  I would rather take the risk and fail spectacularly than not take the risk and wonder 'what if?!  I feel alive!  Á bit of healthy fear is what makes life blip off the constant hum that is mediocrity.  I feel like my swagger is back and I am ready to run forward with my beautiful family on this amazing new journey!  I know there will be haters and people that think I am stupid for doing this, but you know what, I don't care!  Keep your negativity to yourself!  My life's goal is to surround myself with positive inspiring people and I have no time for the haters!  Forks to them!  HA! 

So that is it peeps!  What a day it has been.  I feel a lightness, a smile without a frown of stress and concern.  Life feels free again and I am ready to embark on this incredible freaky adventure!  So, I end with this....if you want to pursue something or chase a dream...DO IT!  Life is too short and full of too many gap fillers to not live the way you want to and chase a vision!  Take a risk, scare yourself and live free!  Life is beautiful, run free!  Love to you all and CAN'T WAIT!!!