Just back last night from two days of skiing in New York State. Anyone who lives in Southern Ontario or environs knows that the last few days have not been exactly dream conditions for skiers. We’ve had a nice white Christmas with an early snowfall but the last week has been marked by rain, freezing rain, high winds and seemingly ceaseless drizzle. But, this past fall I set an intention, voiced a dream, that I would ski much, much more than I had in the winter of 2008. So, I went ahead and booked the B&B, corralled my two teenage girls into ditching their friends for two days and roused us all at 6am on Sunday morning. We’d packed up the the night before so we ate a quick breakfast, piled into the car and backed out of the garage – into pouring rain.
Now, this is where Dreamstepping comes in. Both the girls were moaning, even I had an escapee thought that went something like this…”What are you, NUTS? It’s pouring rain!” The evening before my once and future fiance had laughed at my optimism and suggested I create an alternate plan. And yet, here we were. Blasting through the downpour, with a car full of ski gear and nothing but the dream of a couple of fun filled days on the slopes. Two hours to the border, pouring rain; The US Customs agent asks the purpose for our trip. ‘We’re going skiing’ says I, jerking a thumb to the gear poking through the split seat from the trunk. ‘Good Luck with that.’ he smirks handing back our passports.
Oh ye of little faith.
This is one of the many transitions where we allow fear to stop us, the transition from the plan that materializes shortly after we voice our dream, to putting that plan into action. And, it seems like we’re bailing on the plan for such good reasons. Really, seriously, it’s POURING rain and it has been for the past two hours. In fact, according to the customs agent, it has been raining for the past 4 days! Nobody in their right mind would continue on this foolhardy mission. But fear is the only thing really that is stopping us. Fear that it won’t turn out like we hoped. So, I didn’t let fear stop us…here we go, down I 190, to I90 to hwy 219, pouring all the way.
And as we pull through Ellicottville just after 9:30 am we see the first blue sky of the holiday season spreading slowly over the crest of the hill at Holiday Valley. No kidding, in the 10 minutes it took us to drive through town and walk into the ticket counter the clouds had parted, the ever present wind had all but dried the parking lot and our two days of sunny weather dawned.
Keri, Tricia and I enjoyed two fantastic days of skiing happily skidding through the almost slush of the non-existent lift line to zip back up to the top for run after corn snow run unfettered by crowds. At dinner, we landed a table at the nicest restaurant in town because everyone stayed home these past few days leaving us to enjoy our mini dreamed up vacation to the fullest.
At each transition, from the dream, to the voicing of it, to the receiving of the plan, to the acting on the plan, to the enjoyment and gratitude of the dream fulfilled we have to trust, resist the hollering voice of fear from many sides and continue on our course. There’s power in the dream, strength to be build in its pursuit, and all manner of delightful surprises on the path. This is the stuff life; what stories, & memories are made of.
These were two days I will not soon forget, nor will the girls. I’m so grateful we stayed the course!