I made the big move… and you can do it too!
Early 2005, I was 18 years old. I had a dream. I wanted to move out where the mountains and the ocean were. Still living at my parents in a small Quebec town near Montreal, I was dreaming of that West Coast lifestyle that all of us see in the media.
I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was desperately waitingly for the UBC application response to know if my life was going to change on a dime. As I stressfully opened up the letter, I started reading the depressing news: Rejected!
I didn’t let that stop me, I decided to make a smaller move to Ottawa keeping in mind that one day I will make the move to Beautiful British Columbia. I did everything to get closer to my goal. While studying in Ottawa my girlfriend at the time went on a student exchange, which allowed me to go visit and spend two weeks on the coast. I was hooked. I could feel that I was one step closer to my goal, I could smell the victory.
Fast forward two years, I decided to join the Canadian Forces and luckily I was based in Esquimalt, BC, for a summer while still in university. I felt even closer to the ultimate goal until a girl decided to steal my heart a few months before I could scream victory.
Since there is a girl in every great story, this one is no different. We decided to give our relationship a try making me move to Quebec City going Eastern instead of Western.
After three years of amazing shared moments together, I realized that the Eastern Canadian lifestyle was never going to meet my expectations, aspirations, and dreams. Was I going to wait to have kids, a mortgage, car loans, and other grown up commitments only to wake up at 35 years old with an unaccomplished dream haunting me?
I needed to make a heartbreaking choice. I started weighing pros and cons, trying to see myself in the future, making my life goals and plans; one, three, five, ten, twenty years from now, and what I really wanted my life to be.
I took a leap of faith, trusting that everything was going to be OK and decided to go for the big move. The discussion that I feared so much to have with my girlfriend needed to happen. There was no hiding anymore. I had to man up and leave the boy behind because this was going to be a grown up discussion.
For as long as I can remember, this was by far the hardest thing I ever had to do in life. Leaving someone not because it is not working anymore but because the adventure is calling and deep inside I knew it was the right thing to do.
I have now been in the North Vancouver for about three years living the life that I had envisioned for myself and even more. As challenges and goals are a source of energy for me, I never thought I would go back to school to complete a second degree, build as many friendships as I did, and I sure never thought about owning my own business within only three years of being here.
My goals are very different than they used to be as I have shaped my life the way I wanted it to be. Today I am reaching even higher, and using my full potential to see what else is possible.
Now that you have read my story, I am asking you. What are you afraid of in life? What stops you from taking actions towards building the life you envision for yourself?
I am not going to lie; it is hard. Nothing in life that is worth getting is ever easy to grasp. It needs efforts, reflection, patience, character, and action. But, when you set your mind on something, stop worrying and listening to distractions, things start to shift, and magical changes start taking place.
Now that I have shared my story with you, I would love for you to share yours with me as well. Sharing your story might just be the beginning of your great adventure.
Maxime Charron: Max is a unique individual. He likes to challenge himself and enjoy life by doing what he loves; a day in the mountains hiking, biking, skiing is just as valuable as working on his business with a client on different projects. It doesn’t matter to him as long as he does what he loves and surrounded with positive people. He also aspires to public speaking in corporate sustainability. As giving back to the community is very important to him, he finds time in his busy schedule teaching business basics to elementary school students through Junior Achievement, raising money for the Ride to Conquer Cancer, and do inspirational speaking to high school students. Connect with Max thought his website www.leadingahead.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
