Mexico or Bust!

We were just down in Mexico on the Rivera Maya over the holidays. We intended it as a combination of beach time and a time to research areas we might like to live one day … full time or maybe half the year. Until then, any place we bought would be a rental property / beach getaway.

We weren’t really expecting to buy, and we didn’t get “margarita fever.” We just found a condo that was priced well below its true value, because the owner needs to sell.

Hard to pass up. We took a risk. We acted on a vision we’ve been holding for awhile and we made an offer.

Here’s the thing, and I’m sure you can relate to what we went through. It’s the same for almost everybody when they make a big decision.

There were moments when we could clearly see the value and the potential. We were excited!

And that emotion would alternate with moments where fear of the unknown and visions of all the bad things that could happen would rise up and overwhelm the positive thoughts.

In the end, possibility won out. The vision we’ve been imagining every time we watch House Hunters International and see ourselves retired in a Caribbean location won out when the Universe plopped a wonderful opportunity in our lap! So, we took the leap.

Yes, it was a conscious decision, and we gave the investment thoughtful analysis. But for me, more than anything, it was driven by an intuitive sense that it was the right thing to do … an opportunity being delivered to me because of my intent and vision.

It wasn’t driven by fear of the unknown, or we wouldn’t have done it … because there’s always fear of the unknown. It’s a constant.

Quiz question:

What’s the opposite of positive visualization?

Awfulization. It’s a wonderful word created by family therapist and NLP practitioner, Virginia Satir decades ago. Awfulization involves vividly picturing the worst possible outcomes to your chosen or potential future.

And let me tell you, it’s really easy to awfulize yourself right out of making big decisions and taking decisive and timely action.

Because things can go wrong. Right? A lot of things.

And we’re able to imagine every possible stumbling block and pitfall in 3D Technicolor.

But what about the potential rewards of the action you’re contemplating? How come those don’t merit at least equal weight in our psycho-emotional calculations?

Nobel prize-winning research suggests something really revealing about us humans … people are more wounded by losses than they are elated by gains.

The result? We tend to overweight the negative in our calculus.

And doesn’t that just describe how most of us approach decision-making? We tend to default to playing it safe, even when safety isn’t really an issue and we’d be missing out on great opportunities.

Now, I’m not saying playing it safe is necessarily a bad thing. Far from it. There’s a reason we protect our behinds. We don’t want to lose them. You have to honor that instinct.

But if the reflexive tendency to hesitate and vacillate becomes more than just a tendency … something more than a passing inclination … and instead becomes a way of life, you’ve got problems.

My advice? There are times to just go for something. Don’t hold back. Don’t think too much. Because it’s too easy to awfulize and talk yourself out of taking bold action.

And bold action is what moves you forward … even when it turns out to be a mistake and you have to course correct! Because making mistakes isn’t what derails you. What kills you in life is dithering.

What keeps you from leading a rich life where you fully realize your potential … is holding back.

So, for us, the bold move at this point is buying a condo in another country where we don’t speak the language. It’s Mexico or bust. What is it for you?

What do you need to just do that would constitute a breakout for you … a bold move that takes you beyond the limits of what you’re comfortable with?