Episode # 67 – Why did the chicken cross the road?

You’ve undoubtedly seen this question pass by before, often followed by a humorous answer, but why did the chicken actually cross the road? Why couldn’t he just stay on the same side, flocking with the other chickens, minding his own business? What inspired the chicken to cross the road, step into the unknown, and risk his life by getting hit by an 18-wheeler?

About five years ago, I decided to give up my life as a financial consultant in the Netherlands and find a new one. I sold my company, house, and car; we got rid of most of our personal belongings; my wife quit her job; and we said goodbye to a safe, comfortable, and predictable life, determined to build a new one in a more appropriate environment.

On social media, you see a lot of beautiful travel stories with accompanying pictures, but sometimes a journey can take you into the heart of darkness. It’s not very pleasant when you’re in it, but very rewarding when you’re able to pull yourself out of it and extract the wisdom of that gloomy experience.

After a year of traveling, I returned home feeling defeated, and it took me a while to put myself back together again. Unfortunately, that was short-lived because, pretty soon after that, we were all confronted with a global pandemic. Like many, I was forced to ask myself a few important questions about the future. All those questions led us to leave the Netherlands once again and bring us to Portugal. A little less exciting than our first journey, but an adventurous one nonetheless.

I believe life is too short to flock with the same herd in the same meadow. I know my brain loves the familiar, safe, and predictable option, but I keep feeling the call to adventure and the ticking of the clock. Maybe it’s my age, the time we live in, a spiritual calling, or something I haven’t discovered yet, but the answer to my adventurous endeavors is as simple as the answer to the question why the chicken crossed the road: because he thought it would be better on the other side.

Maybe you find yourself standing on the side of the road, wondering what’s on the other side. If you could choose what’s on the other side, what would it be?
Now imagine you have those thoughts for a reason; wouldn’t you like to find out why you have them? Wouldn’t you like to discover what’s on the other side of the road, just like the chicken?

If you let fear hold you back from crossing the road, the ultimate destination of that fear will be regret.