By Lauren Schwab

Mark Twain said,

“I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.”

What do you want? The answer should seem simple enough, yet is often disguised by confusion and fear of regret, mistake, or heartache. This can be applied to the simplest and most complex decisions in life. I have found the importance of knowing what you want and going after it will all you soul, mind and strength. Our wants can easily be influenced by the wants of others or unwilling to accept failure as an option.

I often think about what it may have been like for my parents when they first fell in love. Starting out their marriage as a farm boy and city girl with nothing, and praying their love and determination will make the life they dream of. I have come to learn when two dreams become one, there has to be compromise on both parties. Selfishness is not an option unless choosing the option of failure. To be in a relationship and build a farm takes team effort and sacrifice.  I admire my parents for what they turned into something out of nothing. An old farm house built in the 1800’s falling apart and remodeled into the picturesque white house I have called home for the past 25 years of my life.

I imagine back then they were scared. Scared of the unknown and simply making ends meet. Yet they were called to farm and so they found a way to make their calling happen. They could have chosen an easier life, yet they decided they wanted more. More work, more bills and more worries perhaps. Yet more opportunities, more memories with their children and more food to feed the world.

It can be easy to be discouraged by the what if’s and the how’s, but when it comes down to making a life decision for love, for a career, for your children, faith has to be present. Faith in God to allow His will to be done and faith in yourself to do more than you ever thought you were capable of. So what do you want and how do you want it? Do you want life easy and average or do you want it difficult and extraordinary? It’s your decision, just make it, NOW!