My adventure with ostriches taught me two powerful lessons . . . I learned we create our reality and when we believe, we can create anything we want. Even more important, I learned that you can’t live someone else’s dream.
It was over twenty-five years ago that my former husband and I sold everything and bought a hundred acre farm to start an ostrich ranch! We moved from the city to a farm about fifty miles away. I grew up in the city and never thought of myself as living in the country. My husband grew up on a farm and always wanted to move back to the country but couldn’t figure out a way to make money farming. He was a computer programmer and had a good job in the city.
At the state fair a year earlier, he met some people that raised ostriches. It was a fledging industry still in the speculative breeder’s market stage. As with any new venture, if you get in early there is the potential to make a lot of money. At that time, we met some people who had made millions and they believed that the breeder’s market stage would last another ten years. At that time, one ostrich egg was selling for $3,000 and a pair of breeding ostriches was selling for $75,000.
For a year, we researched and finally decided this was something we should do. I could see how happy this made my husband. It could fulfill his dream to be in the country and have a business that could make money. I’ve always been an entrepreneur and I got excited about the business prospects of this new industry. I didn’t realize at the time that this was never my dream. It was always his dream and I made it happen.
We had money to buy the farm but we didn’t have enough money to start the ostrich business. We needed an investor. We sold our paid off home in the city and moved to the farm believing we would find an investor. In my mind, it was so clear. I could see the person who would invest in us. He would be a millionaire who had a fascination with ostriches. But at that time, I didn’t know any millionaires. I believed the picture I saw in my mind even though it was so unrealistic that it could happen. The millionaire finally showed up in my life and he became our investor!
Within three years, the market changed and that $75,000 pair of breeding ostriches was worth $7,500. Ultimately, this dream wasn’t sustainable and we sold everything and moved back to the city. These two lessons were some of the most important things I have learned in my life. First, I know that I can create whatever I want! Second and most important, I know I must live my own dream!
My life is now a continuous amazing Adventure!
