ep035 - Allison Deppenbrock Captain of Her Dreams

Some of our dreams are unusual in the eyes of other people. The dream Allison Deppenbrock pursued is not something most people would even consider, much less accomplish. She’s achieved a very unique endeavor. 

Allison went to Bayou la Batre (home of Forrest Gump’s shrimping business, Bubba Gump) to attend sea school so she could become a certified boat captain—one of few females who’ve done so. She and her husband wanted to navigate educational vessels for families and children in their home state of Kentucky. 

For fourteen long, intense days, surrounded by twenty-six male sailors who Allison says fit the stereotype well, she studied. Classes lasted twelve hours each day, where she learned to read charts, memorize flags, and reviewed every detail of a boat’s anatomy. Then she crammed for tests at night, going over the specifics again, leaving room for an average of four hours sleep a night.

 

Tenacity, perseverance, resolve, and commitment were necessities, as Allison pursued this unusual dream. She said, “I had to work it, and I had to work it hard. There were many times I wanted to quit. There were challenges at home, flooding, a dear friend passed, and being the only woman added to the pressure. But I just prayed and prayed and prayed, and pushed through.”

If you’ve tended any dream for any length of time, you already know the qualities and mindset Allison demonstrated are necessary for you as well. You have to dig deep to keep making the efforts to succeed.

Dream tending requires practical steps, mental fortitude, emotional stability, but you can’t miss the spiritual aspect. It’s like a three-legged stool, if the spiritual leg is broken, the whole piece falls down. We need to make sure our spirits are cared for in the pursuits of our heart’s desires.

Support is another crucial part of dream tending. When we have another human being in our lives who gets it, who gets us, can help us keep putting one foot in front of the other. Knowing someone is rooting for us, can drive us forward.

 

Filling Needs:

Are you allowing yourself to opt out versus pushing yourself forward? Have you decided in advance not to give up on your dreams—and are you deciding it over again every day? Are you willing to push yourself through the tough stuff to reach a place of celebration?

Your dreams can drain you, but in a “good tired” way. When you accomplish something most people haven’t had the guts to try, it’s powerfully energizing.

 

This episode’s Dream Tending Tips:

Get out of your own mind and take a risk. Why not you? Allow yourself to imagine what might seem improbable. Try something new. Give something daring a shot. Dare to live! Say to yourself regularly, “I CAN do this!” Be your own advocate. Affirm yourself. Be your own encouraging voice. Refine your raw talents. Do you really want your dream? If you do, then push through and seize it with determination and decision! Once you achieve, don’t rest on your laurels, keep your skills sharp. If you’ve been allowing fear to hold you back—stop now! Give yourself permission to dream.

Find out about Allison’s river guided trips and Buffalo Trace Tours on the Kentucky River at kyrivertours.com 

Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie35 for your gift, just for tuning in. I also have some special eBook pricing for you.

 

Type in the code TYDeb50 to get your copy of 4x4 Habit Overhaul, or One Minute Intervals™: Sixty Seconds to a Healthier, Foodier You, or Depression Busters, at over half off the normal price. Purchase a book bundle using the same code, and save even more. 

But ACT NOW, before this special eBook discount offer is gone.

 

Until next time, remember, your dreams are waiting for you to grab and tend: 

Take courage. 

Excel daily. 

Never stop believing. 

Dare to dream bigger.