Love over fear

My first memory of Sydney is the deep blue, cloudless sky. Kate and I were on the ferry from Manly Beach to Circular Quay, where the Opera House sits. Sydney and Kate share one thing in common: both were love at first sight for me.

More than ten years ago, deciding to ask Kate to be my girlfriend (now my wife)—and deciding to move to Sydney—were two of the best decisions I’ve ever made. And both decisions came from feeling, not logic. They came from courage, not fear.

Our family backgrounds were very different. When we first dated, Kate was doing her master’s degree in Sydney while I was trying to find a way to be here with her. Moving countries felt almost impossible. I didn’t even know how to spell “Australia” on the day I first dreamed of living here with Kate.

Logically, nothing made sense—but decisions made from the heart are powerful. They made me brave. They made me look for possibilities instead of obstacles. And eventually, I proudly built a life here with Kate.

I believe it’s important to free ourselves to make big decisions from our own feelings, not from the ideas of people who think they know what’s best for us. Their advice often comes from their own experiences, limitations, or fears.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t listen to others. I’m saying we should take in as much input as we can—but decide from our own intuition. That’s what makes a decision powerful enough to take the necessary action that turns the impossible into possible.

Great decisions are led by love, not fear.