Time to Live!
So if you haven’t seen me around for a while it’s for good reason. I quit my job, traveled to South America and have been living my dream. Many of you know me as the guy with dreads, no shoes and a steady job. In the last 6 months I’ve blown up 2 of those stereotypes & kept the one that made the most sense to me, not wearing shoes. While I loved my dreads and my job I needed to shed both. They were beginning to take over who I defined myself as and the things I thought I knew about myself. Since this adventure began I’ve met lots of amazing people, been to places off my radar & done things I never expected.
One of the things I’ve learned is that no matter how much traveling I’m doing it’s not about the places I’ve seen or the stuff I’ve done. What matters are the experiences I take away and the people I get to do it with. We all effect each other in the most amazing ways and without them my memories would seem like a movie of someone else’s life. It’s only through these interactions that I’m able to grow beyond myself and I cherish every moment with them regardless of the length of the interaction, even when it’s not a very good one. Although I’ll admit those are far and few between.
Another takeaway thus far would be live your dream. These bodies are rentals and we only get to use them for so long so make sure you do something with them or you’ll have wasted your vessel on vinegar when you could have filled it with wine. For the last 8 1/2 years of my life I had been helping others fulfill their dreams by creating websites that helped them do that. While I was able to use the resources that job provided me it was not a passion, dream or life goal, just a job. My passion is fulfilling itself now in learning new things form others, having new experiences to take with me into the future & using the wisdom I’ve gained to help others in anything that they do. While it doesn’t pay a lot it’s getting me by & I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
Which brings me to my next lesson: Be. Being in the moment. While I’ve never really had a problem with this one It’s something that we all struggle with and a point that I sometimes forget. Many of us go from day to day thinking about the things we could change or what the future will bring, but when you’re forced to live here and now you don’t worry about those things. You just are. What ever is here and now is what is here and now. If you choose to look at it in a positive light as I do most of the time then things are good and when things suck it’s usually only because you choose to look at it that way.