Beep...........beep..........
beep……………..beep……………..
The sound of my soul on life support.
Beep……………..beep……………..
beep……………..beep……………..
It’s near death from sheer neglect.
Neglect born of a life that I may be good at, but doesn’t fulfill me, doesn’t light my soul on fire.
Sure, I’ve got a life that is better than probably 95% of the people on this earth. Yet I long for something different. I feel like the wild animal you see in the zoo. The one that once knew what it was like to live free and wild. To hunt down its next meal. To be the master of its domain. To fully be who it was made to be.
For longer than I care to admit, I’ve been trapped in a job that at first was new and exciting. A good job with good people. Over the last decade and a half that same job has deteriorated into a way to keep my family fed and a roof over their heads. Supporting debt fueled by our excessive spending habits.
What once involved every fiber of my being has degraded into a soul numbing existence.
Beep……………..beep
The one thing that has kept that soul alive is a flicker of a dream. A dream of regaining that freedom that it once knew.
Freedom borne of adventure. The ability to go where the wind blows it. Freedom to choose a direction and see how far one can go. Freedom to choose a topic and see what can be learned.
The freedom to take one family, one sailboat, one world and see what adventures we can find.
The freedom to fight for our ideas.
Beep……………..beep
I am fortunate to have a loving wife that supports that dream. Supports the idea of exploring the great big world we live on. Taking our kids with us to show them that there is more to life than X-box, McDonalds and the latest fashion trends.
Beep………..beep……………beep………..beep
For over 10 years now I’ve been trying to find a way to make that dream come true. Failing at every turn.
Beep……………..beep
Finally, finding a way that, for the first time, seems like it might actually work. It will take more effort than any of the previous attempts. More than most of them put together. Yet, at the same time, is more exciting, frightening and rewarding than anything tried before.
Beep………..beep……………beep………..beep
Now, I bare my soul to those willing to listen. I don’t always get things right. Friends turn their backs on us.
Beep……………..beep
We make new friends. What started as a business plan has lead us to connections that are already stronger than most of the friendships we’ve ever had before. Friends that truly understand us and are rooting for us to succeed. Friends that are willing to accept our insane ideas as normal. Friends that encourage us through the tough times.
Beep………..beep……………beep………..beep
We get to show our children that there is more to life than a job. That even though it takes a shit-ton of work, you can take your financial future into your own hands. You don’t have to live a life of servitude. We live in the greatest nation the world has ever known and although times are tough right now that doesn’t mean we’re out of options.
Beep………..beep……………beep………..beep
The future looks brighter than it has in decades. The storms are starting to lessen. The clouds don’t seem quite so ominous. A little more light is starting to shine through. I no longer have to just put on a happy face. I can start to really feel like there is hope for a better future. The despair is lifting.
Beep…….beep…………beep…….beep…………beep…….beep
There is still a long road ahead. Mostly uphill. But I’m not alone! My family is with me 100%. I have a coach that is in my corner, giving us direction and rooting for us. My wife is picking me up when I can’t go on. She has taken up the torch and has stood in the gap. She has given of herself to those that will listen.
Beep…..beep……..beep…..beep……..beep…..beep……..beep…..beep
My son has caught the fire. He now wants to share, to entertain, to help others. He wants to show other children that dreams can come true. That life can be a great big adventure. That they can live a life that is out of the ordinary. My daughter has caught the dream. She speaks of “driving” the boat and swimming in warm waters.
Beep…beep……beep…beep……beep…beep……beep…beep……beep…beep
I don’t know what the future holds. None of us do. I do know what I plan on doing to make the future ours though. Hard work. Perseverance. Research. Contemplation. Writing, lots of writing. I’m sure that there will also be heart ache, elation, agony and excitement too.
Much of what the future holds is in your hands. If I have in some way encouraged, entertained or educated you then I have succeeded. Every time a new reader joins our community, leaves a comment or sends me an email, my soul is strengthened.
Beep..beep…..beep..beep…..beep..beep…..beep..beep…..beep..beep…..beep..beep
Each day is one step closer to getting the soul free to live the adventurous life once again. To give it the rare gift of choice.
Along the way we will continue to share. To bring you along on our journey with us. So you can see our challenges, setbacks and triumphs. To be an example of what not to do. To be an encouragement, showing what is possible. To be a light in the dark for those souls still fighting the storms head-on.
I hear so many other souls still on life support. So many that know that there is a better life, but don’t know how to reach it.
You are the reason I bare my soul. The reason I risk public embarrassment. Show my shortcomings. Share our victories.
Beep……………..beep
So that one day, we can all meet up on the shores of a tropical island and revel in the freedom that each of us has fought so hard to achieve. Where we will start anew our quest to rescue those still on life support.
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