It Takes As Much Energy To Wish As It Does to Plan

As the beginning of a new year approaches, I am seeing multiple posts on social media about everyone becoming a "new person" this upcoming year... They say they will "leave the old me in the past." 

I'm not sure about any of you, but my past defines me. It doesn't limit me in any way, but it made me who I am. My decisions, good or bad, have had a profound impact on my life! I don't want to lose the old me... I want to be that person forever, just with a little extra "awesome" added each day. I want to be better, stronger, smarter... I want to add more skills to my belt. I want to injure myself doing something fun. I want to make mistakes. Why leave the old "me" in the past, when I could make this "me" even more awesome? 

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Speaking of learning new skills...I see my friends selling themselves short. I've heard, "It's so cool that you know how to tile! I wish I knew how." THEN LEARN! C'mon over and I'll teach you! Many people have asked how I knew how to remodel a house... I barely stop myself before laughing out loud! I knew NOTHING going into my first remodel. No lie. Between research, google, YouTube, and mistakes, I learned. 

Please friends... Please learn something this year. Don't "wish" anything. Don't wish you could sew, frame a wall, bake a cake, crochet, lay tile, build a fence, change a lightbulb... Just learn how! Wishes have no place in my life. I don't wish for anything. I work to make things happen, and if they aren't meant to be, then oh well! Life goes on. You might have the potential to be the best baker or lightbulb changer the world has ever seen... but if you keep wishing, we'll never know.

"Wishing is NOTHING. Dreaming is SOMETHING. Action is EVERYTHING."

- Israelmore Ayivor

Confidence Is Contagious

Some amazing things are happening in my life right now, and I couldn't be more thankful. I truly believe that hard work is rewarded! It's easy to become self involved and become too proud of what "I" have accomplished, but with reflection, I can see how and why I've been successful in my endeavors. Opportunities and teaching moments, big or small, arise throughout life and how we handle these will affect the future possibilities. God gives us these opportunities and moments, but he doesn't push us one way or the other. I have had opportunities arise that have just seemed crazy, daunting, too hard...but my personality is one that just doesn't like to say "I can't." At 20 years old, having never done any sort of home repair in my life, I bought a house that needed basically everything a house could need. I worked so hard and put in hours upon hours of searching for a home before this opportunity came up. Sure, it was daunting, thinking that I could learn how to repair termite damage, install windows, install vinyl siding, tile a bathroom, hang drywall, insulate floor joists, lay subfloor... but I did. Anyone with a tad less gumption and a little more sanity would have passed up that opportunity due to their fear. That is one thing I never want to do. I never want to let me fears and inhibitions prevent me from taking advantage of something God has placed in my path. Grabbing "life by the horns" and fixing that house, led on to another remodel, and now, a 3rd. It has led to me being paid to remodel someone else's bathrooms. Being a hard worker at Papa Johns led to me getting a job with Tiger Taxi. Spending every dime I had and running off to Australia and New Zealand made me realize I have a passion for travel, and has led me to 14 other countries. It was my first time out of the country (besides as a tiny tot), it was a lot of money, and it was a long trip... but I didn't let these things stop me. 

I know you're tired of hearing it, but DO NOT pass up opportunities that come your way due to things like fear, insecurity, or self doubt. Phillipians 4:13 applies in every situation you may find yourself in. You can do ALL things, through God. With Him leading you, your self inflicted obstacles will crumble. Be confident in yourself, and be confident in Him. 

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

- Sun Tzu

"Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence and the downward spiral begins."

- Charles Stanley

A Man Grows Most Tired While Standing Still

I've recently got a second job, and then I've also been contracted to remodel a few bathrooms for a past professor. The weekends are rough, because both pizza delivery and the need for taxi drivers sky rocket during Friday and Saturday. I love both of my jobs, and on these 2 days, I work a total of 25-30 hours. It's tiring, exhausting, yet quite satisfying. People say I work too much...but what I am doing is working hard while I can, so that I won't have to later on. I'm not strictly speaking of retirement... I'm referring to having the ability to GO and DO. The ability to help others. I am being cautious, and making sure not to overdo it. Trust me folks, I have my lazy days!

 I want to travel the world. I want to share my life with others. I want to meet people who share my beliefs. I want to share my beliefs with others. I want to experience new things on a daily basis. I want to scuba dive in Antarctica. I want to swim with sharks. I want to see the northern lights. I want to ride a camel in the desert. I want to play soccer with children who are happy with nothing. I want to show my niece the world. I want to give my time, money, and effort to any who need them. I want to be what others need me to be. 

 I don't want to be tied down. I don't want to say "I can't." I don't want to be locked up in the prison of American society. I don't want a million dollars. I don't want a huge house. I don't want to be called "lucky." I don't want to live even one day without meaning. 

 I am not putting any of these wants above God. I know who is in control, and I've watched my life unfold in ways I never imagined. I pray that what I am doing is God's will, and I'm constantly reevaluating my "plans" to make sure that I'm not losing sight of what is most important.

"God gives every bird his worm, but he does not throw it into the nest."

He Who Hoards Much, Loses Much

I have gone through all of the "stuff" that has been living on the top of my bunk bed, and have started trying to sell a lot of it. Vera Bradley items, a hot chocolate pot with frother, books, motorcycle gear, a thermal lunch tote that I never used, a coffee maker, a case for a Macbook Pro, a popcorn maker, a Pampered Chef trifle bowl (still in box, never opened)... All of this has been on the top of my bed, unseen since January of 2013, and unused since... well, a lot of it was NEVER used.

I still have behind the bed, and my whole shed to go through!! I've sold a paintball hopper on eBay for $100, and before my trip to Europe I sold a motorcycle helmet face plate for $20, and a graphing calculator for $50. C'mon guys... Admit it. You are thinking, "Maybe I can find a few things to sell? I'm sure I have something I don't use anymore..." Trust me, friends. Once you find something you don't use, and you make $100 off of it... you'll decide to keep looking. If you have to "look" for things, then obviously you don't use them often! 

To get you started, here are a few places you can go to sell some things. Craigslist has become quite popular, and works well depending on the item. For my hopper, I decided eBay would be a better option because of how limited that item would be. Not many people in my area are going to see a Dye Rotor and know what it is, much less want it... I mean, do you know? If the item is something along those lines, I think eBay could work out a lot better for you! Also, type "city name here yard sale" into your Facebook search bar. A lot of people have made Facebook groups where members can come and post items they are selling! In a way it's similar to Craigslist, but with much faster and easier communication, and a MUCH wider audience. Your items will pop up in other members news feeds, and they might see it and then want it... whereas on Craigslist, they would have had to specifically search for that item. Impulse buying can work in your favor folks! 

Most importantly, always remember this... It does not matter what YOU paid for an item. If you can get $20 for something you paid $5 for, then sell it for $20! With things you bought new, you probably won't get more for it than you paid... but maybe some of your stuff was a gift, or you bought it from a friend. My Dye Rotor was a part of a set of team gear from when I was on a team down in Florida back in 2010. The whole uniform, hopper, and mask, were all $250. That doesn't mean I should sell all the items for a total of $250! I could probably get closer to $400 if I sold all the items. Charge what people are willing to pay. If they aren't willing to pay what you're asking, they'll make a lower offer. It's all a game folks, and the sooner you learn how to play, the better.

"The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go."
- Steve Maraboli

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Over the past two years, I have traveled to 16 different countries. I've experienced different styles of living, and have come to the realization that I have too much. I have too many books that I don't read. I have too many clothes that I don't wear. I have too many sports items for sports I haven't played in years. I have two wet suits, one never used, and one used once over a year ago. I have a trombone that I haven't touched in five years. I have a paintball uniform, hopper, and mask that I have never used. I have motorcycle equipment that I didn't use when I had a motorcycle...and beyond that, the bike was sold a year ago.  

None of this is needed. It's all a waste. Why? Why do we accumulate such things, and not see the problem it creates? If you just carried a notebook with you for one month, and wrote down everything you used that month, how would it compare to a list of all the items you own? Ten percent? 20? 5?

When I travel, I carry one bookbag. It holds all my clothes, toiletries, electronics, shoes, etc. Everything I NEED fits in that bag. In all honesty, I actually took TOO MUCH on my 6 week trip around Europe. All that I left behind in my house is useless and wasteful. I live in a house too big for me. It's 768 sq ft, and for me... that's just too big. I eat, sleep, and hang out on my bed when I am home. My dogs actually use more space than I do! I don't cook, unless you count french fries, hotdogs, macaroni, or microwave broccoli as "cooking." I mean, realistically, I probably use twenty percent of my actual home's square footage. That includes the space that the shower and toilet take up as well! 

I'm making a change. I want to get rid of a lot of my stuff, and live more simply. I'm building a house, on a trailer. That's right. It will be a whopping 130 square feet. It will be constructed on an 18 ft trailer. It includes a bathroom, kitchen, living room, and a small porch, with a queen size loft. The entire thing is 8'x18'. My current home is 24'x32'. My new house will be less than 1/5 of my current home. 

I've created this blog to keep track of the construction process, as well as my progress. I want to share this experience with all of you. I want you to think about what you have, and what you think you need... and just figure out for yourselves how much of it is really necessary. I am not against buying things that you want, or having a lot of stuff that you don't need, just because you have the room for it all... I just want my friends, family, and everyone I meet to know that those things are not "needs." Air conditioning, heating, washers, dryers... Living with that stuff is great... but living without it isn't the end of the world! If you can be content with little... then you will find yourself constantly thankful for the extras.

"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."
- Gustave Flaubert