Embrace the things you have ….. or just get rid of them.

LampPostI live in a very suburban area, and everyday to and from work I see many beautiful houses with lush well manicured lawns. Such wonderful properties people own. Their own small plots of land fertile with life and broad open space. And with all the times I have observed these properties on my commutes, do you know how many times I have seen people out on their lawn or even decks playing, barbecuing, or even just chilling out? NEVER. I have never seen this.

 

I’m starting to believe that nobody actually lives in these houses. There is no movement. The cars are parked in the exact same space as they always are. Sometimes I think that I am one of very few actors in a movie about me where there are no extras (ever seen the Truman Show). These people spend enormous amounts of money on mortgages for property they do not use. Such a waste.

If I had lawn property, I would always be seen on it. Not just mowing it, but gardening, chilling in a hammock, playing games. I would have friends over barbecuing. You would see a volleyball net set up, because that is what we’d be doing on Saturday. Now, personally I do not believe the maintenance of having a property like this is worth how little I would actually use it. That is the reason I don’t have a plot of land. But these people are not using their property at all, but they are still maintaining it ….. paying for it. Where is the value in that??
I am an outdoors kinda guy. I love to run barefoot in the grass. I love to feel the sunshine on my face. I love to feel the a cool breeze hit my cheek on a warm summer day. I even love the mud. And don’t even get me started on the smells (I’m really into scent). The earth is my playground. I enjoy all these sensations when I ride my bike, go hiking, go fruit picking at a farm, see an outdoor festival or concert. And I do these things constantly during the Spring/Summer/Autumn seasons. I enjoy all the outdoor fruits life has to offer, and I don’t even own any property to do it on. Ownership is unnecessary. On the other hand, these people DO own their own outdoor property, and they’re not enjoying any of it.
These properties are a wasted investment. Are they a valuable financial investment down the line? Most likely (Real estate usually pays off well). But our lives are happening right now. We should invest our time and money into activities and things that fulfill us right now. And unused property is not fulfilling anybody, it’s a waste.

Money is a means to an end, not the other way around.

Money-habitsSociety would have us believe that wealth is happiness. For so many of us, this is that we were raised to believe. Our parents told us as kids:

“You need to go to college to get a good job and make lots of money so you can have a big house, a nice car.”

Because this is what they believed success is; this is what they would have us believe is the definition of happiness. But this is deceiving.

A persons path to success/happiness must be decided from within. It is all subjective, as one persons path will be different from another persons. And it’s not until one knows their path, that they can they follow it. Will money be necessary to reach ones success/happiness? Probably. But when we think it through we may be surprised at how little we need. Also, it is important that we don’t get so caught up in money that we lose our way in the path. There will be many temptations and pressures that will try to deviate a us from our path, but we must always be focused on our goal in order to keep these temptations and pressures from getting the best of us.

So figure out what your happiness is. No one can tell you. And once you figure that out, then figure out the path to get there.

A Word About Passion.

 

Love-1This is so sad. This tells me that not only was this person unwilling or unable to cultivate this passion, but the fact that this is a common phrase means that this stands true for many or most people who choose boating (or whatever it is called) as a passion.

There is also the possibility that most people who choose boating as a pursuit/hobby/life (other words for passion) do so without realizing the depth of the commitment it really is. They don’t realize the amount of time, money, and sacrifice it will require to pursue.

Off the top of my head I know that boating requires docking time and costs, hauling, cleaning, inspecting, licensing. And all these things are just necessary in keeping a boat. Using the boat is a whole other set of rules, time, and costs. And like I have said before there are only 24 hours in a day. So with that being said, the real cost is making the sacrifice in your life of other activities to make room for this new one. Freeing up the time in your life is the sacrifice that no one considers. Everyone considers the costs and even the physical space needed, but no one ever considers the time. This is why I always hear excuses like “I would have loved to take the boat out more, but I just could never find the time.” That’s just straight bullshit. If you are truly passionate about it you would make the time. Too many of us opt for abandoning our passions just to satisfy our time clutter because it is what we are used to, or it is what is expected of us.

Now some passions are more demanding of our resources than others, but any passion that is worth pursuing requires a real commitment from us. Of all these resources, time seems to be the toughest to provide (as it is the most valuable). So with whatever passion we pursue, we have to ask ourselves how much time we are willing to commit to it. If it is not much, then we were not that passionate about it in the first place and it’s better we walk away now. But if we are willing to take it all the way, then dive in head first and cut out all the time clutter in our lives. No more “movie nights”, no more “poker with the boys”, no more “Dancing with the Stars” on Tuesday nights. You may even have to cut out other passions you were pursuing. Prioritize your activities and start scratching them off starting from the bottom of the list.

Your passion should take a significant amount of your time. Your passion is a part of you, it’s who you are; not merely what you do.

I am a Cyclist, not a man who rides a bike.

you are a singer, not a person who likes to sing.
an Archer, not a person who likes to fire arrows.
A Hunter, not a person who hunts.
A Chef, not a cook.
A Captain, not a person who takes his boat out every now and then.

Pursuing your passion should not feel like it’s taking you away from your life, because it is your life.