A good friend recently asked to me speak at his business training event in Atlanta. The audience was business owners and real estate investors. The group was diverse but the common thread was that each business person had a desire to inject some growth into their business. And with growth they most likely wanted more profit. There are times when people get more than they bargained for. 

I always enjoy sharing with a group or audience. While I primarily consider myself a coach, I am also passionate about teaching, training and preaching. 

My process for preparing to speak or train is never the same. There are times where the topic is obvious and notes just begin to flow. There are other times when I can reach into my archives and pull something out to rework or combine with other items.

And then there are the incredibly beautiful situations where new ideas and creative topics are divinely inspired.  They just drop into my mind or spirit and all the points and words just flow.

This was one of those times.

I rarely wake up in the middle of the night. There have been times in my entrepreneurial journey where I have slept like a baby - waking up every two hours crying. But I have matured and can now sleep well most nights.

But shortly after my friend asked me to speak at his event, I awoke at 2 am one night and the entire 5 point talk flooded into my mind. Always a good idea to keep pen and paper by the bed.

As the event approached, I realized that I must share this information in articles and possibly a book. It looks different on paper and I am unable to share some of the stories and examples that emphasized the points, but the basics are still powerful.

Now that you have the background.....

Here are 5 foundational success principles that are absolutely without a doubt required to create AND maintain success. Bold statement I know. But as you read each one think about people you know or situations where you have achieved a high level of success and you will be nodding in agreement as you read the paragraphs below. Or, you may disagree and if so you can prove me wrong in the comments below.

Effort - Nothing happens without some effort being exerted. Some may have titled this work, but our society often confuses work with a job or just being busy. When combined with the other items in this article, focused and inspired effort can lead to productivity beyond anything that we can imagine. But when we are busy and "just putting our nose to the grindstone", we may see limited results that appear to be success that will be short lived or worse have negative consequences. My experience and observations have convinced me that the other 4 items in this article combined with steady and consistent impassioned effort will outproduce hair-on-fire mach-speed busyness every time. 

Expectation - Faith or fear? How do most people live? They live in fear with an expectation that something bad is going to happen. If your thoughts go unchecked and untrained the chances are very high that you will cultivate a negative outlook that attracts negative circumstances. Stop doing that! Start using your faith muscles and expect that great things will happen in every situation in your life. Positive expectation combined with inspired effort beats fear-based, calendar packed activity every single time.

Rest - Just like the word "work" can be confusing at times in our modern society, rest can also be used to describe laziness or sleep. That is not what I am referring to. Even though I do believe that physical rest and naps are not the enemy of success, I am talking about a mental and spiritual peace that everything is going to be OK. No worries, positive expectations and exerting effort knowing that you are focusing on those things that will be rewarded. If you have positive expectations and faith in your decisions, then measured effort will be peaceful and allow you to operate from a position of rest instead of being restless.

Micro Decisions - Life includes many small decisions that may seem insignificant. Things like what you eat for lunch, watching a 30 minute show on TV every week, and what you do with your spare time on a Saturday afternoon. But if micro or mini decisions begin to become habits, or if those decisions are haphazard and lack focus, they can be detrimental. For example,  eating an unhealthy fast food lunch once a month may not have a significant impact on one's health. But eating processed, junky fast food every day will most likely have a negative effect on a person's health and even life expectancy. Watching one TV show may not impact thought process. But watching 20 hours of mindless entertainment every week can deaden braincells and may even have other mental and physical side effects. On the flip side, a mini decision to read a book or attend a seminar or say hello to a stranger may be a small step that has larger implications over time.

Macro Decisions - If you guessed that these should be the big, life altering decisions that we make in life...or at times we are forced to make, then you would be correct. Most people will only have a few of these over the course of their life. For me I can only think of a few. The decision to marry my wife. A life altering spiritual decision. Starting a business a few years after being married and making the decision to start a new company 15 years ago. There are times that we make these big, macro decisions and we understand their significance. But then we may only realize the importance days, months or years later. One of life's great challenges is knowing when and how to quickly make decisions about the little, micro stuff and when to pause and ponder the big, macro stuff.

Now, there are a few additional points that must be made. 

First, the items above are not steps or standalone principals. There is no defined order because they are interconnected and woven together. Plus one or more without all combined could be ineffective.

Second, these principals do not follow a linear and clean timeline.  And there is not a definitive formula. They are more like a bubbling witches brew that requires all the ingredients to be effective. There are times when one ingredient will be required more than the others. And some people may require a heavier brew to be effective. Mix them all together and drink down the potion until you see the results your desire.

Finally, don't stress over the 5 points. Just get started if you feel as if you are off track. Make some positive micro decisions, have faith in yourself and what you are doing, expect great results and be prepared for those big, life altering, macro decisions.

Is Anyone Really Qualified?

[Definition] Qualified: officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job.

In a world where we have an abundance of information, training, education and resources it seems as if it would be an easy task to quickly become qualified and prepared for jobs, work, business or even life events.

Some people may have a high level of confidence that they are always prepared and ready for whatever life may bring their way.

Unfortunately, if we are honest with ourselves it is a rare time when we have the belief and confidence that we are totally prepared for new adventures that will test and stretch us. And there are times in life where we just question whether or not we are qualified for the next step in our journey.

Everyone has a situation, work event or a life event that seems to remind us that it is impossible to train and be qualified for everything that life has to offer.

• You have just been promoted
  
• You have a great idea and you are excited about starting a new business
• You have your degree and you have just been hired by a large corporation
  
• You just landed your biggest client to date. They will be paying you more money this year than you made in the last 4 years combined.
  
• You have owned a construction business all your life, but the business no longer exists and you have just accepted an entry level position at Home Depot
  
• You are a college dropout but you now run a multi billion dollar corporation
  
• You have just been asked to serve as a board member for your church
  
• You have been asked to speak at the funeral of a friend or business associate
  
• You just got engaged
  
• You or your wife are expecting your first child
  
• You are on a plane traveling home 72 hours after meeting your adopted child for the first time
  
• You have been approved for the loan and you now own a home
  
• You have just been accepted into Bible College...at the age of 51
  

We use the word "qualified" as if it is definitive and final. But are any of us really qualified? The more important question may be "does it matter if someone is qualified?"

Of course we want our doctor to have a medical degree. It is important for the nurse to have certifications. The engineer should be licensed. 

But even in those industries that require certification and degrees, more is required to succeed than what can be taught in a school or approved by a certification board.

There is usually something deep inside that is pulled out of a willing individual that propels them to perform above any of their training or qualifications or background. Or more likely there is a  a guiding hand or presence from above.

I was inspired to write this article after reading one of my morning devotions from Joseph Prince, a minister based in Singapore. In that devotion, Prince discussed 4 women in the Old Testament and how they would never have been considered qualified for their unique positions in history. 

Whether or not you believe that Jesus was a Savior and the Messiah, you cannot deny his significance in history. These 4 women are listed in the most read book in the world - the Bible -  and they are in the genealogy of Jesus.

They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba, women who had morally questionable backgrounds and were unqualified by most people's standards.

Below are a few excerpts from Prince's devotion:

"Tamar resorted to deception and prostitution to produce children through her father-in-law. Yet, it was from her line, the tribe of Judah, that the Messiah came. (Genesis 38) Rahab was a Gentile and a prostitute in Jericho, who became a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Joshua 2:1–21) She also became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth. (Ruth 4:13)

Ruth was morally upright. But as a Moabitess, she was a Gentile and therefore considered unclean. Yet, she became the grandmother of David (Ruth 4:13–17), whom the Jews regard as their greatest king. Bathsheba committed adultery with David. (2 Samuel 11:4) Later, she gave birth to King Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24), from whose royal line Jesus descended."

There are many lessons that we can gather from these examples. 

Even if it appears that you are unqualified, you were created to have an impact on the world around you.
 
Don't look at a situation short-term. You may have a significant place in history that will not be known for years...maybe even many years from now.
 
It may seem that you have really messed up, but you can be redeemed and things can work out better than you ever imagined.
 
Your assignment and being equipped for your assignment is more important than your qualifications.

We should position ourselves to be equipped instead of laboring to be qualified.

[Definition] Equipped: supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose or prepare (someone) mentally for a particular situation or task.

It could be that even when we feel unqualified, we are actually supernaturally equipped to perform the task or assignment that we has been given to us.

Let's just choose to relax and seek our divine assignment. And then we can expect to receive the equipping to complete the job.

In my previous post - Home Is Where You Make It - Part 1, I explained how my wife and I have been traveling the world as homeless nomads for the past 2 years.

You can read this post as a stand-alone article, but it will make much more sense if you read Part 1 first.

It has felt as if we have been swimming upstream against the currents of our modern society. Our society and especially our economy encourages people to accumulate and accumulate and accumulate until we are forced to pack our garages, get storage units or even buy bigger homes just to make sure we can keep all our stuff.

We just made the choice to attempt to live a lifestyle where we only acquire things that are essential. It really is amazing to think about how little you need when you evaluate everything you purchase and keep as essential vs non-essential.

As promised in Part 1, I wanted to share my observations and valuable lessons that I have learned as we have traveled this very odd but cool journey:

People Are Fascinated By Our Lifestyle

But people really do not understand how or why we live the life we live.

Everyone that we talk to says that they would love to do what we do. Travel and live free and see the world and just go wherever we feel led to go. Then they pause and think for a few seconds and then the reasons "why not" begin to flow into their brain and out of their mouth. 

They say something like, "I can never do what you are doing because..."

My kids have to be in this particular school system
I have a great job and I can't leave it
Our business keeps me trapped in this location
I have to work here for another 10 years before I retire 
I only have 12 more years before I pay off my mortgage and then this beautiful 1800 square foot ranch in suburban Muskogee OK will be mine
We could never leave here because BLANK lives here (in the BLANK insert Mama, Daddy, Great Grandma, our 29 year old son Junior, our grandkids, etc...)
Our children need us
I will stay here until I die

I do not mean to belittle any of those responses, but a few years ago I was begging the Lord to use me in a big way and he told me that he could not send me anywhere because I was too attached to my location and my stuff. That was when we began the process of eliminating those things that keep us tied down. It took almost 3 years, but when we had removed all of our encumbrances of location and things, He started showing us how exciting life could be. And, that was only the beginning. 

Life Is Simpler

For all the advancements we have in our modern lives, we have also created complications. 

I appreciate tools that make my life easier, but the more electronic devices we have, the more they have to be charged, synced protected, and updated. The more things we have, the more they have to be stored, insured, paid for, cleaned, and protected. The less you have, the simpler life is. 

Stop Being Controlled By Money

Many people are controlled and consumed by money whether they have millions in the bank or 2 nickels in their pocket.

It seems as if I have been chasing money most of my life. There are times that I caught a bunch of it. There have also been times that it seemed to allude and run away from me the more I chased. 

It is very difficult to describe the mental changes that have occurred over the past few years. It may be that I have just matured. It may be that I reached a low point when some businesses failed. Or, it may be that I finally stopped putting money on a pedestal. 

We all have idols in our lives. I think that the process of earning (sometimes chasing) financial success was an idol for me. I also think that it is an idol for many people in our current society. It is so liberating to just relax, not be anxious and enjoy life. To be able to have control over money instead of letting it have control over me and my thought processes. Now money and business and blessings seem to just find me.  

Do Not Let Things Own You

Things are related to money. 

They can take on a life of their own when we begin to fear that we may not have as many things as we should. Possibly because of our self image or possibly because of ego. Or, when we hold on to things because we think they have value that is either real or perceived. Or worse, we put some sentimental value on a item because it was Grandma's or Junior's or it reminds us of our high school days. So we store it and keep it or we put it on a shelf to collect dust. And many times, the longer we keep it the harder it is to let it go. 

People have value. Experiences have value.

Things only have value when people give them value. In our modern world many people put more value on their stuff than they put on other people.  

Experiences & Relationships Really Are More Important Than Things & Money

Glori and I were in a car in the middle of the south island of New Zealand. We were driving for almost an hour down a gravel road toward a valley that was 2 miles wide and 10 miles long but completely surrounded by snow capped mountains. With a beautiful flowing river running through the middle. 

It was Mt Sunday which was the location where Peter Jackson filmed the scenes for Rohan in his Lord of the Rings movies.

A longtime friend from high school and his wife were in the car with us. The drive was stunning. The views from the valley were breathtaking. Take your breath away "How Great Thou Art" beautiful. We spent almost 3 hours in the valley and never saw another car or another person. Complete solitude. Not an easy place to get to. No ticket booth. No gift shop. No long lines. No parking lot. No amusement park. Just me and my wife with some friends in a secluded spot on the planet. Very few people ever visit this place. Money was not involved. Things were not even a consideration.

It was 100% experience and sharing that experience.

I am confident that we would have never been to Mt Sunday or even New Zealand nor would our friends have travelled across the world to visit us if we had not started on this journey a few years ago. 

It was a priceless. 

Experiences and sharing experiences with people you love and care for have a much higher value than money and things. It is critical that we limit the control that material items have on our lives so that we can appreciate what we have experienced and the people we have in our lives.

The Spiritual Journey Is The Most Important Thing 

Material things seem to clutter our minds and keep us from gaining a better understanding of the bigger picture of life.

Life is so much better when your primary focus is nurturing and growing your relationship with the Lord instead of being anxious about buying things you cannot afford to impress people you do not even like. Or acquiring things that become a burden to you and your family instead of a blessing. 

Worry and anxiety will eat a person alive physically, mentally and spiritually. It seems that money and thinking about money that you do or do not have is the root of much of the anxiety that people experience in the world.  

In Luke 6:25-34 Jesus talks about worry and anxiety while teaching on the side of a mountain. He basically says do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will wear or even about tomorrow. When we are able to relax our mind and stop worrying about things and accumulation, we can focus on the kingdom that Jesus teaches about in this sermon.

Total Contentment & Happiness Is Possible

It is very difficult to be content...and therefore happy...when you are in constant pursuit of something that really is impossible to obtain. 

The way the economic system continues to flourish is that new and more improved and better things are created and offered so that we constantly feel the need to upgrade. That is not a bad thing in and of itself. But, it is bad when the upgraded model or the "new and improved" begins to consume us to the point that we are constantly yearning for something better. Never being content with where we are.  When a person steps off that vicious treadmill it slows life down and one begins to realize that the upgrade or the newest version may not make life better. 

True happiness and contentment begins to be attained when we are comfortable with who we are, who we are with, where we are, what we have and who's we are. Not needing external accumulation to briefly satisfy us so that we can get a temporal burst of satisfaction is a nice place to be. "Home" (and happiness) really is where you make it.

The Essentialist Lifestyle Is Not for Everyone 

As a disclaimer I should say that I am in no way saying that everyone should live the way I live. 

You should seek your own course and path in everything you do. 

I do know that there are millions of miserable people trudging through life on this earth, and many of them have a nice, big comfortable home with 5 flatscreen TV's and 3 nice cars in the garage. And most have become slaves to those things. Or they have become slaves to jobs and debt so that can pay for those things. It is time for them to break that cycle, if they so desire. 

My purpose of writing this article is not to say my way of living is better than your way of living or any other way of living for that matter. My purpose is to encourage people to seek a life of purpose that is not controlled by material things.

Home is not a place or a structure or even a place with a bed. It is a mindset that should allow you to be peaceful and at rest.

I am not sure that I have reached that place of total peace. I am confident that I am much closer than I have ever been, and I expect this journey to continue adding more and more peace to my life.

While it is difficult to capture our journey in a succinct way, there is one word that jumps into my mind every time I get a question or I give thanks for where we are in life. That one word is simply "freedom."

I am not sure if quoting a line from the movie "Joe Dirt" is appropriate for the beginning of a serious article that is meant to cause reflection and inspiration. But the damage is done, so I will explain and continue.

In the crude, repulsive and extremely funny movie "Joe Dirt", the main character spends most of the movie searching for his parents and his "home." In an odd scene with an almost unintelligible Cajun he seems to finally get the message that "home is where you make it."

My wife and I have been homeless for over 2 years. No home, no apartment and definitely nothing permanent. And, it has been the greatest 2 years of our lives.

Now that I have your attention, let me explain.

We sold and gave almost everything we own away 3 years ago and have been traveling as nomads for over 2 years. 

I thought it would be easy. I have always enjoyed getting rid of things. I love order and truly enjoy creating order out of chaos. But when you have lived in a 6000 square foot house for more than 10 years and during that time you have raised children from the preteen to college years, you have more and more things that creep into the home and start filling up every crack and crevice. 

I never realized how challenging it would be to purge not just the "things" but the accumulation mindset that most people in our modern culture (including myself) possess. The desire is to only focus on those things that are truly significant - spiritual growth, relationships, experiences and essential items that will enhance my spiritual growth, relationships and experiences.

Some may think that I sound like some monk that wants to sit on a mountaintop and "find the true meaning of life." Maybe that is what I am doing. I will say that life is so much better than it used to be. And I have always thought life was pretty awesome.

Many people use the term minimalism to describe how we are living. Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist writes some fantastic articles on the topic and I love reading everything that he posts. Our daughter claims that we are more essentialist than minimalist. That is probably splitting hairs but we do seem to seek out only things that are essential in our lives. Some minimalists may just want less for the sake of having less stuff. We only acquire things that will bless our lives. Not things that create a burden.

We do get some odd looks and some questions. But, I have really enjoyed living differently than the masses. It is very difficult to capture in words how great life is when you have no material items that have any control over you. 

I thought it would be beneficial for me to do my best to share my observations about this unique life we are living. Before I do that I thought that I would address the most common questions we get from both friends and strangers:

What is like not having a home? 

It is different but I love it. No grass to cut. No maintenance issues to deal with. And best of all...no electricity payment, no gas payment, no water bill, no internet or cable bill. Even better than best of all, no mortgage payment! 

Sleeping in different beds and using different pillows can be difficult to get used to, but it is also nice to be able to "try out" different kitchens, homes, beds, and furniture so that you really know what you like and dislike. It is a huge benefit to feel free to travel anywhere you heart desires without being anxious about recurring maintenance and household bills piling up back at "home."

When/where do you expect to settle down?

I am not one to use the words always or never very often. Once you have felt the freedom of not being attached to a place or location or geography or a structure, it is difficult to imagine going back to that life again. I do think that some people can allow themselves to feel locked-in to geographic locations and areas because of jobs, schools, family, relatives, friends, a house, mindset or many other reasons. With modern technology being what it is, many people can work, educate themselves and their children, and communicate almost anywhere via the internet and other tools. 

I believe that instead of using words like "home", and "settled down" and locking ourselves into a place, we should seek our assignments and callings in life that lead us to a greater purpose. If that means staying in one place for a season or period of time, great. If it means staying mobile so that you can move and go in a moments notice, perfect. The key is to be able to listen and hear your inner voice or the voice of a higher authority that gives instructions and not let things and an image of what "home" is keep you from your true purpose. And, that purpose may require one to venture beyond a 25 mile radius of their current location.  

Many people may be missing bigger blessings because they have "settled down" and said that they will always remain geographically planted. I am strong believer in a large tapestry that is being woven by a loving Heavenly Father and I think that if I say I am always going to live in Georgia or I am never going to leave Colorado then He may not be able to send me where He needs me to go. I desire to be available and obedient.

Do you travel in a camper or RV? 

Everyone seems to ask this question. As if we took all the items that we had in our home, crammed them in an RV and then started traveling. I have nothing against RV's or campers or houses on wheels, but they require as much if not more energy than a house. 

The answer to the question is no...we do not travel in a camper or RV. When traveling in North America we drive our trusty 2002 Honda Van with over 330K miles. When we travel overseas, we fly. I do not want to own another home anytime soon and I definitely do not want to own a home on wheels. 

NOTE: I have had the experience of owning many homes. We negotiated and completed over 500 real estate transactions between 2001 and 2009.  There were times that our company owned over 100 single family homes. Plus we coached, trained and mentored over 3,000 real estate investors nationwide during that time. So I do understand real estate and how to buy and what the value can be. I also may know enough...possibly too much...about real estate that I do not put a personal home high on the investment pedestal. It's just concrete and lumber built on dirt.

So you really do not own anything? 

Very little. We own a storage unit near some relatives that is the size of a single car garage. It is about half full (or half empty depending on where your beliefs are on that issue) but we leave things there that we may not want to carry with us as we travel. If I had a few spare days I could probably eliminate half of the items in storage primarily because I have not needed any of it the last 2 years. 

My entire wardrobe could fit in a small rubbermaid box. My wife has a slightly larger wardrobe (not by much) but everything she owns fits well, coordinates and looks great on her so she enjoys getting dressed. That's good for both of us and I am sure most husbands would agree with me.

We did put some furniture in a relatives home. I guess we could technically get that back at some point, but I doubt it will ever be moved. 

Last year we spent 7 months in Australia and New Zealand and when we traveled home (in an airplane, not the Honda Van) we had one rolling duffel bag as luggage and we each carried our backpack briefcases with our computers and electronics. We are currently on a 7 week visit to South Florida and we could have almost fit everything we are traveling with in 2 carry on bags.

Is your wife OK with this lifestyle? 

Yes. There have been times when one of us may have been farther along in the process than the other one. But for the most part we have been in agreement and have been having a blast. 

There have been some challenges. For instance, Glori is a great cook that writes cookbooks and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. At one point years ago she had almost every cooking gadget a cook could have. She even insisted that we carry 3 big boxes of her "favorite" gadgets and kitchen tools with us 2 years ago when we embarked on our journey. But she has gradually realized that she can make great meals in almost any kitchen. And if something is missing, a store is just around the corner that is stocked floor to ceiling with more items than one can ever imagine. 

Plus, as an extra bonus we seem to be embracing a "less is best" mindset when it comes to eating. Smaller portions, better quality, and less gluttony leads to a healthier life. 

Is it fun being on vacation all the time? 

I would not know because we are not on vacation. We are living our lives as we travel and stay in really cool places - New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Breckenridge CO, Austin TX, Ft Lauderdale FL, Lake Tahoe NV, Los Angeles CA and many other places. We are running our businesses, coaching and consulting, writing and creating all along the way. 

Vacation is what people do when they have to cram all their fun into 1 to 2 weeks of the year. And vacations can be very expensive (see the next question). We just live our lives wherever we happen to be at the time and of course we do attempt to enjoy all that the locations we stay in have to offer.

Are you rich? Is that how you can travel all the time? 

The answer to that question is no. I am not against being blessed financially. I have owned businesses in the past that have provided very bountiful financial resources to our family. But we have also learned how to live with much less after seeing how quickly large real estate based businesses could disintegrate a few years ago. 

There are times during the last few years when we have had very limited financial resources...less than $100 in our bank account. However, it seems that was part of our journey to get to the point where money became less significant. It seems that when we stopped attempting to chase money, it began to chase us. 

We now have thriving businesses but still have no reason to acquire and accumulate more stuff. That feels really good. We are still not rich, but definitely richly blessed. I could also spend an entire article explaining how we live in nice homes while we travel without paying a single dime for rent or utilities. But that will have to wait for a later time.

To be continued....

In Home Is Where You Make It - Part 2, I will share my observations about how the essential lifestyle that we are living is different from the accumulation lifestyle that most people live in today's society. 

How long have you been sitting in the same place? Not just physically. But mentally, spiritually, financially and geographically.

It is easy to go though life without ever changing or making major adjustments. The “path of least resistance” is the way most people live their lives without even thinking about it.

Life and circumstances around you will change whether you want them to or not. The difference is whether or not the individual is initiating the change or if the change is being forced on them. It can be very stressful for the person that allows external change to be forced upon their life. But it can be exhilarating and exciting for the individual that is pushing for growth in their life and controlling that process.

It is very rare that someone would admit that it has been years since they have read a book or learned a new skill. But one can just look around and it becomes obvious that most people never learn and grow beyond where they are in their mid 20’s. Don’t be that person.

Most people claim to love adventure and travel and they want to see the world. But years go by and they may never leave the comfort of their own home.  It is too simple to say that people that travel are adventurous and those that do not travel are boring and stuck in a rut.

This article is not written to encourage everyone to parachute out of an airplane, learn Chinese or even road trip and hike across the country. I just happen to believe that everyone should embrace change in at least one area of their life. Even if you are content and successful and growing in the areas you desire growth. Find something new to shake up your world and experience new things.

Do something fun. Do something new. Do something crazy.

Living organisms can never remain static. Plants are either growing or dying. Animals are the same way. And humans are no different. We can attempt to keep everything the same in our lives but we are always in the process of living and growing or shrinking and dying.

The task of embracing change may sound daunting. but it can be a simple as doing one of the following:

Drive a different route to/from work
Meet someone new
Reconnect with an old friend or acquaintance
Schedule a trip
Clean out your closet 
Change your morning/evening/daily routine
Eat some new types of food
Sign up for a training class
Visit a new church even if you attend one on a regular basis
Volunteer in your community

Just a small, incremental change can build momentum so that you can begin making larger, positive changes in relationships, business and other areas of your personal growth.

Don’t get stuck in one place and a year from now be the same person that you are today. Do something different… do anything different. And start today.

Photo Credit - La Dulce Vita

This year has been a year of permanent travel for my wife and I. It has been almost 2 years since we sold and gave everything away and basically became nomads.

We started the year in Southern California visiting our son and will celebrate the new year in the Atlanta area visiting friends and family. In between we lived in or traveled through 15 states in the USA, but we spent more time outside our home country.  Over half the year was spent in Australia and New Zealand.

To be clear, we are not traveling as tourists staying in hotels and visiting every amusement park and tourist site. We are living on the road and staying in certain places for longer periods of time. And we will work while we enjoy the area and experience the culture as much as possible.

As I review this last year and reflect on all the places we have experienced, I realize it is difficult to capture all the amazing adventures in a brief list, but I can summarize the 7 top things that I learned while traveling the last 12 months:

People Crave Change, But Rarely Embrace It
Everywhere we went, people seemed amazed and in awe of our journeys. Most people said they were jealous and really wished they could just leave and travel the world. It is very easy to find reasons to stay right where you are and never change. Both literally and figuratively. But something deep inside us loves the excitement of doing new things and going places. Embrace change and movement so that you can go places.

The World Is Full Of Beautiful, Caring People
People come in all shapes, sizes and colors. And that is what makes people so amazing and gorgeous. We stayed in many homes - big, small and everything in between - and had many meals  and just enjoyed the company of so many wonderful and unique individuals. People are always willing to help and it is rare that a smile will not be returned.

Cities Are Crowded, But There Are Vast Expanses of Nothingness
We seem to always hear about how overcrowded the world is now. If you spend most of your time in major cities you may be fooled into thinking that this is a true statement. But if you drove across Utah or West Texas or the South Island of New Zealand or anywhere inland in Australia you would easily be convinced that there is more than enough wide open spaces in the world. If you ever feel boxed in and crowded, just drive an hour out of the city and the space and clean air will begin to clear your mind.

There Are Places in the World That Will Take Your Breathe Away
There is beautiful scenery everywhere. Driving across the USA or from the top of the New Zealand’s North Island to the South Island or along the Australian coast will give one the opportunity to see some of the most incredible natural landscapes and geography in the world. But then there are those places that will absolutely take your breath away and make you want to shout “How Great Thou Art” at the top of your lungs.

Places like the Grand Canyon, the Mount Sunday valley in New Zealand, the Colorado Rockies, the 12 Apostles along Australia’s Great Ocean Road and the active volcanoes of New Zealand's Tongariro National Park. Places where the majesty cannot be captured with photographs even though we try our best.

Travel Is A Decision
It is so much easier just to stay in one place and never leave your house. That is the path of least resistance. Those that make the decision to go and travel and experience the world realize that it is one of the most exhilarating and liberating decisions they will ever make. The only regret is why one does not start traveling at a younger age. Decide to travel now.

Travel Expands Your Mind
There is nothing wrong with living in one area most of your life and spending time around people that are like you. But it is very difficult to travel to other areas and countries and be closed minded. Your thought process will expand and grow when you see new things and spend time with people that have grown up in different locations with different backgrounds. You will grow. You will change. And you will become a better person.

The World Is Full Of People Of Faith
It was such a blessing to visit and attend churches in almost every part of the world that we travelled. We saw churches in all areas. Every church that we visited encouraged me and increased my belief in humanity. While many people may claim that religion divides the world, I believe that faith in something bigger than the individual actually brings us together.

Many people have asked us what our favorite thing was about our travels. My wife and I both agree that the time we spent at the 5 locations of Hiillsong Church in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne was the absolute highlight of our travels.

Don’t be offended, but the odds are very high that you are moving through life on a day to day basis just existing. That may be your goal. But I doubt it.

Just existing is boring. It is not attractive. It leads to lethargy and bad attitudes. And it can actually repel people and opportunities. If left unchecked it can also contribute to unhappiness, depression, addictions and other unhealthy behaviors.

It was Henry David Thoreau that profoundly said “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” He could have said that most men (and women) just exist. But I guess that is what makes him the classic writer.

People were born to create. To build and to grow. But most people spend their time just breathing the air and living from one moment to the next.

I am not writing this to make you mad. Even though I have no problem ticking people off if it will wake them up so that they can realize their full potential. There are times when a person has to ask the tough questions. Some people may need more than question and answer, but it is difficult for me to smack someone in the forehead with a 2X4 in an article.

Why do people slip into a mundane existence when they know they are born and created to make a difference? To make an impact in the world in a way that can only manifest with that individuals skills, talents and gifts?

Is it because we get lazy?
Or do we meet some powerful force that suppresses us?
Or do we just “settle” for mediocrity because it seems to be the path of least resistance?
Do we let excuses overcome us?
Or do we just forget we were designed to create?
And then we just stop creating and develop the habit of existing?
 
“Change the world” is a phrase that is overused in mission statements and goals. But you were designed to change the world that you live in. To make an impact. To live life to the fullest. 

I was recently working with a client that was stuck and she admitted that her attitude was at a low point. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to stay in one place in life. You are typically moving forward or moving backwards. At least when we talk about out attitude and outlook on life.

This client is a talented writer that has massive potential to create books and use her words to inspire and motivate people. The only challenge is that she was thinking about writing but not actually putting any words on paper. It was not because she lacks ideas or topics. She was just stuck in “think” mode but needed to breakthrough into the “do” mode. She needed to create. Not exist.

For those that are business owners, they can easily slip into the mundane, day to day maintenance of the business and lose the creative habit of building, expanding and growing.  

What should you do if you know or think you are just existing?

The simple answer is start creating.

Write, build, invent, innovate, market, expand, paint, draw, plant, birth, speak, sing, dance, coach, teach, encourage. You will know when you are creating. You spirit will jump and your energy levels will increase.

Don’t just exist. Create!

The silent, stillness of the early morning is pierced by the shrill sound of the alarm clock. The clock says 5:30 AM. The pillow is fluffed perfectly. The covers are just right. It is still dark outside but I am forced to leave this perfect environment.

I stumble to the bathroom. With only one eye open, I scrape a metal blade across my face so that I am presentable. A starchy white shirt that feels like sandpaper against my skin goes on before the tie is tightened to the point of blood restriction to the brain. I give my feet the last breath of air that they will have for 12 hours as I cover them with socks and lace up leather dress shoes.

As I pull the car out of the garage, I turn on the headlights because it is still dark outside. If I do not leave the house before 6:30 am, then my stress level begins to rise because I would never make it to work on time because of the infamous Atlanta traffic. I still get cold sweats thinking about watching the sun rise while staring at red taillights and sucking exhaust fumes from the cars in front of me. My finely tuned Honda screams to go more than 3 miles per hour.  I scream because I know I will do this again in 10 hours.

After walking by the boss’s office just to make sure he knows that I had made it to work, I make my way to the rows of cubicles always breathing a sigh of relief when my nametag with the Velcro on the back has not been removed. There is something very temporary about a nametag attached to a cloth cubicle wall with Velcro. A real unsettling feeling.

As lunch time approaches my coworkers and I begin the power negotiations to decide which of the 8 restaurant choices we will choose to wait in line to eat at that day. And of course every lunch excursion includes a trip to the ATM so that we can pull out enough money to make it one more day.

Afternoon in a cubicle was brutal. My eyes fought to stay open. I would prop my elbows in front of my computer screen in an attempt to create equilibrium for my head to rest on my hands and take a quick power nap. However, drool on a keyboard is not a good thing.   

Officially, we were supposed to finish the day at 5:00, but it was an unwritten rule that no one could leave until the boss left. And, of course the boss did not want to be the first to leave. So we played the game of attrition to see who could wait each other out the longest. Kind of a warped, sick Mexican standoff with grown men and women in business attire. It was very scary to peek over your cubicle wall and see 50 sets of eyeballs doing the same thing. When someone finally cracked under the pressure it was like a wave sweeping through the cubicles in an effort to get out the door.  

The sun was usually setting as I pointed my luxury Honda CRX toward home on the Atlanta freeways with 1.5 million of my traveling buddies. Brake lights as far as the eye could see. The drive home gave me time to reflect on how productive I had been that day. Or not. I soon came to realize that I was doing things that I did not want to do so that I could impress people that I did not even like. Definitely worse than a Chinese torture chamber.  

I would pull in my driveway after dark, walk in the house, grunt a weak hello to my beautiful wife and start getting knots in my stomach in preparation for going through the same grinding routine the next day.   

I mean one day like this might be tolerable, but the thought of doing this the rest of my life was pure torture. The really scary part is that millions of people live just like that and they think that life can never be better, or worse they are content to live a life of quiet desperation like all of their neighbors.

Power of a Decision

As you can tell, I still have a crystal clear vision of the way life used to be. What a nightmare! How can anyone do that day after day, week after week for 40 plus years? I know that some people enjoy that environment and function well within a large corporate structure. But I also know that many people are designed and created to achieve great things in business or ministry or other fields but they allow themselves to get stuck working in a daily grind.

I believe a true nightmare is never living to the potential that God intends for you to live up to.

There have been many times over the last 30 years when I did not know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I did not want to live the nightmare that I described above. Every fiber of my body desires to never live that type of life again. I made a decision that I would do whatever it took to be free. To never work for anyone else, ever again. 

When decision time comes there are three things that you must do:

1. Determine what you want. Or in my situation it was much clearer to me what I did not want.
2. Determine what you are willing to give up to get what you want. I realized I needed time and money to break free from my nightmare. So, I quit playing in the washed up athletes church basketball league. I disconnected CATV so that I could save a few bucks. I started a part-time business on the side so I could eventually break away from the corporate grind.
3. Develop an action plan and implement the plan. Or if you can't come up with a plan, just do something. Move forward, pray for guidance, hire a coach, find a mentor. Just do something and your effort will be blessed.

I am thankful that I decided to get rid of my nightmares!

Actually you should do this everyday. It should become a habit. It is so simple that most people do not even think about it. It will make you feel alive and your head will hit the pillow at night with the satisfaction that you did something simple but great today. And you may have changed the world.

But before I tell you what that one thing is, let me tell you 2 stories. And you must read to the end to get to The One Thing.

A Free Coat and a Personal Guided Tour

Last month, I was on a flight from Brisbane to Auckland. I was sitting in the middle seat of a 3 seat wide row. To my right was my beautiful wife staring out at the ocean from her window seat. To my left was a mature gentleman that looked to be in his 70's. I asked him my standard airplane icebreaker question, "you going home or leaving home?”

Two hours later, Theo and I were still chatting about anything and everything before we each decided to shut our eyes to catch a quick nap before we landed. We could still be talking.

I found out that Theo was Dutch and had been to Europe where he was from before he immigrated to New Zealand many years ago. He had also stopped in Brisbane to visit one of his children before he flew back to his home in Picton, New Zealand via Auckland.

Now here is the really cool part of the story. Picton is a city, well more of a small town, that sits on the north side of the Southern Island of New Zealand. Picton’s claim to fame is that the ferry that connects the Northern and Southern Islands of New Zealand travels between Wellington on the North Island and Picton on the South Island. I knew that we would be traveling on the ferry in about 7 days and I mentioned this to Theo. He insisted that we stop by his home in Picton when we exited the ferry and let him take us on a personal tour of the area. We said yes and we had a great visit with him the afternoon that we arrived in Picton.

But this story gets even better!

During our conversation on the plane, I mentioned to Theo that my wife and I had been traveling for some time and that we really traveled light and did not carry many clothes with us. We were leaving the warm weather of Brisbane and arriving in the cooler climate of New Zealand so we would probably be stopping in one of the local stores and picking up a few supplies - like a coat, hats and gloves!

We sat and talked about some other topics, took our naps and then before we exited the plane he asked, “did you say you were going to buy a coat?”

I answered “yes.”

He told me that he had a coat he wanted to give me and I responded great.  

I am always ready and willing to accept a blessing.  

I thought he meant that I could get a coat from him when we arrived in Picton a few days later. So I told him that I would probably still need to get some cold weather gear to wear for the next 7 days. 

It always helps to clarify things.  

He pointed to the overhead bin and said the coat was up there and it was brand new. He had just been given the coat from his family in Brisbane and he said I could have it. I did not argue.  

I told him I would wear it for 3 months while I was enjoying the New Zealand winter and then I would donate it to someone before I left the country. We have done that in multiple locations as we have traveled and it is a great way to spread the blessings around. And there is no doubt that those seeds come up in places like New Zealand.

I was excited and warm as I walked off the plane in my incredible fighter jacket from my new friend from Picton, Theo. My wife and I shared the coat as we camped for 12 days and we said a prayer of thanks for Theo every time we put it on.

We All Choked Up When She Told Us About Her Husband

Fast forward to this month. After camping and traveling we are now settling in to a small town in the central area of the South Island. After a few weeks of rest and isolation and work, we were almost startled by a knock at the door.

Trish from next door was stopping by to say hello to her new neighbors, even if we were only going to be there for a few months. We invited her in and had a nice chat about the neighborhood, the weather, potatoes (Kiwis love their potatoes) and her children that are scattered all over the country.

I had noticed that she had a sign at the front of her house that said "Woodturning." My guess was that her husband did wood work and had a lathe and other woodworking tools on his property. As I had passed the house on one of my jogs, I even thought that I should stop in and visit and possibly learn a few things about wood working. Or woodturning as they call it here in New Zealand.

I am always wanting to ask questions to keep a conversation moving, so I asked her about the sign in the front of the house.

She paused and said that the woodturning shop was her late husbands. She went on to say that congestive heart failure had caused his death earlier this year. It was very obvious that she had a special relationship that had been cut way too short. Even if they had been married for half a century.

The air in the room just seemed to be heavier than it was earlier. And I really just ached to give her a hug.

She told us about a chair that he had started making for her before he died. The chair was designed to match another chair in their home. He only had time to finish 2 legs and she commented that should could not get rid of the chair legs that he had carefully turned on his lathe. But she did not know what to do with only 2 legs. We all forced smiles as she shared the story, but it seemed as if a sudden dust had blown in our eyes as they welled up. And it felt like I had a lump the size of a baseball in my throat. My bottom lip may have even quivered a bit.

It was that moment in a conversation where you are not really sure what to say next.  

She told me that I could come visit the woodturning shop anytime. She had not changed anything since her husband had died.  Had not even touched it.

We let her know that she could call on us if she needed anything. I volunteered to move firewood or help clean up and organize if she decided to tackle that task.

I touched her on the shoulder as she walked out the door, not really knowing if a hug would be appropriate. It was the only way I knew to convey my sincere grief for her loss.

After we closed the door, I turned to my wife and gave her a hug. A real hug that let’s someone know that you are thankful that they are in your life.

These are not just stories to entertain. I told them to make a point. To show how you and I can do one thing to change the world.

Now that I have your attention and have softened you up, are you ready for the secret to change the world?  

Here it is: 

Get out of your comfort zone and have a meaningful face to face conversation with a complete and total stranger today.   

And then do the same thing tomorrow and the next day and the next day......

Facebook and Twitter and Instagram do not count. Reading or writing a blog post does not count. Hanging out with the same people every day does not count. Find someone you have never met before.  Or let someone find you.

Look someone in the eyes, shake their hand, give them a pat on the back, ask questions about who they are, give them an encouraging word and let them know that they matter.

John Lennon asked us to imagine. Imagine what the world would be like if 1 million people decide to meet someone new everyday and look that person in the eyes and have a real life conversation? It all starts with you.

Theo and Trish impacted my life. I can only hope that I impacted their lives also. 

Go change the world today.  

And share any cool stories you have about meeting complete strangers in the comments section below. I would love to hear your story.

Tim Winders has over 25 years experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, coach and consultant. He founded Accelerate Growth NOW to provide business owners with the training, coaching and resources to double, triple and 10X their business. To learn more and to claim your FREE business growth resources, visit AccelerateGrowthNOW.com.

 I take the word Go seriously.  But I cannot say that I always have.  I lived in the same country, state and general area for the first 50 years of my life.  I loved the area.  It was a great place to grow up.  

I was busy.  Always “on the go.”  And I even traveled to a few cool places.  But the world is a big place and I strongly believe that we should see and experience as much of it as we can.  And it can be difficult to truly experience an area and it’s culture if you fly in for a long weekend, stay at a resort in a tourist area and then fly back home.

That is why we decided to Go a few years ago.  What does that mean to us?

We sold or gave everything away.  We put a few items in storage and we went on the road.  We travelled the USA for the first 12 months.  23 states in total.  We drove through some.  Spent a number of months in others.  We are now overseas and have some idea of where we will be the next few months.  But we have no idea when we will be back in the USA or where we will even be a few months from now.

Do not think that we have a bunch of cash in the bank and we are living the luxurious life.  Our financial resources are currently limited but our blessings are massive.  Travel opportunities and places to stay seem to find us.  We do write, consult and coach wherever we are so there is some money that flows to us along the way.  But we stopped concerning ourselves with money a few years ago.  

What we are doing is not for everyone.  But I do know that many people have a strong desire to Go and travel and experience areas beyond their current comfort zones.  Take the “leap of faith” and stretch.

Go into the world….