Some people still ask when I will be back from my vacation, others are starting to get it. Yes, I have changed the way I live.
In June of 2016 I flew one way to Turkey and started my new life as a sailor. I crossed the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, all the way to Miami and back to PR where I put it in hurricane tie-down. I went back to life on land for 5 months as Irma and Maria swept through and returned in December.
Yes, I seen a bunch of places but I got a lot more out of the travel than photos. I was able to disconnect and improve my life. Here are 5 of the biggest observations I made. Some will probably end up being articles in the future but for now just quick outlines for you to digest, in no particular order. They are generalizations, most likely totally not applicable to you 🙂
- We work too much. This is the case mainly in developed countries. People work too much. Some define themselves by their work and have no lives or energy to live outside of the work. The sad thing is that when asked what would you rather do, work or travel most say travel. Yet they don’t.
- We lack focus. Another interesting thing is that we treat our personal lives differently from our lives at work. At work we need to get things done because there are milestones and others that depend on us so we set clear objectives and deliver, for most part. Yet, in our personal lives we mostly don’t do that. We have no clear objectives and clear deadlines so behold, most don’t achieve their goals. Plus, we call our goals dreams as if it was something unattainable! How sad.
- We are part of social validation culture. You heard the line; Never compare yourself to others, you are unique. So why is FB and Instagram booming? Why do you feed it and keep checking the latest posts for likes, new fans or followers? Here is why, we don’t trust ourselves, instead we trust the opinions of others. That is not healthy.
- We are uneducated. Mainly speaking from personal experience here. When thinking about it, we know very little about the life around me. The names of plants, history of locations, inner mechanics of things we use on daily basis. I accredit it to too much information around us. Its not that we would not want to spend time diving into a particular thing but don’t have time/energy to do so with so much happening. So we end up consuming headlines, looking at 15 second videos and whats worse making our decisions on them which leads to a lot of wrong, short minded decisions.
- We eat poorly. Yes, there is a movement in healthy living and small percentage of us do eat well but majority does not. Whats sad, the more a country is developed the worse the eating is. I can tell you that there are no Mc Donal’s in Exumas, yet there are at more than 10 in 10square miles of Miami. By the time I can find a fruit-stand I have passed dozens of prospering fast food places and sugar shops
Do you feel stuck, with no energy to improve? The above may explain why. I made the biggest changes in 2016, pretty much enjoyed the fruits of it in 2017. Now its time to move forward again. Continue to inspire people, learn Spanish, eat better again. Nothing huge, just a bit of focus 😉
I like what you say, but.
Most people don’t and may never have the funds to buy a boat, never mind a boat they could live on.
Most people have people who depend on them and are therefore unable to enjoy such freedom.
Even if the first two reasons are not an issue, very few people are aware this life is available.
I am very happy you found this freedom. But there are sacrifices, if not real dramatic alterings of life.
If you are so lucky to have this level of luxurious living, again, I am very happy for you.
But please understand that this live is neither available not acceptable for many, except maybe in our dreams.
Hi Mary, I am glad you like the article. Sure sailing is not for everyone. This article was not really about my life’s choices but what I learned when I turned dreams into goals and luckily into a reality. In a nutshell it is about focus, education, eliminating of distractions, eating well and actually giving yourself time/space to live 🙂
Powerful stuff. I find myself on the edge of this precipice, attempting to gain the fortitude to step into the unknown. I don’t want my goals to remain dreams any longer. Thanks for putting it out there
Glad you liked it. This will sound corny but the edge is only in your mind. Once your ‘wants’ becomes ‘needs’ you will make the step, then you will realize that there are others out there already living and loving what was once the unknown 😉 – not limited to sailing 😉
Daniel, I wholeheartedly agree with your observations, conclusions and choices. My wife and I are busy getting the boat ready to make the change from a materialistic life to one of experience and adventure.
I also agree it doesn’t have to be a boat or even a permanent adventure for that matter. I understand that people have responsibilities to others (children, aging parents, etc.) and they are to be admired for fulfilling those responsibilities. However they should not let themselves be discouraged from pursuing their dreams or goals. Maybe it requires finding that magic balance.
We only get one shot at this life and I have spent enough of mine living the way I thought I should rather than the way that adds fulfillment.
I will be following.
Thanks for the smile.
Hi Michael, I am glad you liked the article. True, it applies to any goal, not just sailing. Best of luck with your life 2.0 🙂
Agree. To get here, one needs to write down goals, post them on the frig, read them every day, tgen work towards the goals. Otherwise. It will never happen. Goal setting is another key. Ongrays.