One of the best things about keeping a journal is reading your thoughts from a different time period in your life.
It can be so insightful. It’s a thought map showing a trail of bread crumbs to my present state and actions. I’ve read thoughts which have been seeds congruent with my ideas right now, as well as the thoughts that are no longer congruent in my life today.
Journal entries can also be whole-heartily hilarious. I’ve read funny stories of my past encounters, frustrations and struggles. I chuckle warmly at my twisted interpretations, some of which, I’ve carried the weight of the world on my shoulders at the time, and now are only figments of some past dream.
As I read my journal last week, I notice an entry about the things that make me feel good. The entry is dated about 18 months ago.
My answer to what makes me feel good: To write and work on my blog, to read, to work out and exercise, to keep in touch with close friends and family. That is what is important to me. Dedicating my time to these things makes me happy.
At the time of this entry, I was working full time as a salesman in the real estate space. I had a great job, made great money, and worked with great people. I set my own schedule. I worked from home. In fact, it wasn’t just a great job. It was a dream job. I worked from my 34th floor story apartment building, in Miami, Florida overlooking Biscayne Bay.
I cannot express my gratitude enough for this company, and the time I invested there. I’ve maintained a very close relationship with this company, and its owner, and I always will.
But something was missing. I was sacrificing something….
Something had to change…
I enjoyed my job, and the aspects of it, but I was burning out. The continuous push to make sales calls and to chase and earn higher sales numbers, eventually took its toll.
I remember the feeling in the coffee shops in the morning. I would be reading, or writing, and all I wanted to do was to continue to be creative, continue to finish a blog post, or continue reading a book I couldn’t put down.
Then, the clock would strike. I would have to get up, walk to my apartment, and jump on the phone and sell. Again, this was not a job I detested, in fact I liked it, and the benefits were vital to my life, and the course of my life.
But at the same time, I started to create another passion outside of work; of writing and being creative. I wanted to read and learn new things, and share those things I learned or experienced with others through my blog.
This feeling only grew over time.
As this love grew, I started looking at life, and “investment” differently over the last few years.
I recall a Facebook post, I wrote in the summer of 2015:
“14 mile bike ride in Coconut Grove, writing for 2 hours, reading for 3 hours, and then had a good conversation with Momma. I will put today in the bank and reinvest in more days just like this.”
I wanted to start investing in days; in days that made me feel good.
Not money.
The shift.
I wanted to put days in the bank first, rather than focusing all of my energies on money. Money is certainly important, and necessary, but not as a substitute of completely sacrificing the days you have, the things you enjoy, and the things that make you feel good.
So as of October 2015, I made the tough, life changing decision.
With the help and motivation of a friend, who decided to quit his job and travel the world for a year, I decided to give my notice, and go along for the journey.
Now was the perfect time (when is now not the perfect time). This would be the year that I would focus my energies, with clarity of intention, on what makes me feel good.
Fortunately, I can also do all of this while traveling around the world. I am experiencing culture, learning new philosophies, perspectives and histories through the different lenses of the world. I can share all of this with people through my blog and other social media platforms.
Having said that, my core values and core rituals are what do it for me.
No matter where I am, or what I’m doing.
I knew this bliss while I was working full time, and I still know this bliss, while I am jobless; backpacking around the world.
So I encourage you, no matter what stage you are in life to follow your bliss, or to keep looking for your bliss.
You might be stuck in a job you don’t like. You might not be making enough money to travel. You might not be making enough money to start your own dream business. You might not think you have enough time to go after your passion.
Here’s my advice, here’s what I did:
Start saving 1% of your income, then 2% then 3% then 5%, then 10%. Write down what your bliss is. Then start writing down ideas on how you can express that bliss; keep a journal. Start creating the project, the art piece, that book, that idea you’re dreaming of for just 5 minutes a day.
Have patience.
Think day-by-day. Think spare 5 minutes by the next spare 5 minutes. Think $1 by $1 in your new savings account called “travel around the world,” or called “6 months living expenses to write a book.”
Throughout my early and mid 20’s, I made some poor financial investment decisions, and I was an irresponsible spender. I had no money saved, and some credit card debt.
And through wake up call of a financial “money mindset” seminar, I knew I needed to get my act together.
I started saving 5% of my income, then 10% every week, I started becoming smarter with the way I spent money. Over the next couple of years my income increased, and I started saving 20-30% of the income I earned.
Around the same time, I started a blog, which was no more than a hobby, but it became my creative outlet for expression. I only wrote on the weekends for 2 years, “Sunday afternoon blog time.”
Then I started writing in the mornings, just journaling for 20-30 minutes, or starting blog posts before I would start my sales calls.
This was my process for 2-3 years before the moment when the starts aligned; when I had enough money saved to travel, when I had a friend that was going down the same path, when I desired the strongest to work on my writing, and share inspiration with my fan base.
You can do the same.
You just might have to put in those 2-3 years like I did.
It can take you even sooner. I transitioned very slowly.
On the flip side it might take longer than 2-3 years.
But here’s the catch…
It’s not just about deciding to travel the world immediately, or quitting your job if you are not prepared.
It’s about investing in your bliss right now. Investing in what makes you feel good. It’s about doing that every day, even if it’s only for 5 minutes.
Make that investment of 5 minutes, and then you can reinvest in more of those 5 minute moments in your life.
It will start to add up. Keep reinvesting.
You will soon have a big bank account of not minutes; but days, weeks, months, and years that make you feel good.
In my best Tom Cruise, “Jerry Maguire” voice, and my audacity to change a famous movie script line, I holler:
“SHOW ME THE…… “DAYS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD!”
Joseph Metcalfe
Joe this was an awesome post! Very inspirational. Live the life you imagined! There will come a time when work and living your dream evolve into one and the same thing. Keep up the passion.
Good Post Joey! I love reading about your travels. I share a lot of the same feeling and I hope to be traveling more soon! See you in 6ish months! -Sammy