Who's In Charge?

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool. 

It's tough to wake up grateful and thankful for every little thing, but it surely starts the day off nice. I am super grateful for my wonderful fans, readers, angels, friends, framily, spirits, ghosts and silly puppy dog.

There is a roof over my head, food to prepare, clothes in the closet and canine companionship. I am very thankful for this good fortune! All my needs are met and most of my wants too!

Here's a budget twist:
Any time I think I need to buy something, I am able to resist the urge by taking pictures of the interior of my motorhome. In a picture, one clearly sees, the chaos! That's enough to spur me on to catch up on the housekeeping and forget all about shopping. I tell myself "Be grateful for what you have and stop whining or worrying about what you don't have." This has saved me tons of foolish spending. Of course living in a tiny space also saves a lot of money, there just isn't room to accumulate things that are not of frequent use.

I thought housekeeping in a tiny home would be easier, and maybe it is in some ways, but small space means if 9 things are out of place, the entire home looks like a disaster. Ditto for not making up the bed, you get to see the mess all day, there isn't a way to "hide" the bedroom.

Add to that one mischievous puppy dog with a recuperating owner and it's no small feat that we ever get the place cleaned up at all.

There is a great book out on the market:

You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead

Much of my life has been spent without owning a TV. Oddly enough, the author suggests early on to turn off the TV, cancel the cable and start living, or something to that effect. He also says that many folks are too lazy to take his recommendations. Now there is a wake up call!

I've lead a fulfilling life of far more adventures that I ever dreamed possible. But the truth?

The truth is it was (and is!) VERY hard work. Certain opportunities came my way briefly. In many cases I sniffed them over carefully because some opportunities just never repeat. If you miss out on a fabulous chance to do something wonderful, the reality is, you might never get that chance again. But other opportunities will present themselves, if you pay attention. I don't want to live my life in regret.

It's so easy to ignore the opportunities knocking at your door day after day. It's easier to say "I can't" rather than say "What if?" 

The "What if?" means challenging yourself to step outside your comfort zone and follow your dreams. 

I can not return to the life I love, of crewing professionally on sailing yachts in the Caribbean. My body is just beat up wore out and struggling to overcome massive medical hurdles with alternative treatments rather than Western medicine. (This too is hard work!) I can't physically do the demanding work and long hours of crewing afloat. 

But the good news is, I did it while I could and LOVED it! 

I had this opportunity when my body was in far better shape. I seized it and ran with it. I had a blast!  I met wonderful eccentric people from different countries, some of them quite famous. I worked aboard exotic yachts. I saw many different ports across three oceans and I loved every minute of it. Well most of them anyhow. 

Sheer moments of blissful contentment relieved by sheer moments of pure terror!

What if I had said no to that opportunity?  If it came around now, I wouldn't be able to seize it. But when it did come around, I opened the knocking door and stepped outside. It was hard work getting there and there were a few nights I cried believing I was homesick for my old lifestyle. But those rotten times were quickly replaced with ecstatic happiness at being able to work barefoot visiting exotic beaches while getting paid for working. What a life!

I thought I would spend all the rest of my days living in the Caribbean, but things happened, opportunity knocked and well here I am recuperating, rambling, roving in a beat up old body in a beat up old motorhome, lost in America. And I love it! I woke up ALIVE today. I'm not living in a discarded cardboard box, I'm not hungry, I'm not lonely, most of my clothes aren't holey. Life is GRAND. All my basic needs are met. 

Now it's up to me to make this the best day of my life. 

Maybe some think they can lay around on the couch waiting for their dreams to fall into their lap. Maybe they will. But that approach never worked for me. 

If you want to follow your dreams, you might have to start with some simple changes in lifestyle. As you get used to little changes, this will prepare you for big changes and perhaps the chance to truly follow your dreams. You may have to stop spending money on frivolous junk. You may have to turn off the TV, unplug the computer, get up and go live your dreams. It can happen.

Who's in charge?

Tag! You're it!