On Being You

Ya Just Gotta Be You

Dear Friend,

One of the concerns that I had before I decided to take my life (and my family’s lives) in a completely new direction was what people around me might think.

You know what I’m talking about.  For some folks, being different comes easy.  But for those of us who grew up among the cliques and jock/freak/nerd labels of public high school, you can’t help but feel a bit of a cringe when you realize that what you are about to do is, well, different.

I think that most guys wouldn’t want to admit that they have this twinge but, in the very beginning at least, when the thought of taking command of your life first begins to kindle in the back of your mind, such a silly little fear can be just enough to snuff out that little spark – perhaps forever.

I have to admit, today I rarely think about this.  I am convinced that the lifestyle that my family is living is quite superior to what most of our peers have allowed their families to wallow in.

Yet my primary goal with this blog is to reach people who, perhaps, just had a tiny spark of inspiration.  Maybe you just had a great day with your kids, and you wondered if there was any way in the world that that moment could last forever.  Maybe you just felt a bit jealous as a you heard about a friend of a friend who is living their life to the fullest.

These moments are fleeting.  Yet it is how we react to these fleeting moments, which invariably occur when we least expect them, that will determine the quality of our lives.

Yes, it’s that big.

And we have been trained by life to ignore such thoughts in favor of keeping our nose to the grindstone, lest we not get our work done.

I’m here to tell you to stop the work.  Stop whatever you are doing (as long as you can do so safely) and really let that fleeting thought sink in.

And don’t let that old fear of being “different” have any effect on you.  Instead, turn the “being different” fear into a “being incredibly cool” thrill.  Now that your inner high schooler can understand.

It is the little sparks that start the wildfires of our life.  Don’t snuff yours out before it has a chance to burn.  Throw gasoline on it instead!

All the best,

Hugh