More Shall Be Reveled

I posted a story recently titled "Comprehending the trap", which is a small glimpse into a larger vision and degree of life change resulting in living a simpler and more meaningful life.

The problem is that this level of insight and change is not only a process but is a complex story to illustrate as mentioned by my own father.

He provided me some great feedback when he said "Good story. The problem as I see it is by the time a man comes to that realization, he's so swamped with the efforts of getting ahead, it will take till retirement age to clear out all the bullshit so he can live as you describe. You're extremely fortunate that your circumstances led you to the point in life you are at right now. Keep living the dream."

I got me to thinking, my father is right, most people either never see the trap or by the time they comprehend it, they are indeed at retirement age, and he is not alone in that thought process.

Something in your life brought you here, some life event or catalyst, made you look at your life and decide that you want more out of the time you have.

Many of the people I have met, including myself for a very long time, say that they don't know what they want out of life and then wonder why they can't find it or why they feel unfulfilled. It's like going to the grocery store without a list.

Redemption Road is my story. It is about overcoming some incredible life challenges, coming to terms with what I truly value in my life and making my dreams of living a rural lifestyle a reality.

I have learned that we are given one life to live with seven days in a week, and someday isn't one of them. But lesson was hard earned as I chased the American dream to my own destruction.

Ah, the American Dream: You work hard, get a good job, start a family, buy a house and then, when you're done with that house, you buy a bigger one. You accumulate wealth then pass that wealth on to your children, who will be better off than you.

In our modern society, we are encouraged to think of happiness in terms of acquisition and achievement.

We try to get as many qualifications on our resume as we can so we can get good jobs, earn good money, buy possessions and pleasures, and slowly work our way up the ladder of success.

And there is a great deal of competition for on that ladder. It is not surprising then, that so many people find this type of purpose unfulfilling.

The modern-day drive to be rich and famous has led me and many people in mainstream America down the path of struggling and obscurity.

Yet, we hide behind our egos just to make sure nobody knows our real situation.

It made me bitter, jaded, and resentful and created a voice of pure pessimism, that I continue to work on to this day.

What I have discovered for myself is that sometimes one has to fight brutally, even against one's self, to live a more authentic existence. Sometimes a little creative destruction is not only a good thing, it is necessary.

But my truth is, those things were not going to change by my wishful thinking, so I made the decision to change me and my situation.

I have made it a priority and a mission to eliminate things that impact my life in a negative way.

Thus, my move to Montana, the unrelenting drive to be debt free and as financially independent as possible, and giving of myself to those in need, not for others greed.

My journey has led me to the realization that what I needed in my life is to focus my time on the important things in my life—my health, my relationships, my growth as an individual and contributing to others in meaningful ways.

I found it was time to stop griping about the things I wasn't willing to change, and I became that change.

More Shall Be Reveled!