“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
Treasure the Present Moment
After discovering my purpose, I decided to leave my high-paying engineering job and took a risk by betting on myself.
Without personal obligations, I had the privilege to pursue my dream.
Having financial savings allowed me to live without having a consistent income.
Additionally, I reduced my overhead cost by moving into a smaller place and having housemates.
This minimalistic, simple, and fulfilling life enabled me to engage in activities that mattered most to me.
To keep myself focused, I built tasks and responsibilities for myself. And every day, I was excited to wake up and live my dream.
Daily, I had the flexibility to prioritize the following:
- Business
- Exercise
- Hobbies/interests
- Dating
- Family and friends
Additionally, I explored my other desires in nature which included the following:
- Hiking up Half Dome in Yosemite
- Backpacking in the Grand Canyon
- Hiking in Zion National Park
- Summiting Mount Whitney
- Traveling to Kauai and hiking the Kalalau trail
Highlights from that accelerated personal and professional growth journey consisted of the following:
- Published my book The Self-Mastery Plan
- Completed a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat
- Took on an officer at my Toastmasters club
- Improved my yoga practice
- Enhanced my swimming skills
- Participated in salsa dance classes
- Learned martial arts
- Met numerous beautiful women while engaging in the various fun activities
- Went on hiking and climbing trips with friends
- Participated in improv classes
And as a final celebration, I took a three-month spontaneous trip to Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam) and experienced the following:
- Different cultural experiences
- Fun and novel activities
- New friends from around the world
- Taste of exotic fruits and delicious cuisines
Intangibly, I further strengthened my self-trust and confidence knowing that I can handle any situation.
Reflecting back, that was the most memorable time of my life because I created impactful work, generated unforgettable memories, experienced different cultures, and built many lifelong relationships.
Honor Your Deepest Desires
While work and generating money are important, there is more to life than that. Therefore, it is imperative that you design your life to make time for what is most important to you.
This may mean experiencing more personal growth and fulfillment, which requires conscious planning to allow you to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
To be regularly excited about life, you can be a continuous learner by acquiring new hobbies and/or further developing a particular skill.
And when you lose interest in one pastime, you can take a short break from it and work on something else.
By concentrating on an activity that is not your main focus, you can recharge and regain clarity and reinvigorate your purpose.
This may require getting out of your comfort zone.
One way is to go somewhere new where you can absorb yourself in the present moment through the fascination and newness around you.
And to take a step further, you can go on a solo trip to a foreign country.
This way, you are fully dependent on yourself and are forced to be uncomfortable such as the following:
- Make new connections
- Speak in a foreign language
- Immerse in new cultures
- Eat exotic cuisines
Following your curiosity, you become a student of life. By curiously listening to others without the urge to interject, you can expand your way of thinking and have a deeper understanding of others’ ways of living and beliefs.
As a result, you can build empathy and compassion for others. Additionally, you gain an unfamiliar perspective and knowledge about the world.
And along the way, you can also create serendipitous loving relationships that you normally wouldn’t have.
Realize Your Dream
Money is a combination of your precious time and effort.
You can use that to fuel your lifestyle and allow you to pursue your deepest desires.
By taking a mini-retirement, you can reward yourself with adventures to give you zest and energy.
- Travel to your dream destinations
- Start your passion project
- Work on your noble mission-driven ventures
- Go on a spiritual journey to learn more about yourself and the world
Ask yourself:
- “What is it that I truly want to do?”
- “What activities are on my bucket list?”
- “What would I regret the most if my life ended tomorrow?”
Below all the layers, your heart knows the answers. Let it guide you to realizing your dream.
Closing Thoughts
Time is limited and your finite resource.
How do you spend it?
Why are you exhausting it in those ways?
To realign your actions with your core values and highest priorities, ask yourself the following;
- “What are my goals and dreams?”
- “What matters most to me?”
- “What is stopping me from doing that very thing?”
- “Why I am working so hard?”
- “What is it all for?”
Your dream has always been inside you. Start living it now.
I am on a mission to help 1,000,000 people, and I can’t do that without your help. Please share this article with anyone who you may think will find it valuable and helpful. Thank you very much! I greatly appreciate it!
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