I have given up many things to be where I am today in the light of my future goals. I will not be the first to tell you that change is not easy but I can tell you that determination will get you where you are meant to be.

Everything happens for a reason, everyone we meet and everything that happens to us has a great reason that is up to us to discover. I can do anything I put my mind to and if it is too easy I don’t just settle. If it feels natural, then down the line it is certain to be littered with challenges. Seeking out and agreeing to shut off my whole land life to work on a cruise ship was not easy. I was a nervous wreck. I stepped foot on that cruise ship for the first time as a worker and I knew I belonged there. Working on the cruise ship is where I vented out every negative thought I had: It was several emails that would scare the crap out of you, addressed to some of the most amazing people on this planet! This is also where I fell in love with the ocean!

I returned home and for me it was not a happy homecoming. I pulled the plug here, things with me were dying inside, friendships were disappearing, and sadly I was losing connection with my family. I was always the weird one in my family and just when they got me all figured out it was like an explosion of change. I felt like they did not understand what was going on, and sometimes neither did I. Do not misunderstand, I love my family and I know they care about me but I don’t think they understand the magnitude of this change that has sparked a fire in me. Riddled with a life of negatives I wanted out. I am constantly working on a full life of positivism and in order to do that I had to leave. I was granted that window to leave and I moved to Florida! The Ocean was calling my name.

I went from leaving everything temporarily to leaving it for good. Yes for good. I left my family, my friends, my Scout group, my bike rides, my soccer team, my pizza, and about 75% of everything I owned. You know what change looks like? A packed Chevy Cobalt with a bike on the back and a kayak on top, driving 1200 miles straight through with a known history of falling asleep behind the wheel. I pulled away from my sister’s house, set my GPS, then my music and just cried.

So starts my lonely journey south…. where I am meant to be. I started back socially where I was many years ago; with one friend. It has been easy to make work friends but I am a single guy in a world of couples and married woman. I am certain after 3 years here I am meant to be single and part introvert actually. Sure I get lonely sitting at home on Saturday night getting fat on mediocre pizza and writing blogs, but I am meant for greater things and I have to keep reminding myself that. I need to stay focused on my goals.

Goals are what brought me down here, goals run my life. My social life has taken a huge hit but it is an underlining reality that I need the time to make myself bigger each day. It’s an open door to better consider what is best for my future as a motivational speaker. By any means is this lonely lifestyle boring? Anything but that really. The physical journeys have been plentiful with all my travels the last few years but I believe the time has come to focus my mind on my future career. I will never stop inspiring those willing to listen, and I will always be learning from any of your feedback as well. Life is amazing and more amazing as you find your passion and make your dreams come true.