I have always had far ranging interests, but mostly I only pursued the ones that presented themselves on a plate, with dumplings, smothered in a rich gravy, with a big helping of cauliflower and broccoli in a spicy aged cheddar cheese… err .. where was I? Oh yeah, pursuing interests. Hrm, well, over the ages, nagging, tiny, nascent glimmerings of ideas began to transform themselves into brilliant phosphorescing epiphany’s.
One of the first that hit me, right in the chin, was the fact that selling my time at an hourly rate, just wasn’t working for me. Born into bondage. The way to create wealth is with capital, not labor (make your money work for you, don’t work for your money). Just plain wrong. Alas, life got in the way, informing far too many of my decisions, pushing this epiphany to the sidelines, where it festered, as a distressing irritation in the recesses of an already distracted mind. The next blow came hard into the side of temple, causing intense pain to radiate all through my reality, leaving me staggered and gasping .. err, I shoulda kept my head up. Then, I would have seen that if I wanted to quit working, I would need a plan.
Ask and ye shall receive. I got one. Freedom 55. Essentially, it just meant maximizing my small pension plan until the earliest possible moment that I could cash it in, and then lowering my expectations and living on whatever my pension was at this point. A perfectly valid plan. Of course, as I gleefully anticipated my approaching sovereignty, I envisioned my new life, in a world where I could meet new people, have new experiences without the “job” hanging over my head, like the blood stained scythe of the grim reaper, tormenting my every waking moment with his relentless grinning, his ceaseless barbed, taunting cackles .. er .. umm …
I could envision my future, and it was azure waves lapping against a white sandy beach under the emerald rain forest canopy… The full moon shimmering off the ripples in the canals, during the New Years masquerade parties in Venice… Sunrise glinting out of wooden pilings, as I leapt off a boat gently gliding into the dockside market in Istanbul at daybreak.
I’m sure you can discern a pattern here. Or two. Firstly, I am easily distracted… and secondly all possible futures included my close proximity to the ocean. The first is hard to correct, but like all things, can be conquered by harnessing desire. Focus. The second, can easily be dealt with by a new iteration of my plan. This new version included me living on a sailboat. My new, mobile, home on the ocean. Centered in the Meditteranean with access to many of the most fascinating locations on earth. This of course meant becoming financially sovereign. I plodded along.
On Sept. 21st 2005, I was sitting in the Lido Dining Room, on Holland America Lines “MS Rotterdam”, sailing out of Glacier Bay, when I found my muse. Shazaam! My life changed instantly. From having a plan, to an inspired determination to make my plan succeed and squeeze every experience out of life that I can.
At work, I rebranded myself from the guy who only worked overtime under duress, to “OT Doug”. I find myself more open to seeing beauty. I hardly ever miss sunrises and sunsets, I hear more laughter. If I’d found my muse at 15, I would rule the world. Every moment of my existence is inspired.
Schreeeeeech!
New plan.
I saw a movie. Called “Once”. It was the story of a musician. In the story line there was a low budget recording studio. It planted a new seed that grew in my mind for about a year, until one day it seemed to bloom, fully formed.
Instead of spending long hours alone in my boat, I will immerse myself in a the creation of music. Initial googling of “music studio for sale” suggests I can buy a professional studio for $750k. Business owners tell me in a normal credit environment that if I had $250k cash I could borrow the other $500k if I have a viable business plan.
The bonus in this is that it can all be scaled. I could have a ghetto studio for $10k or a fixer upper for $100k. Doable. I am focused. I have 3 years left.
But, maybe, most important, is that I live every day with a viable dream that makes my heart sing.
Ask me about it.
Watch my eyes sparkle.
