A Toast: To New Beginnings!

Each year we begin anew, but does it really work that way? A lot of people make new year’s resolutions, but how many of them actually stick? The majority probably are forgotten within a few weeks.

What makes these promises stick? Do we have to be jolted by an accident or even be threatened by death to really want to change? I believe most people need something to slap them in the face and remind them that we are here for a reason.

We all have a purpose. We all have something to share. Let the coming year be one of sharing and connecting with others, because is there anything else? In the past year, this is something I’ve started to realize more and more.

Instead of chasing money and amassing more material wealth, I have started to focus on what I can give and it is slowly changing my life. The joy that comes from giving, sharing and making connections with people is amazing.

With the internet, you can connect with almost anyone. The beauty of having your own presence online is that people find you. I recently started my blog and I am already receiving e-mail from people I would’ve never met otherwise.

Looking Back

It’s amazing how much your life can change in a year. In the beginning of this year I was still a professional poker player making a living playing cards. It was slowly eating up my soul. When I began playing poker in 2004, I was passionate about the game and I was hungry to learn how the game was played.

One of the main reasons I started playing poker was to get out of the whole 9-5 thing, I wanted to be free and this was my out. I was washing boxes in a warehouse a summer in 2004 when I heard that a friend of a friend had made $500 playing online poker. That’s when I thought “If he can, I can.” I was in it mostly for the money, but I realized that there was a very interesting strategic aspect to the game.

In the last few years as my heart was pulling me in another direction, I kept playing and going against my intuition. I was afraid of abandoning poker because of the money I was making. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to make a living doing something else.

I think this is a common theme for everyone in their life when they are transitioning from one thing to another. Fear of the unknown is a big stumbling block for most of us. It took me a few years to reach this breaking point and really say enough is enough. I do not want to keep playing poker and have money if I cannot be happy.

That’s when I started building websites about topics I was passionate about. This was in the beginning of the year. As time went on I discovered that I had fallen into a pattern of making money again. Although I was heading in the right direction, I was still not at the place I wanted to be.

This is what gave birth to my blog the Wake Up Cloud. It is what I am truly passionate about right now. It allows me to share and connect. I encourage everyone to have their own blog and share their thoughts. You don’t have to make money doing it. It is an amazing tool to connect and it opens doors for you.

Looking Forward

As my whole being shifts from one state to another, so does my external reality. I will be moving to another country and working harder than ever to get my blog off the ground. Whether or not I will be doing the same thing for the rest of my life I do not know.

In the coming year I will be sharing what I know, making connections and following my heart as much as possible. I am currently making my living off of my niche websites, but I would like to shift my focus towards my blog and be able to provide so much value that I will be able to make a living from it.

Luckily, I do not require a lot of money to live comfortably, so that is a goal that is more than achievable. I am surprised at how much money people think they need to live comfortably. I live a very simple lifestyle, yet I feel I have everything I need.

Simplifying your life allows you to work less, worry less and enjoy life more. This means that even if you can only make a small living doing what you love, it might just be enough if you live within your means. After all, the best things in life don’t have a price tag.

Living For Today

Something I discovered this year is that we have to learn to trust our feelings. If you’re living for the weekends and working a job you hate, you have to start taking responsibility. You alone are responsible for your circumstances.

You can always start working on something you love while working the job you hate. There’s no need to jump face first into a deep black hole, although that might be fun, the results might not. There will never be a perfect opportunity to do what you love. The stars will not align, so start now and you will see amazing things happen.

What about YOU?

What will you be starting this new year? Do you get stuck looking back? Or worry, looking too far ahead? What stops you from getting started on something new?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

(Photo Credit)

Forget Resolutions, Live for Today is a post from: Quest for Balance

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“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” –John Ruskin

Well, it is now officially snowing in Vermont. I believe the first day we got a foot of snow, which, in Georgia would’ve qualified as enough to shut down the entire State. The second day we got a bunch more and, after that, I stopped keeping track.

There is a LOT of snow, and the snowflakes are so huge that they don’t all fall DOWN. Some of them just float around, defying gravity, prolonging their joyful dance until they are so exhausted, they flop down on top of the others to help erase all the little differences on the surface of the world.

It is a sight to behold.

“The snow itself is lonely or, if you prefer, self-sufficient. There is no other time when the whole world seems composed of one thing and one thing only.” –Joseph Wood

Many of you have been wondering (as I have) how I would feel about the snow, since I am a girl from the tropics. I absolutely LOVED autumn in Vermont, but who doesn’t? Stick season, to be honest, got kind of boring because it was cold and gray and, well… just plain cold. Snow season, on the other hand, isn’t just cold… it’s beautifully breathtaking. Magical, even.

I love it.

Consider however, that I stay at home, and Hunter is homeschooled. So, the only time we have to be out in it, is when we feel like playing, or having an adventure (as seen in these pictures). I’m sure that makes all the difference in the world. Jeff, on the other hand, has to go to work most days.

So, for people who are new to the snow AND actually have to be out in it, whether they want to or not, I thought I’d put together a list of ten tips I’ve learned in the past three days… some of them the hard way.

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1. When you park, keep your windshield wipers UP.

I’m not entirely sure what happens if you don’t, but I’m guessing it has something to do with freezing them in an unusable position because of the cold and weight of the snow. Hunter and I discovered this as we walked around town and saw 90% of the parked cars had their wipers pointing straight up. The other 10% are probably tourists, or noobs.

2. Remove the snow above the driver door BEFORE you open it.

Jeff learned this lesson on his first snowy work day, when he ended up with a pile of snow in the driver’s seat. Snow has a wonderful way of making us aware of the effects of gravity… which brings us to #3.

3. Don’t stand or park directly under awnings, or close to buildings.

It is mind-boggling how MUCH snow accumulates on the roof of each house and, when it warms up, how heavy the snow that will suddenly fall can be. Not only that, but icicles! I don’t mean cute little icicles like the ones dangling on the bushes. I mean four-foot, lethal weapons threatening to let go of their second-story perch! Most tall buildings have signs that say, “Watch for falling ice and snow.” I say, “Yeah… What they said.”

4. Walking in snow is like walking in water.

Whenever I am at the beach, I like to walk as far as I can go in about a foot of water, kicking up spray as I go along. It’s fun and misty and magical, and it makes me feel like a kid. (Plus, it makes for a nicer tan, fyi.) I noticed that the same thing happens in a foot of powdery snow… it kicks up beautifully, and hangs in the wind.

The flip side of that is, like water, snow provides a bunch of resistance. So, when you are deciding how far you are going to trek through the snow, consider in your calculations that your feet will sink INTO the snow, and it is infinitely more tiring (and a better workout) than walking on a hard surface.

5. When you see a beautiful mound of fluffy snow, don’t throw yourself on top of it.

Odds are, there is probably something UNDER it. This is one Hunter discovered (with his knee,) and probably applies more to kids, who find it absolutely necessary to jump on, or kick, any mound of snow they see. Nine out of ten times, the mound is there because something solid (and painful) lurks beneath.

6. Waterproof yourself from head to toe.

The first day I went out in it, I had waterproof boots, gloves, and jacket… but my pants and hat were not waterproof. Since it was snowing, my hat was soon soaked (no longer warm) and, when I knelt or sat, my pants were soaked (no longer warm). Noobs have a tendency to forget that snow = water, and when it gets on non-waterproof articles of clothing, it will mercilessly soak you to the bone. Fortunately, Hunter was completely waterproof, because he BURIED himself in snow!

7. That horrible noise you hear at three or four in the morning, that sounds like the SWAT Team is rolling in to ambush you, is probably just the city snow plow.

Unless, of course, you are a fugitive, in which case it may BE the SWAT Team coming to get you (and I don’t have any good advice for what to do in that scenario.) As awful as it is to hear that sound, it really is pretty handy to have them out there getting the roads ready to be driven on for the morning commute. It makes the snow brown and yucky, but greatly increases the odds of you safely getting to where you are going.

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8. To make a snowman, you need the right kind of snow.

The first day, I tried to teach Hunter how to make a snowman with powdery snow. That’s like trying to make one out of flour… none too effective. By the second day, it had melted enough to stick together and pack tightly. This is precisely the kind of snow needed for making snowmen and, coincidentally, for having snowball fights. If it’s too melty, though, you might be having an ice-ball fight… which has “E.R. Visit” written all over it.

(As a side note, having wind chimes around when you are playing in the snow, creates the illusion that you are actually in Narnia, and may keep you on the lookout for magical, dancing fawns. Or, maybe that’s just me.)

9. Certain things don’t work as well in the cold and snow.

For instance, brakes. I have learned that it is best to use lower gears to slow down, instead of applying the brakes. Also, regular tires are not so great. You really should get snow tires put on sometime in the Fall. Oh, and cameras get a little finicky if the temperature drops too low. Ours won’t even turn on when it gets cold enough. So, if you are going on a snowy adventure, make sure your camera works in the cold.

10. Safety tip: A thick layer of snow can completely cover just about anything.

When Hunter and I were walking around the corn field today, we noticed that what is left of the stalks was just below the surface. If you tripped and fell on one of those, you would seriously put an eye out… or worse. Beyond that was a slight indentation in the field… which turned out to be an almost frozen creek. It was just frozen enough for snow to pile up on top of it and camouflage the potential danger below. So, before you go traipsing off in the endless fields of snow, make sure you KNOW what lies beneath.

That’s it. That is all I’ve learned in my first three days of snow.

What about YOU?

Do you have any useful tips for snow noobs, like me?

“The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.” –Doug Larson

Thanks!!!

Ten Useful Tips for Snow Noobs, Like Me is a post from: Quest for Balance

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I wrote this last week, in my pen and paper journal, because I was feeling a little anxious about something I was about to do. It wasn’t making any sense to me, and yet I felt I should follow “the signs” and do it anyway. I’ve decided to share it here with you, unedited.

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I knew a girl (we’ll call her Sally) who was four years old. She loved to ask, “Why?” for every little thing. One day, I started to make a salad. I took out all the ingredients and put them on the counter. When she asked what I was making, I told her… “Salad.”

Sally: “Why are you making a salad?”

Me: “Um… I don’t know. I guess because it’s lunch time and I’m hungry.”
(I suppose I could’ve made some other food, but chose to make salad.)

Sally: “Why are you cutting those tomatoes?”

Me: “To put in my salad.”
(I started thinking, WHY are you asking me so many questions?!)

Sally: “Why are you putting peppers in the salad?”

Me: (Starting to get a little irritated…) “Because, I like them.”
(I was thinking, What difference does it make? Let me be!)

Sally: “Why are you using vinegar? That’s yucky!”

Me: “Because I happen to LIKE vinegar.”
(Thinking, WHY couldn’t you just let me make my salad in peace?!)

Anyway, I got to thinking recently… “WHY?” is not a very relevant question in daily life (unless you are a scientist). It doesn’t really matter why I’m making food, why it is a salad, why I chose each vegetable, and why I added vinegar… does it?

I just did. Period.

Having to know and understand the reason for everything we do is exhausting! What if, instead, we just DO. Just BE.

What if we ask, “Why Not?”

Today I am going to a community meditation session with a bunch of strangers. WHY? I don’t know. I don’t need to know.

I just AM.

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UPDATE FROM LATER THAT DAY:

So, I went to the place where the meditation was supposed to be… only, they aren’t there anymore. When I showed up, I saw a woman (about my age) working with fire and metal. (Note to self: Coolness!)

I knocked, and asked about the wellness studio. She didn’t know anything about it, but said she had just moved into that art studio… she’s a metal smith who recently moved here.

I could’ve just said, “Thanks,” and left. In fact, that was what I wanted to do. But, instead I said, “Um… I believe that everything happens for a reason; there are no accidents. I don’t know WHY, but I feel certain I was supposed to meet you.”

She then invited me in, showed me her studio, and told me she had almost moved to the Adirondacks, but felt “pulled” to move here. I said, “No way! Me too! I almost moved to Johnstown!” Anyway, we talked for a while, and she was very nice. We exchanged information and hope to meet for coffee soon.

So, I felt called to that place for a meditation that was not to be and, instead, met this woman who is very interesting and doesn’t know anyone in town yet.

WHY?

Was it for me? Is she somehow going to help me with my goals and dreams? Was it for her? Is she lonely and wanting someone to talk to? Is it for something else entirely?

I don’t know. I don’t care. It just IS.

We don’t always have to know or understand the reasons why we want to do things. We just need to do them. Follow our hearts, our feelings, our dreams.

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LATEST UPDATE:

After that meeting, I got inspired to dabble in art. I’ve always liked “the arts” in general, but I decided to start creating my own art… just for the fun of it. I have been taking pictures of my Extreme Candle Meditation sessions in order to create unique colors and textures from molten wax. You can see some samples of my “work” (that sounds so Bohemian, doesn’t it?) at Deviant Art.

I wonder if this woman I met was just meant to inspire me… to be my catalyst? Who knows? I followed my intuition, went where I felt I should, and ended up inspired.

What more could I ask for?

What about You?

Do you get bogged down trying to have good reasons for everything you do? Do you need to understand why everything happens, or why people do what they do? Could you replace “Why?” with “Why not?”

Thanks!

(Photo Credit)

Shifting from “Why?” to “Why Not?” is a post from: Quest for Balance

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When I announced that we were leaving the rat race with no Plan B, I got basically two reactions from readers. Most are completely excited and happy for us because we’ve escaped the golden handcuffs. But a significant number are worried about the practical realities of this move… how is it actually going to work out? In essence, we have become guinea pigs for others who have considered making such a decision but aren’t sure it is safe to do so.

I hope to chronicle this latest adventure in a few different ways, so as to paint as complete a picture as possible. My first rule is to not spend ALL of my time blogging because I want to be fully present in everything we are going through, rather than buried in my laptop. So, at least during August, my posts won’t be as long, and some of them may just be photos with captions.

The posts I do write about this adventure will likely fall into one of these categories:

Spirit of Adventure: Cool stuff we’re doing throughout our journey.

Real Life Gurus: People I meet who are interesting or teach me something about life.

Road to Freedom Updates: The practical realities of our situation, including emotional and psychological effects.

I don’t think it would be fair to write only about the cool and adventurous things we’re doing because, the reality is, this is a risky decision that is not without uncomfortable consequences. If we are going to live up to our role as guinea pigs, we need to report the good, the bad, and the ugly stuff we’re going through. And if you have specific questions about something I haven’t addressed, by all means, email them to me and I’ll include my answers in the RTF Updates.

So, having established that whole preamble, here’s my first Road to Freedom Update:

1.”Frienemies”

- One of the first things we noticed after Jeff quit his job was a change in the way our friends treat us. I guess it’s because they can’t commiserate with us about how tough and unfair life is, or how screwed we all are by this recession. Maybe they feel we have abandoned them, or they simply can’t relate to us.

For the most part, they find it baffling that Jeff doesn’t know when or where he will start work again, or how much money he will make… it seems like an irresponsible risk to take.

2. Mortgage

- As soon as it was official, I called the bank to talk about my mortgage situation. I wanted to keep them “in the loop” rather than simply stop paying. I was hoping they might let me skip a payment or two and tack it on at the end, to give the house time to sell. They do offer several programs to help owners avoid foreclosure, but I have to be behind on payments first.

So… for the first time in my life, I’m not making my next mortgage payment. It feels really weird because I have astronomically fantastic credit, and used to be an accountant (obsessive about paying bills on time), but… the reality is, we may need that money just to survive so I can’t part with it now.

3. Bill Reduction

- As of August 1, we will have no cable t.v. or land line (will keep the cell phone, and internet). In addition, I will try to put our student loans in deferment. Just these changes will save us about $300 per month. We also need to cut back on electricity (air conditioning in the summer), water consumption, and anything else we can think of. I know at some point we may have to give up internet as well, and use the library or Wi-Fi hotspots, instead.

4. Groceries

- My shopping list changed drastically right away. Now I’m buying more pasta, potatoes, rice, and onions. I know it’s an Atkins diet nightmare, but it’s cheap and will fill us up. I’m also using corn flour and water to make tortillas, then adding beans and produce to make a fairly nutritious and affordable meal.

Basically, I’m shopping and cooking like a Costa Rican now. I even gave up my favorite coffee creamer, and will stick with milk and sugar, instead. Truthfully, I should’ve been doing this all along.

5. Insurance

- A few days after Jeff turned in his notice, he had a bike wreck on the road. He got scuffed up a good bit and slammed his head into the pavement hard enough to crack his helmet. He had a mild concussion, but basically is fine. Mostly what this did was remind us that it could have been much worse. He could’ve suffered a traumatic head injury, or been hit by a car!

Aside from the emotional and psychological “life is fragile” effect this had, it added to our fear of being without medical insurance. For as long as we can, we will keep Hunter on COBRA coverage because of his prior surgeries; but Jeff and I won’t be covered at all. This is a big deal… at least in the States.

6. Sunday Syndrome

- This is what I had started to call that black cloud that appeared in our house every Sunday, as Jeff began to think about going back to work the following day. It is no exaggeration when I tell you that what happened on Sundays was one of the main reasons I wanted him to quit. ANYTHING would be better than repeatedly feeling the weight of that misery in our home.

It wasn’t good for our marriage, our health, or our son. That cloud has completely vanished. Now we are a little nervous, but decidedly NOT miserable anymore. We have some moments of anxiety… thinking, “What if the savings run out before we find another source of income?” But, by and large, we mostly feel relieved, and happy to be alive.

Bottom Line: If we had this decision to make over again, would we do it? 100% YES

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments, or email me:

MyQuestForBalance (at) gmail (dot) com

Thanks!!!

(Photo Credit)

Road To Freedom Update #1: First Impressions is a post from: Quest for Balance

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I love a good road trip… doesn’t everyone?

I remember taking road trips with my parents and three siblings in a van from Miami to Upstate New York, and from Southern California to Vancouver. When I was in college, my dad and I drove from San Diego to Laredo, Texas, and all the way to Costa Rica… just the two of us and the open road.

I’ll never forget being in middle-of-nowhere Mexico and my dad telling me to stop and fill up at EVERY gas station I saw because they were not conveniently spaced. We might go 300 miles without seeing another station, so we’d better have enough gas to make it.

I remember each border-crossing taking forever, as we waited for all the right immigration forms to be reviewed, approved, and stamped… into Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and, finally, into Costa Rica. I distinctly remember wondering if we were EVER going to get there and, more importantly, how my dad could put me through such torture.

Looking back, I remember that as one of the best experiences of my life.

I want to put my son through that kind of torture… the kind he’ll probably suffer through as it’s happening, but get all nostalgic about later on. We’ve done some mini-trips, from Georgia to Orlando or North Carolina; and we drove from Austin when we moved back to Georgia. But those were more about getting to our destination, and not so much about enjoying the journey. Well that’s about to change.

You may recall from my Leap of Faith post that my husband just quit his corporate job and, as of August 1, we will be officially unemployed. Clearly we are going to have to remedy that situation at some point, but first we need to enjoy his new-found freedom. We will celebrate with a road trip during the month of August.

We don’t have a firm itinerary because we want to leave room to go where the wind blows us at times, but we have some ideas of people and places we’d like to visit along the way.

Here’s what we have planned so far:

August 6: Leave Georgia for Virginia, or Washington, D.C., depending on how we feel after all that driving.

August 7: Stop in New Jersey to pick up Nadia (Happy Lotus) and her husband, Jacob. Although I’ve chatted with Nadia online, and talked to her on the phone, this will be the first time I get to meet her in person, and I am thrilled about that. It’s one of the highlights of this trip. We’re heading to New York City together!

August 8: We’ll try to see and do some of the things one MUST see and do in NYC until around lunch time. At that point we will continue our journey to upstate New York. I definitely would rather spend more time with them in NYC, but given our lack of income… we figured we should keep it short and sweet. We’ll visit again when we are more solvent.

August 9: We’ll be getting settled in at our “base camp” for three weeks, in Johnstown, NY. My mom’s brothers live there, and she always told me I needed to get in touch with my McGregor roots (her side of the family) so… by golly, there’s no time like the present!

First week: (No idea what happens yet.)

Weekend of the 15th: Visit Niagara Falls and cross the border over to Canada where we will stay with some friends we haven’t seen in a while.

Second week: I would like to visit a new friend I met on Twitter, in Vermont. I promised her a cup of Green Mountain Coffee, and I’m dying to meet her in person. Plus, I’m about due for my pilgrimage to the Ben & Jerry’s factory there.

Third week: Spend some time in the Adirondacks, maybe Lake Placid, and further explore my McGregor roots. Might go to Rhode Island to visit my cousin, Megan… or she may come see us. Then we’ll head back home. I’m not sure what the route home will look like yet. I’d like to take Hunter to the Smithsonian, but don’t know yet if it will fit in our limited budget.

Well,  this gives you an idea of what’s coming up. I plan to blog along the way, posting pictures and sharing lessons I learn from Real Life Gurus. I will keep comments open the entire time so you can come along with me, and make suggestions.

Do you love road trips? Do you have any great road trip memories to share with us? Words of advice… helpful hints… cautionary tales?

Thanks!!!

(Photo Credit)

Adventure: The Road To Freedom is a post from: Quest for Balance

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