The Call

In the words of Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Wanderlust

Wedding Day September 5, 1981
Wanderlust: An intense desire for or impulse to wander or travel and see and explore new places.

 In 1981 Charlotte and I abandoned a traditional lifestyle with the intent of seeking new and exciting venues in which to experience life together. That involved living off the grid for several years, mining for gold, living with less; less stress, less material things and way less money. In doing so, we have discovered some basic truths for us: “things” do not equate to happiness; stress and time are the cost of needing and having more and finally; “stuff”or things, and the pursuit of material wealth tend to get in the way of being in touch with yourself and others.   
King's Canyon - 
Climb to the top of Morro Rock

That brings me to today’s post: We have put down roots here in Brookings, Oregon for the past five years and we love it here. Brookings will remain our home, however, we have begun to recognize that we are getting stale, boring and uninspired. We miss that excitement of living on the edge, daring to explore new places and experiences and not just taking life for granted. So, in preparation for getting back out there, we are seriously downsizing, striving for a minimalistic lifestyle that will serve us well as we venture forth. With rising rents and expenses we can no longer afford to stay in our little farmhouse so we are making plans to move into a "tiny house" in the form of a 24 foot travel trailer. 

I’ll close with a quote from Henry David Thoreau that we included in our wedding vows, “I went to the woods to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
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