I don't need what I have

I've just finished reading The Man Who Quit Money (by Mark Sudeen) which describes the journey of a man who saw how money, possessions and materialism were a burden. He now lives in a cave, dumpster diving and finding ways to survive without begging, but also without holding a job or relying on government welfare. I'm not there yet - and probably never will be, mom, so don't worry - but it made me look back and realize 3 key points in my life that caused me to stop and think: I don't need what I have.

Moving

Many of us can relate to this one. Each time you move, you look through your heaps of possessions: old college textbooks, trinkets that sit on your shelf and take up room, clothes overflowing out of every drawer, power tools you've used once, and relentless piles, closets, and garages stuffed to the brink. With every move, I skim down a little more yet still stubbornly hold onto things I haven't used for years. I've furnished a house and everything that comes with that, now sitting back in Colorado mostly being unused. I've had friends ask (as I wander around the country) if I've considered putting things into storage? Here's the deal: if you pay to store your stuff, you have too much. By the time you get it out, it's going to be outdated, damaged, and you've probably forgotten what you even have in that tin room an already bought another one . Plus, if you've lived without it for years already, you can live without it forever. Take the tax write off and donate it, or sell it on Craigslist. 

Waldo Canyon Fire Evacuation

Spoiler alert: I didn't loose my home or any possessions in the fire (although sometimes I think it would have been an easy, clean start to lose it all). However, I was evacuated during the fire. I went from watching it on the news to being told I needed to evacuate immediately. I scurried around the house with my video camera in hand, trying to quickly capture my possessions on film for the insurance company. As I went through each room, skimming past my mounds of stuff, I suddenly stopped and thought: there is nothing here that is so important to me I can't live without it. Sure, there are memories and expensive toys, but nothing that really mattered. With that realization, I was on a different mission to only grab things that would be a pain in the ass to replace like my passport, laptop with important files, and social security card. I barely filled half of my Mazda 6 (R.I.P Mazda - it was totaled in May 2014) with some basics that I could survive on. It was a long emotional day, not to mention the fact I went to a friends house upon being evacuated and an hour later was evacuated from there as well. He was gone (actually fighting the fire), so now I had the task of trying to figure out what HE would want and packed up random items from his house only to drive further east to another friend's home where I lived for 4 days. The best moment of that crazy day filled with moving my stuff all around the city, was when my friend came back safely from fighting the fires, not all the stuff I have "saved" from burning. My most vivid memory of that day was watching him walk up the driveway, covered in soot and smelling like campfire. I went outside and gave him a huge hug, telling him how glad I was he was home safely.

Living in Seattle

I still haven't decided if this is a temporary or permanent move, but when I had the opportunity to live in Seattle for 3 months in an apartment in Capitol Hill, I jumped on it. Again, rifling through stacks of meaningless clutter, I filled about half of my silver Mazda 3 with basics that I needed to live for 3 months. I'm living just fine with a suitcase full of clothes, a few kitchen utensils, and basic hygiene products (you're welcome Seattle). 

You have to understand too I'm somewhat of a pack rat and my mindset is typically "I could use this sometime, I just don't know when, so I'll hang onto it" but my mindset changed with each of these experiences. Sure, there are things I miss in Colorado like my piano and guitar, my bike (which i would have brought if I could have), and my printer. I learned to make sacrifices instead, perhaps a little less convenient, like walking to FedEx/Kinko's to print my resume instead of printing it in my living room. 

Overall, it's the realization that the things I miss most are not things at all - the things that are most important are people who I left behind. I've had to change my focus and realize no matter where I end up, the less selfish I can be and the more I concentrate on relationships, loving others, and connecting to them will result in more happiness than I could ever gain from sitting around my house with my stuff. It's a general apology and a commitment to changing my priorities, so prepare yourselves. If my possessions help someone else, I'm ready to give, donate, and provide to others without limits. What "thing" could possibly be more important than people? If the things you're holding onto can be a tool to help you show love, connect with and bless others then why do you still have them?

Thanks for listening to my deep thoughts - if you want some lighter humor you can check out some of my old blogs of other life lessons, which may inspire a laugh today:

Thinking Back, TV Shows Saved My Life

Learning About the Middle Finger

Poor Form at Chuck E Cheese

Make the leap and change your life

I've recently been looking at new opportunities to not only make a career change, but to try something new and experience more in life.  Yeah, maybe it's a mid-life crisis, but it has spurred me to start looking at opportunities all over the world.
There are a lot of cool programs which are similar to study-abroad programs, but you can actually work abroad!  How cool would that be?!? Sites like http://www.firstabroad.com/ give you options to learn the culture, and in fact, sink yourself into the everyday culture. For some of these places, I may need some translation services, but still the trip would be a great life experience.
There's another part of me that just wants to hop in the car and start driving across the US, with no plans or agenda.  You know, head to Maine via California. I know enough people from 10+ years of business travel and having national accounts, plus friends and family, that I could make it a pretty cheap trip.
Maybe I could get a sponsor?  Some company that would want to follow my adventures and promote their product at the same time.  For instance (just a random idea), I love John Fluevog shoes.  Their slogan is "Unique soles for unique souls" - nice, right? They are just a fun, cool company who appreciates their customers and have very cool products (no, they're not paying me to say this). When you order a pair of their shoes, you get a box with your shoes (typical), but also full of candy, pins, and fun stuff just for the heck of it.  I love it.
The most important thing (and I will take my own advice here) if you're not happy where you're at, make a change and do something different. I was talking with one of my employees today and the fear of not knowing what's next has kept her in a job for years that is no longer her cup of tea.  THEN STOP!
Make a list of your favorite cities, start looking for opportunities and connecting with people in that area, and then pull up your big boy pants and take a leap of faith. You'll be surprised at what you'll find.
So, what are your favorite cities?
If you could do any job, what would it be?
What fears are holding you back from making a decision?
Personally, I'm realizing I'm tired of the corporate world and tired of sitting at a desk all day.  It's time for a major change.  Stay tuned.

Nothing like decomposing carcass to wake you up in the morning

Yep, these are the true stories of my daily life. Here's a fun one:
I woke up early this morning for a 7:30 breakfast meeting. I'm not a morning person in general...okay, at all...so mornings aren't exactly my time to shine. After getting ready and preparing to prep myself for the day, I decided it may be a good idea to brush the sticky film that had attached itself to my teeth in my sleep (you're welcome for the visual). I pasted up and stuck the toothbrush in my mouth and immediately smelled a distinct, foul odor. At first, I thought it was my hand perhaps dying from a rare disease while still attached to my body. After sniffing my fingers like Mary Catherine Gallagher, I realized the noxious odor was coming from the handle of my toothbrush. So I pulled out my roommates toothbrush from the toothbrush-cup holder and found the same unpleasant smell. (I know you're getting bored with the story, but hang in there). I took off the top and looked in the bottom of the cup to find a dead bug, decomposing in my toothbrush holder. The smell was....well, overwhelming and I think I threw up in my mouth a little. Let's look at the science of this real life experience. Wikipedia defines decomposition as:

The body of a living organism begins to decompose (as part of a succession) shortly after death. Such decomposition can be simplified in two stages: In the first stage, it is limited to the production of vapors. In the second stage, liquid materials form and the flesh or plant matter begins to decompose. The science which studies such decomposition generally is called taphonomy.

Yummy. Thankfully, my small dead friend was in the first stage and after some heavy doses of scalding hot water on all our toothbrush accessories, I think I've corrected the problem. I have to say, it wasn't the "grand start of the day" I was hoping for. This is my life...seriously.

Dear Friends,

I wanted to let you all know about a significant life change that may be coming very soon for me. I've been in fairly constant contact with a nation-wide company called Publisher's Clearing House that is offering something fairly substantial. I certainly don't want to get my hopes up and I hesitate even telling you, my trusted friends, about this possible opportunity.
Anyway, I'll try to keep this short, but here's the scoop:
It all started last February when I got a letter in the mail. At first, it seemed like the kind of letter that would be mailed to lots of people and I didn't think much of it. They asked me to do a few things and respond in a timely manner, which I did. As our correspondence continued, I realized that they really cared about me. They started personalizing my packages with sticky notes and personal letters from the president of the company. I realized that this was serious and I couldn't give up on the efforts I had already put forward. I admit, it has cost me a lot in postage, but in the end, that won't matter. I'm pretty sure it's between me and one other person here in Colorado Springs, but my household has been chosen several times and the probable winner. Thankfully, I kept sending the correspondence back - it sounds like a lot of people forgot to send back their packets and they only have themselves to blame.
Again, I don't want to get too excited yet, but it looks like I may have already won 10 million dollars. You may see me on T.V. - I'm going to try my best to act surprised, but it's kind of a done deal at this point.
Please know that I won't forget ANY of you...you're all special to me!

Sincerely,

Toby L Lorenc

I learned to do it in a minivan

As I'm sure you can tell from the title, we're talking about driving. I had some problems when I first started driving: the road test. It was the day of my 16th birthday - I couldn't wait to get my license so I could go home that night to my birthday party and drive all my friends around (I was one of the oldest in my class, so not many others could drive at that point). So, I'm driving around with Stan from the DMV. Stan normally wouldn't be someone I would pick as a friend. He's a bit anal and seems to enjoy the control and power he has as a proud staff member of DMV. He had the personality of a chemist mixed with dedication to the DMV of a drill sergeant. Anyway, I think I'm doing really well - going the speed limit, checking my mirrors, hands at 10 & 2 - you know the drill. As we pulled into the parking lot at the end of my test, I start getting out of the car and he says, "Hold on, Toby. Let's talk about today." At first, I thought he was going to comment on the plush interior and smooth handling of my parents minivan that I used for this joyous occasion. But instead, he said, "You're not safe to have on the roads." That's not what you long to hear from your driving instructor, Sergeant Stan. Apparently, I hadn't actually stopped for any of the stop signs - or at least a "complete stop". In fact, at the only one I came to a full stop I stopped on the crosswalk and forced a pedestrian to walk into the intersection to cross. That's frowned upon. Anyway, after our brief conversation and valuable life lessons from Sgt. Stan, I went home without a license. I handled it like any mature 16-year-old - cried myself a river and prayed that my friends would still think I was cool. I tried to laugh about it with my friends that night, but it pretty much sucked. Happy freakin birthday. The sad thing is, years later, I went back and failed the written part of my motorcycle test 3 times before getting my license. Ironically, after all that, I have a clean driving record.

Always up for something new

Well, I DJ'd a wedding tonight - that's a first. I used to be a radio DJ in college and I've emceed various events, but never a wedding. It was a small wedding so I was actually the sound guy too (which I didn't know until I arrived). No problem. I'm always up for a challenge. The bride would probably freak out if she new before hand that I had never set up sound equipment by myself. I just showed up and started plugging wires into various sockets in which they looked like they might fit. It's like that toy you had when you were a kid where you have to fit the right shape into the right space. Yeah. I've learned that if you don't know what you're doing, just do it confidently and no one knows:) Anyway, I guess it was a success because it went smoothly, people had a good time, and I got lots of compliments. So, I guess I have a new talent. Anyone need a DJ?