Choose Faith Over Fear - The Secret to Winning Life

Just before trying the zip-line Marley said,
"It's a little scary, but I want to try something new."
She is my hero. <3

    " Courage cannot erase our fear.

      Courage is when we face our fear." - {Seize the Day}     

      This past year has been a significant time for growth.  I asked myself so many questions regarding what is important to me and what I aspire to achieve.  And as a stay at home mom of three, I was unexpectedly faced with a unique and adventurous path.  This path led me to challenge conventional lifestyle and to pursue a frightening future of unpredictability.

     The biggest lesson I learned while embarking on this path, is that fear is not a weakness; fear is a challenge.  We all have fears, and we are faced with fears on a daily basis.  

Fear of failure.
Fear of inferiority.
Fear of the unknown.
Fear of humiliation.
Fear of rejection.

I've always felt that fear is the opposite of faith.
     Especially while I watch the Olympics right now, I am awestruck with the tremendous faith these Olympic athletes radiate.  They go the distance because their parents have faith in them, and because they have chosen to be stronger than their fears.  They have faith in their abilities and in their dreams.

Great things happen when we experience fears and choose to overcome them.  And even when efforts made in faith fail, the experience is worth so much more than having given into fear.  It is an invaluable growth that rewards us eternally!

     It is a shame when people make decisions based on fear; I see those decisions as missed opportunities to truly shine.  But even when people have let fear dictate their paths, it is never too late to turn around and say "No, I am stronger than my fears!"  Every moment is an opportunity to exercise faith.

     When my husband and I took each other's hands and agreed to move forward with our plans to live a minimalist lifestyle.. we were letting go of our fears and building upon our faith.  It was then that we could see miraculous blessings happening in our lives and for our family.

     I had no idea that these things were possible.  But now I am certain that each one of us is capable of miraculous things.  We just need to have the courage to choose faith over fear.  

    

     Everyone has unique goals, dreams, and ideas that will be challenged by fear.  And I'm sure millions of incredible ideas have already been buried by fears.  These ideas could have flourished and could have inspired the world.  But they were stopped in their tracks.  Don't let the fear win.  I've seen it.  I've felt the fear too.  But you are stronger than you think.  I promise.

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The Adventure Begins!

     After a year of dreaming, praying, planning, and waiting.. the stars have aligned and we have hit the road indefinitely.

     We officially sold and donated almost everything we own and moved out of our apartment, with no official place of residence.  I can't believe how quickly the last couple weeks have passed.  It was a blur of clearing out.  It was only a few days ago that we packed up our car and headed out.
     After a few hours on the road, Marley says, "Mommy, are you so excited we are starting our adventure?" It was then when it hit me.  We did it! We made it here.  Crazy.  A real miracle.
     Subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep updated on our experiences as nomads.

   

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When Things Are Looking Bleak, Faith Is a Light

     Well, I'm fairly certain we will not be reaching our goal.  We had hoped to buy our trailer by the end of the year.  We were caught up in an exciting moment of knowing exactly what we wanted.  It felt like all the stars were aligning, and it felt like everything would pan out perfectly... tomorrow.  But no; tomorrow did not happen.  And this year, may not be happening either.    But it WILL happen.  One of my worst qualities is patience - don't have it! Once I make a decision to do something, I push to get it done, while mowing over anything in my way. LOL  I'm kind of stubborn like that.  But at least I do get things done.  Reliability is one of my better qualities. ;)

     This adventure is just outside our reach, and we have only a few obstacles to overcome before it can begin.  But we have reached a point where we are playing the waiting game (waiting for a better credit score and a good loan to be approved) and we have no idea when circumstances will improve.  I find it quite frustrating.  But still, we are optimistic and hopeful that things will move along.
     Somehow, we are comforted, even in moments of "failure." There is a warm feeling. A light, that glows.  Like the flame of a candle, the light flickers when an unsettling wind blows.  It dies down weak as an ember when our oxygen is taken away by obstacles and doubts.  But the glow remains.  I am grateful for that light.

     We are still working every day to make this dream happen.  No joke.  We talk about it every single day.  We are saving up and making phone calls weekly.  Buying our trailer and setting off on the road, is in our daily prayers.  We even made it a standard to go to the temple once a week, until we are able to buy our trailer.
     Prayers have told us that as long as we are doing our best, we will be getting the support we need to make our dream come true.
I have faith that we will be able to buy our trailer and hit the road with our family...
I have faith that things will work out the way it's supposed to...
I have faith that we are on the right path...
I have faith that we will continue to gain gratitude for life and love and our Father in Heaven...
I have faith.

FOR MORE ON FAITH VISIT: https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/gods-love

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Downsizing - Minimizing - Simplifying Life

     Obviously, we won't be able to fit all our belongings into the trailer.  Daniel and I had discussed it several times.  We started picking apart our home and determining what would stay and what would go.  We were wondering how much would have to go in order to afford a small storage unit while we were gone.  But in our discussions, it became pretty clear that we were not very attached to our things.  We made a big decision at that point. No storage unit...

EVERYTHING MUST GO.

     We will keep the basic living items that will be kept in our trailer.  We plan to keep a few boxes of pictures and keepsakes, that we will entrust to a family member.  Other than that, we are ready to say goodbye to all of this stuff.  That's really all it is...stuff.

     Recently, I've made time to reflect on this huge lifestyle change.  One of the main things I've realized is that physical objects are of little importance.  I've been rummaging through my household things trying to figure out what I want to keep and what I need to say goodbye to.  But it was mind-blowing; nothing seemed that important.  What happened? For years we have worked hard to upgrade and acquire quality products and eventually buy a big home.  Why all of the sudden are all the things we've worked hard for unimportant?
     I believe our decision to chase this unconventional dream has changed our perspective of our goals and of life.  It has required us to ask ourselves what is really important.  We've had to figure out what we want to accomplish.  Once those questions were answered, it was easy to say goodbye to our things.  People ask, "Isn't it hard to give it all up?" Nah, our goals are different now.
 
     Our children are having to part with most of their toys and belongings.  But to my surprise, they have been happily onboard.  Dylan, my two year old, has battled me a few times when I sold some of their toys and furniture, but then Marley, my five year old would say, "It's okay Dylan. We can't fit that in the Airstream.  And we can have fun without it."  Marley has been happy to give her books away to friends.  We even displayed them at a playgroup and she loved announcing that anyone could take the books "For free!"  And then my heart soars.  I feel so blessed to have such sweet spirited and enthusiastic daughters.  

     Phase one of clearing out has been tiring.  So far I have only cleared out things we never use or have had in storage for years.  That alone, buried me in mounds of stuff! I had no idea we were hoarders until I started bringing everything out into plain view.

     Getting rid of things is a long, tedious project with a lot of questions.
     Do I keep it?
     Do I trash it?
     Do I donate it?
     Do I sell it?
     How much is this worth to people?
     How much is it worth to me?
   
     After a day or two of going through our things, I became so exhausted.  I loved taking mid-day breaks from all of it to goof off with my kids.  I chased them around and tickled them.  I wrapped them up in random ribbons I found in a box under my bed (Lol). We danced and sang and read and cuddled.  It was a wonderful reminder of why we are doing this --- for our family.  

     But the more I clear out, the better I feel.  The closer we are to making our journey happen.  And the more we are focusing on the basic principles of happiness.  Less is certainly feeling like more in this case.
     Sometimes I look around at everything in our home and wonder how I'm supposed to clear everything out.  I asked my husband, "How do people do this? How do they get rid of practically everything?" His reply was, "People don't usually get rid of everything.  We are just weird." Hahaha.  Maybe he is right.  Maybe we are being weird.  But I've never been afraid of being unique, especially when it is supported by a good feeling.  I welcome the weird. ;)

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But Financially Speaking... How Will We Do It?

     When I first pitched this crazy idea to Daniel, he literally laughed at me.  He said, "Sure. It sounds great, but how would we live?"  I must admit I had no clue.  I did some research and started following a fabulous support group on Facebook called Fulltime Families.  I noticed they all found different ways to earn an income on the road.

Some examples:

Software Developers

Virtual Assistants

Salespersons

Data Entry

Traveling Nurse

Bloggers

Consulting

      Each family has a different niche to their occupation.  There really isn't a universal answer to how we would support ourselves financially.

I kept thinking, "We can do this.  I don't know how, but we can."

I asked Daniel to ponder the idea and research and pray.

He came to me and said, "Okay, let's do this."

I thought he was teasing me, but really he was ready to move forward.

I asked why he changed his mind.  He responded with, "I just feel it's the right thing to do."

I asked if he had come up with a plan on how to earn money. He said, "Not really, but I agree it's the right thing to do."

And that was that.

   

     We both feel this is the right path for us, so we are confident that if we work hard to make it happen, the Lord will provide a way.

     When I look at my children, I feel an overwhelming feeling of love, commitment, dedication, devotion, and determination.  I'm determined to provide the best I can for them.  I want to prepare them to be self sufficient and to not be afraid of the world.  I want them to look outside of their comfort zone and to have courage enough to pursue their goals and dreams with confidence.  I believe this adventure will provide that foundation for them.

     When I pray about this plan, I feel comfort.  I feel peace.  This peaceful feeling is partly because my husband is an amazing provider and protector.  I put all my trust and loyalty in his hands, because I love him and I have faith in his abilities.

* Right now Daniel does air quality source testing and CEMS maintenance.  He often flies to various destinations throughout the US for certain projects.  Ideally we would like for him to keep working for his current company and just pick up additional clients while we are on the road.  If it doesn't work out, he can start his own business doing something else.  He is skilled in many areas, my guy. <3

   

     So how will we do it financially?  Honestly, we are not 100% sure.  It will be a huge leap of faith, but...

THIS IS OUR PLAN:

 1) Work hard to save up to buy our trailer.

 2) Move into the trailer and stay local for at least a few months to build up a savings and adjust to the lifestyle.

 3) During those first few months, figure out a way to keep up a stable income while on the road.

 4) Hit the road and hope our plan works.

     I know this sounds too vague and simple.  But these types of decisions are simple.  Know what you want and go for it.  Work hard to make it happen and have faith things will work out the way they are supposed to.  We are taking this one step at a time.  We know what we want to do and regardless of whether or not the plan works out or if it fails, we will have no regrets in pursuing it.

•  As a follower/reader of our blog, you will get to see how our plans unfold.  Do you think we can do it?  Do you think we are crazy? Haha.  We will try to keep you posted.  Share the journey with us and leave us your advice and well wishes.  We would appreciate the support!

 

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Ditching the Suburbs for An Inspired Adventure

     Yup! This is for real! 

     

     My husband and I have decided to sell everything we own to buy a trailer and travel around the United States for a few years. 

     

     It's been an extraordinary aspiration. The idea didn't sound real at first, but something kept telling us it could be a reality.  When the concept first came up, we joked about it. But each time it came up, it seemed more feasible. Each time we discussed it, the idea seemed to benefit our family.  Somewhere along the line, it felt like a spiritual prompting. Now, it is the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.

     After some research, brainstorming, and heartfelt prayer, we have decided to go for it.  We are currently planning and preparing for our big launch!  

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