Luck is not the main ingredient
People always tell me I'm lucky to live here. Luck is when something you can't control works out in your favor, so I am lucky, but also I took action to be here, and I learned action is infinitely more important than luck. Action generates luck.
First of all, let me give some history. I lived in Hawaii and planned on staying. I wanted to stay and work for a year at a new job before I went back to visit my parents, but I hadn't been home in 3 years and they urged me to go so I went.
While in Maryland, the job I had lined up in Hawaii fell through. Looking back, not going back to Hawaii was a prime example of inaction. I ended up working in DC a year and I moved with my job to Virginia.
And I got into credit card debt.
After I quit drinking and doing drugs and decided I needed to get out of debt and move back to the tropics (The Marktic Circle). It took a long time to pay off my maxxed out credit cards.
All the while I was planning on moving, and planning and planning, and looking and looking. I thought that Belize, english speaking, 400 years of unbroken peace, looked pretty good. So I was looking and looking. Library and internet. Looking and thinking about it with no action.
Then one day I got a call from an acquaintance who I usually saw only one weekend a year. He was going on vacation. He usually went with his son, but his son couldn't go that year so he called me because I was a scuba diver. I wanted to think about it for a while, (which would have been more inaction) but in this case that wasn't an option and I ended up saying yes. Then I came here and met a girl.
When I was leaving to go back home after my vacation, I had a strong sensation I was supposed to stay.
I kept in touch with the girl, I thought she might be "The One" (she wasn't). But she sent me the ad for the job I have today. I applied and came back down and interviewed.
When I got the job, I was still scared. But I called the newspaper, ran an ad for a yard sale. I called the airlines and bought a ticket. And I made calls to sell my van and rent my house. I turned in my resignation at work and that was it. I was surprised at how easy these little actions were.
From the time I decided to move and took the first action, to the time I was living here, was two months. There was very little planning and thinking involved. Before that, I was planning and thinking for years and years. With zero results.
Sure I was lucky, I got hired, I met the girl, but all the luck is the result of my actions. I could have sat in Virginia and thought about and planned it forever, and nothing would have ever happened. After I took action things happened, and my luck started.
So now I'm here, and grateful every day for it. I get a little irked when people tell me I'm lucky, but I know I am.
First of all, let me give some history. I lived in Hawaii and planned on staying. I wanted to stay and work for a year at a new job before I went back to visit my parents, but I hadn't been home in 3 years and they urged me to go so I went.
While in Maryland, the job I had lined up in Hawaii fell through. Looking back, not going back to Hawaii was a prime example of inaction. I ended up working in DC a year and I moved with my job to Virginia.
And I got into credit card debt.
After I quit drinking and doing drugs and decided I needed to get out of debt and move back to the tropics (The Marktic Circle). It took a long time to pay off my maxxed out credit cards.
All the while I was planning on moving, and planning and planning, and looking and looking. I thought that Belize, english speaking, 400 years of unbroken peace, looked pretty good. So I was looking and looking. Library and internet. Looking and thinking about it with no action.
Then one day I got a call from an acquaintance who I usually saw only one weekend a year. He was going on vacation. He usually went with his son, but his son couldn't go that year so he called me because I was a scuba diver. I wanted to think about it for a while, (which would have been more inaction) but in this case that wasn't an option and I ended up saying yes. Then I came here and met a girl.
When I was leaving to go back home after my vacation, I had a strong sensation I was supposed to stay.
I kept in touch with the girl, I thought she might be "The One" (she wasn't). But she sent me the ad for the job I have today. I applied and came back down and interviewed.
When I got the job, I was still scared. But I called the newspaper, ran an ad for a yard sale. I called the airlines and bought a ticket. And I made calls to sell my van and rent my house. I turned in my resignation at work and that was it. I was surprised at how easy these little actions were.
From the time I decided to move and took the first action, to the time I was living here, was two months. There was very little planning and thinking involved. Before that, I was planning and thinking for years and years. With zero results.
Sure I was lucky, I got hired, I met the girl, but all the luck is the result of my actions. I could have sat in Virginia and thought about and planned it forever, and nothing would have ever happened. After I took action things happened, and my luck started.
So now I'm here, and grateful every day for it. I get a little irked when people tell me I'm lucky, but I know I am.
posted by MarkD60 at 7:53 AM
9 Comments:
So, how long ago was this?
You know, you are absolutely correct...it's about doing something. Maybe after I graduate, I'll do something. Thanks for the inspirational story!!
delurking......ya, I think most people have to do it and not plan, because like you, we would never get anywhere.
did you have to do anything special as far as citizenship to move there?
Maybe not luck, but somehow it seems that there is always a woman involved when I've taken any action in my life :-)
Good move, you seem really happy!
well said. (and happy birthday!)
i'll be showing this entry to lisa- i think we're getting too settled in up here. lots of planning about where we'll go after she's out of grad school.
This has been a weird day. God must be trying to tell me something. First I hear this guy on the radio talking about living an "Intentional" life and I've been trying to do that all day. Instead of just going through motions I want to mean to do everything even the tiniest things like giving my kids a hug.
This post kinda has the same ring to it that the guy on the radio was talking about. I want to live and "Intentional" life and I want to take action... I'm just not sure what I want to take action to do...
I found your blog through Renee's blog btw ;)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY To You!!!
I'm currently doing what you were doing, however I have a family of three to think of. I want to move to Belize in 6 years, do you think that's too long, and when you're pushing 40 you get a little nervous of falling on your face and having to start all over again.
Yeah. I overthink things too.
Good for you to just jump in and let the chips fall where they may.
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