Simplify and AMPLIFY/Minimalism (add a side of fulltime family travel:-)
Why?
JOY, LOVE, CONNECT, PASSION, INSPIRATION, LIFE MISSION, CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS OF LIFE- INTENTIONAL LIVING- PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE, DO HARD THINGS, LAUGH, SERVE, LEARN,WORK, PLAY, CREATE/INNOVATE, TAKE SMART RISKS, GET OUTSIDE OUR COMFORT ZONE-Growth, HEALTH, FUN!!!!!
Minimalism- It's got a lot more attention lately. I mean with all the "tiny house" shows and "Hoarders" combined. There was that book that got a lot of media attention and seemed to resonate with most who read it. "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" (affiliate link). I think a lot of people have been feeling like we are at this point in history at least in our culture where it feels we are drowning in so much stuff (both tangible items and also time/calendar filling "to do" lists). I don't like the word "minimalism" bc it focuses on the lack versus the gain. I'd rather call the philosophy "maximalism", that's why I say "Simplify and AMPLIFY".
What if we could get rid of all the excess things and also time commitments that didn't bring us joy, that weren't in the top important things to us or our God given life mission? What if we could take a serious, prayerful look at our life and what we truly, deeply want for our family and ourselves and get rid of everything that wasn't matching up with those goals (both short and long term)? One might call this becoming a "Conscious Consumer of Life" or "Intentional Living" or a "Purpose Driven Life".
We want that for ourselves and for our children. Of course, you absolutely DO NOT need to travel or live in a tiny house to do that. But Dana and I have felt spiritually drawn to travel and have felt it would be part of our future we just didn't know when.
Passion- We love the ocean, we want to meet people from other cultures and see through different lenses, outside of our own culture.
Connect- We LOVE LOVE LOVE people! We love to truly connect and share soul to soul with others. It feels like meeting and sharing with family, my brothers and sisters all over the world. We want our children to have a deep love for humanity and see all as ourselves, sons and daughters of a loving God. We want to serve them. Love them. Laugh, learn, play and work with them. Get outside our comfort zone and do hard but things.
We know this will not be easy. We feel attracted to sailing particularly bc it has work intrinsic interwoven in it. Their will be "storms" but there will be rainbows too.
Getting rid of 90% of what we owned was definitely a challenge. It really makes you evaluate what you really want. Do I really want these items or the space and freedom of time of taking care of all those things?
We don't want to keep saying, "I'd love to do x, y, or z, but I just can't b/c x, y or z"? If we are not "supposed" to do a particular dream or goal b/c the Spirit does not confirm that it is right for us or we don't "feel" it's the right thing for us or the right timing then fine but if it is the right thing but we are just making excuses then why, WHY? We want to get out of our own way, take hold of our life, take responsibility for our choices ( with God at the helm)!! We feel it is the right time (though there is still plenty of obstacles, it's not all smooth sailing-pun intended:-) and we have to try and that we'd regret not trying more than whatever this road will bring.
The WHY animates our WHAT