*U* is for Ultimate Life
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U is for Ultimate Life (can it be this simple?) This is one I ponder and play around with daily. Am I living my ultimate life? Or at least taking great magical strides to get there? I think so. Maybe some things don't move as fast as I'd like them to, or perhaps I'm guilty of having too many ideas, but hell...at least I throw caution to the wind and bust some shit out. I was trying to get organized in my head the other day--always more doable with a cold Pacifico--and concocted a nice little blueprint for the next year of my life. Of course, not a lick of work is involved--well, nothing that pays me cold hard cash, but all the better. It was, though, a plan full of all these grand dreams and schemes that are the extreme ultimate in my mind. Lots of volunteering in distant lands; the final creation of my NGO (4th World Love); a documentary or two (very social issue related); butt-loads of travel; the acceptance of my homebase in Chicago (yes, I do love it here); more writing about all the good stuff in life; another PURE Pilates retreat down in Mexico; and I guess just livin', you know? How to do it all? Well, the ultimate challenge is to do it all with the super-low-fly budget in mind. Like, could I live on 12k for the next year. Say, 1k per month. Well, I think I can--if I stick to the plan. Drive thru Central America; volunteer at way low-cost (mostly free places) that put you up; drink and eat cheap (easy to do in 3rd world countries); keep the credit card purchases way low (hell, what else could I possibly need); use FF miles to head back to Asia; stay in my little trailer in CAmerica--using my solar power when needed ($300 a month if in San Miguel de Allende, free on the beach in El Salvador); there are a trillion other ways to keep the $ out to a minimum. The key is to play it all smart, the places are out there, it's just a matter of tracking them down. That is my ultimate game plan. Not sure what yours is, but I hope that it's not too rife with mass consumerism, life-long regrets and crazy deep longing for "something else." That ain't the way to live, man, that's for sure** And, if anyone needs a list of places to go and volunteer on the way-cheap, let me know, I have a deep list I've been putting together and can vouch for! |
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I've never been so inspired by comments before. Thanks for the good vibes across the board.
And, really is 1k a month full-on luxury?? I mean, if you can't pull this off in 3rd world countries....well...
Misty - your post definitely resonated with me; having just guest blogged about baby steps towards living out your passions.
Once you've discovered what you were born to be doing, nothing else will suffice.
Matador is successfully bringing together those who are zealously living out their passions on every level.
Excellent post.
It sounds like you are really throwing caution to the wind and busting some shit out, and that, I must say, is a good thing.
To much of life seems to be about setting yourself up for that future happiness, when what is truly important is enjoying the ride and doing what is good today.
I say that 12K is a feasible budget in central or south america. I've managed to stick to about 5K these past 5 months in Argentina, so would be on target for that if I was not returning to the higher cost living of a college education...
Congrats on starting an NGO! And who is to say that those social leaning documentaries will not make you some money, some day? You could always use the profits to make your life even more self sufficient, like additional solar panels for your little trailer or even helping other people become more environmentally conscience...
I say, live the dream because you never know when you won't be living...
Misty and David-
Right there with you; thanks, Misty, for bringing the reminder to the fore.
And David, thanks for: "Those of us who have been lucky enough to be born with whatever it is (whether perspicacity or privilege, work ethic or just plain suerte) have an obligation to charge hard and not waste the gifts we've been given. To charge, as you call it, the Ultimate Life."
Keep charging!
Peace,
Julie
yo mst, this whole piece is straight-up fire. huge ups.
"perhaps I'm guilty of having too many ideas, but hell...at least I throw caution to the wind and bust some shit out."
It all comes down to style, doesn't it? The way you bust your shit out. The poet Robert Pinsky (not my favorite, but when he's good, he's good) noted: "We fall physically in love, I believe, with whatever activity expresses ourselves."
Gotta say the way you do it is as smooth as anyone I know. From hauling and living out of your 1,500-pound mini-beast to sailing to producing and getting it all done as part of what seems like some kind of beer-fueled power-tour. . . shit, what can I say? Stay in love.
Those of us who have been lucky enough to be born with whatever it is (whether perspicacity or privilege, work ethic or just plain suerte) have an obligation to charge hard and not waste the gifts we've been given. To charge, as you call it, the Ultimate Life.
Tangentially: then this morning, walking around Green Lake, baby Layla strapped on my chest, asleep, rain ticking off the umbrella, wind and cold all around us but not getting in between us--the sudden realization: when you say you'd die for somebody, and really mean it, this is how it feels. You love somebody more than you love yourself.
And then begins again those ten thousand ideas which have so long been about how to live your own ultimate life--now it's about finding her a place at that fire too.
and the beat goes on and on and on and on . . .