“Don’t Exist.” Live
I look at this quote every morning. Three powerful words. They make me question. They make me ponder. They make me Live. And I mean really LIVE. I look over my life periodically and reflect on where I am at. Am I living the life that I dream? The life that I had always imagined? Or am I living someone elses life?
It’s ignoring convention. Questioning the rules. Breaking the rules. Creating your own rules.
In our society the ‘right thing to do’ is to go to college, get a 9-5 job, date, get married, have kids, buy a house, buy a car, buy all these items that I have to work my a** off to afford. Yet, none of that made sense to me. I could buy a lot less. Work a lot less. And enjoy spending time with my friends and family. Thats what I wanted.
What I wanted more then anything was to experience joy, love and pure happiness. Ecstasy. The joy that brings you to tears. I wanted passion, adventure, excitement.
What are your goals? What drives you? For many it is the college, job, get married, and have kids. But, for those of us that don’t share these dreams, that life will slowly suffocate us. I have seen it happen to many friends and it hurts to watch. Many believe the lie that that life is the life to live. Yet, the only life you have to live is yours. Live life by your own terms, be true to yourself, and LIVE.
So, once I determined what was important to me I really started living. I set out to travel the world, open my eyes, meet new people, challenge myself, break thru my self imposed limits and feel the life rushing thru me. I traveled to 35 countries, climbed mountains, bungee jumped, sandboarded, lived in South Africa, lived in South Korea, learned basic Korean, learned basic Spanish, slept in airports, slept on beaches, spent many days seasick on boats, sailed around the world, slept in the nicest hotels, slept in places that still haunt me, ate meals that I swear are still in my intestines, got attacked my mosquitos (worse night ever, pure torture), experienced getting everything stolen in the middle of a foreign country and the peace that came from knowing I didn’t really need anything, made life long friends, pet a cheetah and worked just enough in all of that. 
I lived. I experienced love, happiness and the joy that brings you to tears.
Are you living the life you always imagined?
I use the must have list a lot. When planning vacations, job searching, business planning, dating, and searching for places to live. It helps you to get at the core of what you want, find that which is for your highest good, and saves you from a lot of bad dates!
The Power of Intention:
“When you set an intention, when you commit, the entire universe conspires to make it happen.” - Sandy Forster
When we live with intention all else that doesn’t align with our purpose falls away. Making a list is a powerful tool to creating intention and manifesting change in our lives. It creates focus, clarity, and energy. I created a must have list for my new home and then forgot about it, yet it still created the space and the energy for me to find my dream home. I recently found my list and my new place has everything that was on my must have list, half of what was on my would be nice list, and a couple of the things on my gracious touches. I have met many people that do these lists, and they continue to do them because it is such a powerful tool and the evidence is very tangible.
The Three Categories:
Must Haves: This is where I put those things that I absolutely cannot live without. When I made my dream home list it included large outdoor space, location where I could walk to everything, a social building, easy parking, low taxes, low assessment…These are those things that are deal breakers if they are missing.
Would be Nice: These are those items that it would be great to have, but when it comes down to it you could live without it. On mine I had items such as garage parking, vintage character, radiant heating…
Gracious Touches: The items that are pure bonus, such as an Italian designer kitchen with an Aga stove…Or the spiritual, meditating, yoga practicing, fantastic cooking, wants to farm, super funny, down to earth, hot guy that happens to live nearby.
Making your list:
When you sit down and make your list, be sure to put a good amount of thought into it. Get to the core of what you are searching for. I originally had on my must haves 2 plus bedrooms. Yet, as I looked at it longer I realized that what I wanted was a social place. I didn’t want the alienation that often comes with living in a big city and living in a small space. I thought having a roommate would help that, but so would living in a social building with great neighbors. So, on my must haves it changed from a 2 bedroom place to a social building. I ended up actually getting a studio which I absolutely love. It is so much cheaper, and I live in an amazing building that entertains a lot.
Creating for your Highest Good:
At the top of every list, I write for the highest good of all concerned and then I circle it. Over my life I have come to realize that as much as I think I know what I want or what I need, in reality Spirit knows best and I need to trust that.
Top items on my wishlist right now are Handmade Moroccan Poufs by John Derian. They are even filled with kapok. At $265 a piece I might be waiting awhile though. Perhaps I should make my own?
Karin Arens = recycled made beautiful. Wood reclaimed from old country houses, cellars, branches, antique doors, reclaimed pallets - are all repurposed in her works to create pieces that are unique and that retain a sense of the past.
I dream of having a micro home out in the country somewhere. A place to detox, a place to unwind, a place to walk around naked. This one by Sheds For Living is designed by FKDA architects out of the UK. Prefabricated and made very consciously using FSC certified wood, recycled cellulose insulation, thermal windows, and with care to the indoor air quality of the home. One thing that I would improve is that they do use radiant electric heat in the floors which is great for indoor air quality, yet if you are concerned with electromagnetic fields it is not the best. Yet, overall I love it.
Photos, top to bottom, from… 
