There is a phrase that has been said to me about eight hundred times. It kind of haunts me and follows me wherever I go. If you know me at all you know that I’ve made some pretty poor life choices by the “American Dream” standards. So when I meet people in my travels and tell them what I’m about and what I’ve done they say……… “Wow!…. Cool!……Well, do it while you can”……………. Do it while I can?………….. I’m not even sure what that means. It’s sounds like impending doom. I always want to look behind me to see if there is a storm coming or something. The only thing I’ve gathered from this statement is that there are a lot of people out there not doing what they want to do. And somehow feel trapped where they are at.
The first week and a half of 2012 I decided that I wanted to build a trailer. I love to build things. And I need a trailer for some trips that I’m going to be involved with this summer. While I was building it, a lot of things were milling through my head. I had a lot of creative juices flowing while I figured out what exactly I was going to make. I really loved it. I was coming alive. I started thinking………… this is the way I always want to live. I’m not saying I want to spend my life building trailers. What I’m saying is I want to spend my life making it up as I go. God is the most creative dude that I know and He told me that he want’s to do life with me, so I’ll be damned if I live a script handed to me by our culture.
Step one: Find an awesome reason to build a trailer.
I used to spend hours and hours dreaming about things that I wanted to do. A lot of which I have done now. A lot I still haven’t
Step two: Buy an old boat trailer for cheap.
Don’t be afraid to revamp someone else’s dream or idea. Other people have good ideas for sure, just make sure they are awesome, and then make them custom fit.
Step three: Cut off the crap:
To really live your dreams some of the crap is going to have to go. You won’t be able to live how you’ve always lived. Trust me………. Let it die
Step four: Weld in some good support.
Find people who are thinking what you are thinking. Who aren’t going to piss on your parade when you have a new idea……………… shout out to Chris, Cam, and Benny.
Step five: Solid floor.
Once you have this, the sky is the limit. Don’t try and plan your life. Find your purpose or direction. Find the things that bring you life, and bring life to others.
Step six: Coat it in enamel.
There is a lot of people in this world that are going to be cancer for your good ideas. If you listen to them within a year you will be rusted out and stepping through the floor.
Step seven: Throw a big tool box on there…… why? … cuz everyone needs more tools.
Mix it up. Do things just for fun. Have fun. Be fun.
Step eight: Get some light’s on that thing
Don’t be afraid to tell people what you’re doing. I learned this the hard way. People want to know what your thinking. What makes you tick. Find a way to do that.
Step nine: Make sure it’s legal
Not saying this should always stop you……….. Just a good rule of thumb.
Step ten: Go haul some stuff
Take a chance. Step out. Do something. I have a friend that has five kid’s and decided that he wanted to go back to school to get his masters in a new field. Does that make sense to me? No. Do I respect him for it? Heck yeah I do.
The other day I watched “It’s a beautiful life” for the first time. Talk about a sad movie. I’m not saying that his life wasn’t good. It was. But the poor guy never did any of the things that he wanted to do. I think it’s possible to settle for a good life. But I think God wants to create a life with us. And that’s when it becomes beautiful…………….. MT
