An important one about true happiness

I felt this was important enough to  make a separate blog just for this.I don't want to sound all holier than thou and all high and mighty like I know something everyone else doesn't but, I have just recently really truly realised this and I wanted to share it with everyone.  I know I have touched on this before but I wanted to talk about this again. Really I just have one question for yall. "Are you happy"?. Be honest with yourself and and answer that simple question. That's it really, are you happy with your life? If you aren't happy with your life why not? I know this sounds stupid but it is so true, when I say that I really really am happy now. These travels have really helped me become honestly happy with my life overall and much happier than I was before.

Back home sure I have a great family and awesome friends but I was going nowhere in life really. I was working a 9-5 job that I didn't really enjoy that wasn't going to be my career. I was going to work and coming home and doing the same thing over and over meeting the same people going to the same places doing the same things and not being satisfied with life. I was saving money but I had no specific goals in mind and no long term goals or career motivation. There was things I wanted to do in life but I would always make up an excuse as to why I could wait and do them later. Really I was just going thru the motions of life but not really living.

Then I got laid off in October 2009 and realised I had a choice to make. I could stress about finding another job in our shitty economy or I could make a change in my life and take a risk and do something new. The decision to come alone to a country I had only been too once before for three weeks was a big decision but I am so glad I took the risk. My first month in Australia alone was rough and I was home sick and regretting my choice. At first I didn't know anyone or anything. Most people thought I was crazy back home for just packing up and leaving.

Then something amazing started to happen. I started to meet great people and feel at home. I got steady work and started learning my way around Sydney. I started to learn how to rely on myself and my skills and learn new skills. Then I met Ben and we started traveling together. I was able to make any decisions that I wanted in my life. I could go wherever I wanted with whoever I wanted for as long as I wanted. You might think you can do that back home and up to a point you can but it is much harder when your traveling you are just so much more flexible and open minded and willing to just randomly pack up and take a risk and try something new. I have met tons and tons and tons of great people (even some now life long friends) by just striking up a conversation and saying "Hi my name is Tyler"

Long story short, I really have fallen in love with this life style of being free and open and willing to take some risks but in return I get to travel the world and see tons of great places most people can only dream about and meet so many great people I can't even count how many great friendships I have made. My one year trip has now turned into two. I have seen Australia,New Zealand,South East Asia and now we have South/central America to go! I am so happy and took the leap of faith and came away traveling. It has been the best decision I have ever made and I don't regret any of it. If I had stayed home I never would have learned what I have learned about myself and what I can do and never learned what I wanted to do with my life (Yes now I have a career plan!) nor would I have met all these amazing people or seen these amazing places. There is nothing that makes me happier so far.

Earlier I touched on the fact that back home there was things I wanted to do with my life but I would always make up excuses as to why I could wait. Well you (or me for that matter) might be dead tomorrow so there should be no waiting. I have made a commitment to myself to learn at least one new skill a year until I am happy and well rounded enough to say that I have learned the things I have always put off.

I have never known how to use chop sticks and all my life I have said I will learn one day and always managed to put it off. I have always used a fork at Asian restaurants and just forgot about it. Well my good friends recently bought me my own chop sticks and sat down and taught me how to roughly use them. I am really proud that I can knock this one off my bucket list. My next commitment to myself is to learn Spanish. I have always wanted to learn it and always put it off. This year I am committing to myself and to yall that I will learn it. There is no reason to wait any longer. I can always keep coming up with excuses or I can just do it.

In the next years I want to learn how to play a musical instrument, I want to start a regular exercise program again, I want to try sword fighting, I want to get my A license for skydiving, I want to give pistol shooting a go again since I ruined my chance in my teens. I also want to learn how to salsa dance. The funny thing is I always waited on all of these goals but if I put my mind to it doing at least one of these things per year is easily obtainable and there is no reason I can't do it.

I want to end this ( I hope your still reading this far haha) with a challenge. Ask yourself if you are happy with your life.  Be honest with yourself and just ask yourself if you are happy with your overall life. If your answer is no like mine used to be then you can change it. It is easy to say the words but it is a little harder to actually make the changes. It is a little harder but not impossible. If I can do it you can do it. Think about what you want out of life and go for it. One goal a year. Not hard!

I know I am making it sound easy especially with me being way over here traveling and doing my thing not being ay home in the same place as most of yall but YOU MAKE YOUR LIFE WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE. Only you can make the changes. Stop making excuses and being unhappy with your life. You have the power to do what you want when you want. Even one small change makes a big difference. Just remember there is no reason you can't have the life you want. I only hope I can still be as happy with my life when I get home as I am now. If all goes well I will be a salsa dancing Spanish speaker when I get home though :) and this is just the beginning.....-Tyler