my own waves...

There's an epidemic sweeping my generation, an epidemic of flirting with… dare I say… non-conformity. It seems every one I talk to recently is struggling with (or resolving) the same issues I am facing. We 20-something-year-olds are not quite sure if the societal shoe, when it comes to work, actually fits and if we want to wear it. 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, almost every week of every year for 40 more years… really? Making my way up and up some ladder I don't particularly understand, spending more time climbing than enjoying the scenery... seriously? I'm just not sure I want to look back on my life in 70 years and think, "how much better would that have been if I didn't have to spend so much time in that cubicle?" It's not that I don't like to work, I actually thrive on it, I'm just not sure I like the arbitrarily prescribed work-life structure. The balance seems off. I always seem to be chasing time, failing to keep up, because so much of my day is swallowed up by what I'm supposed to be doing.

My soon-to-be brother-in-law is a huge inspiration on this front. He's one of those people who always make you feel like you can conquer the world if you so choose. A few years ago, as a 20-something-year-old, he decided he didn't quite like the societal shoe either... and he decided to do something about it! He now has a thriving resort in Nicaragua (El Coco Loco Resort) and runs a mighty inspiring charity project (Waves of Hope). Moving away to some exotic place isn't exactly my thing, but living a life that I designed, rather than trying to fit myself into someone else's mould, is more and more becoming my thing.

I don't really have much else to say, or any profound wisdom to impart; I'm not there yet. I'm barely coming to terms with exactly how I want to live my life… and that's a far cry from actually doing something about it.

What I do know… for now… I think… is this: you have to speak your dreams out loud if you want even a glimmer of a shot at achieving them. Stay tuned.

I leave you with a short video on El Coco Loco:

Happy Wednesday!

mxo