dream Archives - Live Debt Free

“Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still.” – Henry David Thoreau

Hiking during the week

Now that Betsy and I write books and run websites full-time we’re able to work, serve, and leisure when we want. It’s a blessing from God and a result of hard work and preparation.

One key pursuit of Debt Free Adventure is living our mission and helping you learn to live yours. This means seeking purpose while doing what we love. I’m convinced the righteous desires of our hearts – no matter how frivolous they may seem – are part of a compass, bestowed by God, to help steer our lives. One of mine is hiking, I love it.

Having recently moved to Hendersonville, NC I’m endowed with enough hiking to make me sick. I joined a local hiking club and am going on my maiden hike this morning; I’m excited. It could be pure leisure, but could also present an opportunity to serve Christ, however small. Being sensitive to these opportunities is part of my purpose.

When I was first born-again I created my own opportunities. I would slam open doors and shove God in your face whether you liked it or not. No longer. Nowadays I aim to judge myself against His word and wait for Him to open the doors.

Long story short, regardless of what I’m doing I try to follow the righteous desires of my heart (like hiking), enjoy myself, and remain sensitive to any opportunity to share the glorious grace of my Lord Jesus.

With that always in mind, the topic of today’s article is being able to do what you want; in this case, me hiking during the week.

Forgive me as I take a minute to lose myself in the details of preparing for my hike, being prepared and going over my gear is something I enjoy almost as much as the hike itself!

Being prepared on the hike

When I hiked in Michigan it was hard to get lost; I carried little more than water and a snack. That’s not the case here; Western North Carolina is home to millions of acres of mountain wilderness that can easily confuse an unprepared hiker. It deserves the respect of proper gear and a well thought out pack.

Tomorrow’s hike is a moderate 6.4 mile day hike that should take approximately 3 hours. Here is a picture and list of the contents in my pack. Am I properly prepared? You be the judge.

Starting horizontally from the top left:

mini binoculars
bowie knife and multi-function tool
signal mirror
mini survival kit with all sorts of goodies
reflective emergency blanket
bible
flashlight
compass
first-aid kit
rope
whistle
flint and steel
lighter
trail and road map of the surrounding wilderness area

I will also carry plenty of water and food, and be properly dressed in layers.

Note: My kit should include a good quality water filter, which I intend to add soon.

Doing what you love with purpose

I love to hike, but I also love to help others.

We’re blessed to be able to earn a living writing about holistic stewardship, but it took a lot of hard work to get there. For years I built this business on the side while working a full-time job I didn’t care for. Now rather than working a job I don’t like and living for the weekend, I’m doing the work I love and living every day to the fullest. Are you?

“I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” – Carl Sandburg

It’s okay if you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing, but it’s not okay if you’re not seeking. It took me the better part of 2 decades to find a road that feels right, so never stop searching.

Don’t be afraid to think – and live – outside the box, and don’t be afraid to go your own way.

Remember, if you’re always trying to fit in, you’ll never stand out.

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I’m smiling right now and have been for days. About a week ago Betsy resigned and is now officially working alongside me as a full-time entrepreneur! She had been miserable in her job for several years and was in desperate need of a sabbatical and career change. Her employer took good care of her and she was friends with many coworkers but the career was just a bad fit for her goals, dreams, and gifts; it just took her a long time to realize it and even longer to do something about it. I traveled a similar path.

Let’s take a closer look at how I lost sight of dreams then rediscovered their importance and learned to find the courage to chase after them again.

How I lost sight of my dreams

When did I lose site of my dreams? I think it happened during college, but am sure that by the time I graduated my dreams had completely dropped off my radar. Instead I was busy writing a resume analogous with most other graduates and groveling for entry level jobs that I knew very little about. Would these jobs challenge me? Would they help me find happiness? Would they even be something I enjoyed doing? Surprisingly I spent almost zero time pondering these questions and instead moved along like a zombie because it was the path everyone else seemed to be walking. College didn’t equip me with critical thinking skills and never challenged me to answer these terribly important questions before choosing a life path.

And so I graduated still unable to answer these simple questions and even further away from asking them.

Life chose my direction

To be honest, until recently I never knew what I wanted to do with my life. I went to college because my dad wanted me to and because all my friends were going. I finished college – with a 7 year bachelors degree – because I wanted to finish what I started and had no idea what else to do. I pursued a job in my field because I had spent $50,000+ on the education. I kept the jobs in my field, despite being unhappy and unfulfilled, to keep up with the debt and to begin pursuing other “normal” life progressions like buying a car, buying a house, filling my house with cool stuff, etc.

The point is, if you don’t consciously chose your path at every turn, life will chose for you.

So whose fault is it?

It’s nobody’s fault really, it was just the path I traveled in life. I don’t necessarily regret any of it because it all worked together to bring me where I am today. I don’t blame college, I don’t blame society, I don’t blame anyone… mostly I’m thankful that God is continually shaping and molding me into a vessel to be used for His glory. I mean, who knows? If I hadn’t been through so many uncertainties in life, would I be writing this article today? I doubt it.

Without my trials and tough times I would likely be more selfish and less focused on my goals.

Learning to dream again

Through all this uncertainty I was continually unhappy about my lack of true purpose. I knew I was a Christian and I knew I needed to glorify God. I was sure He wasn’t calling me into full-time ministry in the typical sense, but just as sure I was in the wrong line of work. For a long time I thought there was something wrong with me, but as time passed I became increasingly certain that I simply needed a career change – but I had too much debt!

I started really chasing my dreams at the start of 2009 when I started DebtFreeAdventure.com. I realized I badly needed a change, that my lifestyle choices up to that point had trapped me, and that my debt played a major role; so I decided to start getting rid of it. DFA was a healthy step in learning to chase my dreams again, and it continues to be today. Now I use DFA to stay accountable to my financial goals, to help others understand the power of debt and to help them get out, to encourage more saving and giving, and to help people understand that they need to focus on finding and fulfilling their life mission.

Where are we now?

In October of 2010 I lost my job as an Information Technology professional but decided to keep looking for another while taking a shot at replacing my career earnings with the income from DebtFreeAdventure.com and DiyNatural.com. After having no luck finding IT work in Michigan’s poor economy I took a shot at becoming a financial advisor but quickly discovered working in that field would be yet another misadventure. So in February of 2011 I decided to finally go for it; now, come hell or high water, I’m committed to turning my web properties into something that will help others and provide for my family. We are having to scrimp, sacrifice, and slash expenses for now but it’s all worth it to finally be pursuing a vocation that is in line with my calling!

We work hard and trust God for the increase.

The Jabs Dream Team

Now that Betsy is done with her career we’re chasing our dreams together and working full-time to deliver content that helps people increase personal freedom and joy. We teach people how to break the bondage of debt so they can pursue their dreams. We also teach people how to increase their self-reliance skills as an empowering creative outlet that helps save money, know what is in their food and household cleaners, and to live more sustainable lives that give back to society rather than blindly consuming and trashing.

All these things also help us and others prepare for an uncertain economic future.

That is our dream, so that is what we’re doing. Now go chase your dreams!

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As featured in the Get Out Of Debt round up.

Doing What You Want. With Purpose