What Is Courage?

I have received a lot of emails lately that applaud me for my courage – living each day as it presents itself; Planning only enough to be intentional, but never so much as to be limited. I thank everyone for that, but I have a few comments on courage.

COURAGE does not mean being without fear. Courage means not letting fear define and limit you. 

When you build a tolerance for fear, you will find courage comes more easily. BUT, just how do you build this tolerance for fear?

**Do one thing every day that frightens the daylights out of you.

**NEVER compare your fears with anyone else’s.

**and never, EVER compare your courage with anyone else’s either.

The goal isn’t to be without fear – the goal is to never let it stop you. 

Keep pushing your boundaries and you will find courage sooner than you think.

Adventure Does Not Guarantee Fun (and That's OK)

We often think of adventure as fun and exciting . . . certainly something to look forward to, right? But adventures are rarely about what we do, where we go, and who we do them with. 

Adventures are about paying attention to our own perspectives; being willing to leave our comfort zone and experience life as it unfolds before you.  

If you’re not having fun, that doesn’t mean it’s not an adventure. If you look for a label to attach to your experiences, you might miss the most important message of all…..EVERYTHING is as it should be, your only task is to pay attention, let go of expectations and put one foot firmly in front of the other. Adventure On! 

Observing Myself Just Being

So here I am living without a home and traveling where and when I can create the opportunity. I feel a huge shift coming over me (yet again). It seems lately that my existence is like a snowball – barreling down a hill, taking on a life of its own and shaped by whatever it comes across. 


Do I really want that – to let life just happen? It feels a bit like being a pinball to me – ‘oof’, there I go careening off of what was, and heading into the unknown. I’m not so sure that this is all that cool – but for now, I will just go with the flow because spirit has nudged me in this direction.

You can tell I feel unsettled but excited too – anticipating things I can’t even imagine yet. To keep me balanced, I have begun my days with the journal question: “What is true for me today?”, then I let the information flow into me and onto the paper (almost as if from an outside Source).


What I’m hearing from this Source is to sit still for a while and to finish up projects that I have begun, as they are all worthy and needing my attention– only then will I see my next step with true clarity.

So I am looking forward to heading back to whatever home base I can build and start the finishing process of my many projects – books in the works, crafts to be perfected and finished – and to really enjoy this process. 


My future is percolating in my soul – I can feel it, I just can’t identify it yet.

It is sometimes uncomfortable to just simply be – to allow what is, to be what is – but it is a fascinating process to observe oneself in the journey – that is where I am right now – observing myself and just letting the present be… The future will take care of itself, won’t it? With or without my help.

Am I Really Asking Too Much From a Seller?

If you want to sell your RV, I have a few suggestions for you:

1 – Return phone calls – I can’t find out more, or make an appointment to see the rig without talking to you.

2 – Empty all holding tanks (especially if you admit to not using the rig for two years – pretty gross otherwise).

3 - Fill fresh water tank so that buyer can test plumbing and water pressure – call me picky, but I need to see the systems for myself.

4 – Have batteries charged. I won’t buy a rig that I can’t fully test out.

5 – Make sure there is enough gas in the tank so that the generator will start (it doesn’t do me any good to know that it ran really well last week).

6 – If you know a potential buyer is traveling 150+ miles to see your rig…..don’t hire someone to clean it on the day and time said buyer is going to show up. Wading through puddles of water (inside and out) and over hoses isn’t fun - I don’t dare sit on the cushions or even take it on a test drive….jes’ saying.

7 – Don’t tell me how many miles are on the tires when I specifically ask how old they are….it’s recommended that tires be replaced every 4-6 years – remaining tread doesn’t matter if the side walls blow out (BTDT).

8 -  and here’s the classic – don’t post fuzzy pictures….I won’t usually follow up on your ad, no matter how great you say it is, if I can’t clearly see what you’re selling.

If you follow the above suggestions, you can make it very easy for me to want to make an offer….and isn’t that why you posted it to begin with?!? I want to buy, but you’ve got to meet me half way.

Meet Roz Savage – Has She Made a Difference in Your Life?

All of my life I’ve been attracted to small things. I cherished my tiniest deck of cards, and a wee set of game dice; the smallest seashells were the ones that I coveted.  I drooled over small (and fast) cars and think that living in a tree house is some sort of perfect heaven. As an adult I’m fascinated by the challenge and efficiency of tiny studio apartments. I once lived in a large three level Tahoe- style house on three acres and dreamed of building a one room guest cottage to spend my days in. I've always thought living on a boat would be fantastic . . . (but never a rowboat - that just never crossed my mind).

I’ve experienced larger things throughout my life, but my fascination has always been how small and compact and pared down can I go and still maintain quality of life . . . which of course leads to the question of just what is quality of life?

I’ve followed Roz Savage’s remarkable journey across an ocean or two in her tiny row boat – the sheer logistics of it grabbed my interest right away. How in the world can she survive (and I’m not talking just physically) within the small confines of her world? What are her bare essentials? How does she cope with the solitude and isolation? I read each blog post with relish as I discovered another piece of her thought process.

If you know anything about Roz at all, you know she is rowing to raise global awareness of the damage our civilization is imposing on our oceans. 

That’s the big picture, but that can’t be the primary reason for her remarkable quest, can it? It has to be about more than that, doesn’t it? What makes a human eschew a traditional life and embark on a remarkable life? What makes an idea pop into one’s head and not let go? What makes risking it all seem so necessary and worthwhile?

Now, I will state right up front that I do not equate my adventures with the courage and abilities of Roz Savage. Nope, she stands with very few in that court. But I’ve been inspired by her journey to tap into my own Inner Source and take bold steps (for me) to follow what my heart says is important – to find and embellish my own sense of passion.  

I am driven to see just how small of a footprint I can function within and still find my joy and purpose in life.  I do not crave a monk’s sparse existence – I love my clothes and shoes too much to leave them behind. I love my computer workings and drawing supplies too much to want to build a life without them. I know what matters to me . . . my task then,  is to make them all work together.

How do I physically live the smallest I can and still have the most I want out of life? That’s my definition of living large in the first place. I’m working that puzzle out, and I find that I often think “If Roz can do that, then surely I can do this.” I don’t compare our journeys – but I do draw on her amazing inner strength when mine flags. Her quest has obviously sparked something in me – and the stories of others should do just that - it’s our shared ethos our interconnectedness in this universe. As a very wise woman often states "A rising tide lifts all boats."

We can’t all be Roz Savage, but we can all find our passion and push our limits. Let her story amaze you. Let it inspire you, let it help you take action to find out what really matters to you and go for it – do not look at what she’s done and compare yourself – look at what you can do and prepare yourself. With her world record completed, I’m sure Roz is asking herself right now the very same thing you could be asking yourself – what’s your next step?

I'm a Recovering Control Freak

I am a recovering control freak – there are no twelve step programs for me (that I know of), so I’ve had to go it alone. All my life, I’ve always felt most comfortable being in charge and knowing what was going on at all costs - having goals and accomplishments felt safe. Luckily my abilities made this work well for me, but it’s also prolonged my need to be in control, which isn’t ultimately in my best interest if I want to grow as a person.

I’ve released just about everything in my life that brought me comfort – things (it's just stuff), careers (financial security) and ideas (past habits and behaviors). Not because I want to punish myself, but because I want a life of freedom that can only come from letting go.

For me, the need to control gives up freedom – being willing to let go liberates it. If this sounds counter-intuitive to you, just consider how freeing it feels to clean out your closets or a cupboard, or a spare room full of stuff you’ve forgotten you had…..letting go IS freedom.

It isn’t all fun and games – sometimes it’s the scariest thing imaginable….but that is part of the process too. What would you do if you had nothing holding you back? That is a worthy concept to spend some time with today – and when you get a glimpse of what is fundamentally important to you, consider what your next step could be…. It doesn’t hurt to think about it, but be forewarned – once a thought is released, it can never go back into the box……enjoy considering A Life Without Limits - it's your turn, who will you become?

ROAD TRIP!

I’m feeling bored and antsy so I know it’s time to get on the road – when I am driving, my heart is singing. I’ve made appointments to get my car ready for serious winter travel. I’m creating a time line and lining up friends to visit along the way. If you read my last post, you know that I am soon homeless and will be living out of my car….. but I’m going to find a way to do it with dignity – ha ha!

It’s not entirely by choice because I never thought it would take me this long to find a motorhome to begin my next planned adventure of full time RV living. But it has. In the meantime, my spirit needs a shot of adventure though to keep from feeling too stuck, so I’m going to hit the road for a couple of months.

First stop is Portland – love that town….hoping to cruise around the Pearl District for a day, visit a few friends and head on to Seattle to finally meet, in person, a Facebook friend who has recently moved there. This amazing person has opened her home to me to stay for a few days, and I can’t wait to get out and explore her new city with her. Casual talk of ferries, and islands and fall leaves is more than enough to get my car pointed North.

After Seattle, I’m trying to decide the route to get to San Luis Obispo (Coast 101 or I-5?) where I will spend Thanksgiving with my family. Then on to Ventura to connect with a dear friend who is moving out of California soon – one last, all night gab fest is definitely in order!

From there, I’m hoping to continue south to Orange County to catch up with more family. Now if I had my RV, this would be the starting point for a winter down south, out of the cold and rain – I’d move on over to Palm Springs and even as far as Tucson, AR, but unless my rig materializes while I’m on the road (and it could), I’m not sure where I will hunker down for the winter.

For now, I do not have any plans further than the holidays – and that’s OK too. Being free to move about the country feels good - most of the time, and practicing letting go of schedules and routines is a good thing to do as well. That funny feeling from Inner Source is telling me to let all expectations go;  let the need to know go;  let the need to be in control go –only then will I truly see the possibilities that lay ahead for me. Only then will I know what my next step is.

So I’m off to wrap up what turned out to be a short stint in San Francisco and step boldly where no Zan has ever gone – living A Life Without Limits – literally!!