You Have to Be Special Like Us If You Want An Awesome Life (And Have Lots of Money)

This may not surprise you (or maybe it does), but not everyone likes us.

Some people just can’t stand us. They think we’re crazy, and that we think that we’re just ‘so special.’

They tell us that “not everyone can take off and travel the world. Some people have to stay behind and do the hard work. Some people have to work their aces off so you can enjoy your lifestyle.”

You know what? We’re really tired of people saying that.

Almost as bad, is those who do like us, or maybe are just indifferent, but still tell us,

I can’t do what you’re doing, I don’t make enough money.”

I can’t do what you’re doing. You guys are ‘special’

Well, all of you are right. It’s true, we’ll admit it. We are special.

We’re not average people. We’re NOT ‘normal’.

I mean, we live in our truck – with FIVE kids. Kids who have never been to a day of regular school in their lives. Kids who, by the time each of them were four years old, had traveled to 10 countries. That’s just not ‘normal‘.

We also hold ‘strange’ philosophies. We think the government school system sucks. We won’t eat white bread. We get up at 4 a.m. We don’t shop at Walmart (in fact we hate Walmart). We wander around the earth. We don’t own a mortgage. We don’t have a job. We place travel as one of our top priorities.

Yes, we’re special. We’re unique. One-of-a-kind. No wonder we have an awesome life.

But guess what. We have a secret. If you lean real close I’ll share it with you.

YOU are special too. Yes, you.

You have that thing that you do, the passion, the interest, that unique philosophy that sets you apart. Or at least something about you that makes you distinct, if you will only let it shine through, instead of squelching it all the time.

We ARE special. BUT SO ARE YOU!

Our specialness does not equate to betterness. We are NOT any better than you. Yes, we’re different. But not better. Or smarter. Or richer. Or wiser. In many ways, we’re just ‘normal’.

It IS possible to be special AND normal. We’re normal special. Or special normal.

But I’ll say it again. SO ARE YOU.

Which means that everything that we’re doing, you could do too. Or not. You could do something entirely different, that’s still special and normal and wonderful and unique.

You can be you. You can follow your dream. You can live a deliberate life.

The most common reasons people don’t travel, or pursue their dreams or live deliberately is because:

1. They think that ‘not everyone can do it’, only special people
2. They don’t have/make enough money
3. They worry that ‘they’ will think negatively about their lifestyle choices
4. They think they will fail.

The truth is, they’re right.

1. Not everyone CAN live an amazing life, pursue their dream, or travel.

Only those who want it bad enough. And who are special. But guess what? You are already are special!

Only you can answer if you want it bad enough.

2. You don’t make ‘enough’ money.

You never will – at least to do everything you want to do. Even with a lifetime, you’ll never make enough, or have enough time to do EVERYTHING that catches your fancy.

But you do make enough money to do the things you really want to do, as long as you place those things as your top priority.

Which do you want more? The comfort of a house, or to travel the world? To keep the job, or start the business? If you can do both, great. If you can’t afford both, then you have to choose.

But don’t say you can’t afford to travel. You’ve chosen to keep the house. That’s a higher priority to you. And that’s okay. But accept it as such, instead of lamenting your travel-less life.

Or explain it as being that you can’t afford to travel the way you want AND have the house, or the job, or the bills, or whatever else your money is currently funding.

Real travel is cheap, so is living deliberately, and anyone can afford it. So money isn’t an excuse.

3. ‘They’ WILL think you’re crazy, that you’ve lost your mind.

That you’re a beggar. A vagrant. Irresponsible. Lazy. Unstable. Ignorant. A dreamer. Untrustworthy. Reckless. Foolhardy. Impetuous. Derelict. Immature.

Have I left anything out?

No matter what lifestyle choices you make, they’ll always be disapproved by someone.

So as the song says, “You can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.”

Live your life, knowing that other peoples opinions about you are none of your business.

4. And yes, you will fail. That’s life. Sorry.

You’ll run out of money. You’ll have to go ‘home’. Maybe you’ll have to take a loan to make it through. Or get a job. Or worse.

The ‘worst-case-scenario’ might just happen. But guess what? I’ll tell you another secret.

Fear of the ‘worst-case’ is often worse than actually experiencing it.

After you actually try, and fail and make it through, you have a strange realization.

You realize that, it wasn’t so bad after all. And in fact, you’re actually glad that it happened, because now you’re better equipped to achieve your dream. You’re wiser. More mature. Responsible. Capable. More committed. Confident. Courageous.

You failed forward. Your failure was fertilizer. It helped you grow.

The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.”

Teddy Roosevelt

Marianne Williamson is quoted as saying:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate [and I add, un-special].

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure [more amazing and special than we can imagine.]

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, [special] and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

YOU are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone [that means YOU].

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

We are here, and we’re declaring that WE ARE SPECIAL! We are unique and brilliant and gorgeous and talented and fabulous.

We’re not going to play small. We’re not going to shrink so that others won’t feel insecure.

We WILL manifest the glory of God that is within us.

As by letting our light shine, by default, YOU have permission to do the same (you’ve had it all along, but now we’re making sure you know it).

Be liberated from your fears of not being special, of not having enough money, of worrying about what ‘they’ will think.

Travel the world (if that’s what you want to do). Start a new company or non-profit. Invent a new product. Change the world!

You can do it. You MUST do it. Because the world needs people who know that they’re special

But I’ll let you in on another secret.

There is something we have (or at least that we use) that you don’t. And it’s something that every traveler, every dreamer, every leader uses. What is it?

Courage. Audacity. Pluck. Grit. Resolve. Gumption.

We’re willing to put ourselves out there, to be ridiculed, embarrassed, to fail. We’re willing to risk, and ‘break our board‘.  We’re willing to take a chance, and when we fall, and fall, and fall, to get up, and up and up.

Because you can’t, and you won’t be able to use your specialness, let your light shine or manifest the glory of God that is within you, until you’re willing to stick your neck out.

It’s not about the money. It’s not about what ‘they’ will say. It’s not about ‘being responsible’ or ‘safe’, or preventing failure.

It’s about having the courage to not shrink from the challenge. It’s about dreaming and daring.

In the words of Teddy Roosevelt:

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Leave the gray twilight, and come into the sunlight of your own specialness. You were born for this.

About Rachel Denning

Mother of five amazing kids, author, family travel expert and full-time traveler. Besides writing about their family travel adventures, Rachel also shares information on The Art of Family Travel, how to Fund Your Lifestyle, and is co-author of the popular book, Living Deliberately: How to Create a Ridiculously Awesome Life.