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An epiphany from my camping trip

An epiphany from my camping trip

Holly and I were sitting outside by the RV the other day, savoring a sweet moment together, when both of us reached an epiphany.

It was a rainy day, and some of our outdoor activities got canceled, but we decided to make the most of it and sit outside by the rain –  just covered enough so we didn’t get wet –  but with a nice view of the water trickling down and making impressions in the puddles around us.


And in that moment, we realized something. – Two things, actually.

  1. Why haven’t we done this earlier?

Why haven’t we taken the time to go on camping trips before?

Sometimes we don’t realize the value of moments like this until we’re in them – or worse, until they’ve passed.

Have you been there?

There are so many moments we miss because we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.

Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do and the people I serve on a daily basis, but there are simple rejuvenating moments like this that I’ve missed because I’ve simply put it off.

I have to keep reminding myself that if I want to make maximum impact in the lives of others and truly pour into others at a high level, my cup needs to be filled first.

And what better way than to go on a camping trip with my family?

I want to encourage you: what is it that you need at this time?Is it a weekend away? Maybe just a whole day to yourself where you do nothing but relax and recharge? Is there a mentor or friend you need to call to encourage you? Is there a hike you’ve been wanting to take with your family?

Whatever it is, I encourage you to stop putting it off. Remember, your cup needs to be filled!

The other thing we realized is this:

  1. Boy, we’re blessed.

I don’t like to use the word "lucky," because I don’t think things happen by luck or by chance.

At the same time, I recognize that we are completely blessed beyond measure and grateful for the ability to go on this trip.

In fact, Holly and I spent some time in gratitude, thinking about how blessed and fortunate we are for our health, to take this time off, to go on this trip, to rent an RV; to have the freedom of getting to stop wherever we want without having to worry or dread about how we’re going to pay for it…

Both of us grew up poor and there were times when we didn’t know how we were going to make it on a regular weekly basis – let alone go on a vacation.

And so we don’t take for granted the freedom of time and money we have now. We want to cherish it as much as we can, and help others get to the same place.

I don’t share any of this to boast or to make anyone feel worse about their financial situation, but instead to encourage you that the same freedom is available to you.

And Holly and I want to help you get there.

We realize that the biggest game changer that’s helped us get to where we want to be has been getting better at sales.

And now we’re inviting you to do just that without investing anything except your time.

If you haven’t already registered for our 4-part Sales Training that kicks off in just about 2 & a half weeks, you’ll want to do so right here.

This could be your next best step toward the family vacation of your dreams.

 

A Glimpse Into Our Adventure

A Glimpse Into Our Adventure

For those of you who haven’t heard, my wife Holly, myself, our two boys, and our two dogs embarked on a 2-week RV camping trip last week!

We’ve had a lot of people following our journey on social media, asking to share updates. So allow me to share a few in this post.

Update #1: The dogs are no longer with us! They were causing quite a ruckus in St. Augustine, so we had a friend come, pick them up, and take them back home.
We’ll miss them, but it was the best decision for all of us.
…Let’s just say we weren’t getting much sleep.
So now it’s just me, Holly, and the boys! – And some other friends, as you can see in this picture. Lol.
Update #2: The first leg of the trip was spent in St. Augustine, and for the past couple of days we have been enjoying our time in Savannah, Georgia!
Here’s a picture of me and the boys climbing one of the beautiful Spanish Moss trees.
May be an image of 4 people, people standing, nature and tree
Getting out in nature has been refreshing for all of us.
Update #3: The place we’re staying in Savannah even has farm animals, so the boys got the chance to go horseback riding –which is one of their favorite activities!
May be an image of 3 people, people standing and outdoors
Well, for the sake of time, I’m going to sign off. But please stay connected to hear more updates on our trip!
And one last reminder before I go: we’re about 3 weeks away from my 4-part Sales Training! The first training session takes place on October 8th, and all you need to do is show up (after registering here).
Hope you can make it!

Who would have thought I'd do this?

Who would have thought I'd do this?

Driving an RV across the country isn’t an easy job.

But last week, I signed up for it.

You heard me right! Holly, Caleb and Emerson –  our two boys – and Stella and Evo – our two dogs –  packed into an RV and hit the road for a fun-filled camping trip for 2 weeks! Talk about a family vacation.

Update: we've even had a few of our friends stop by the campsite in St. Augustine to spend quality time with us and the boys. Above is a photo of Holly, myself, our friend Keiji from Japan, and Eric and Julia, our friends from the west coast of Florida.

They even brought their two boys with them - who were playing with Caleb and Emerson when this photo was taken. It's been amazing so far to say the least.


I love spending time with my family, but I have to say…

If you were to have asked me this time last year if I would ever spend 2 weeks away from home driving an RV across the country (for the first time ever), I’d probably tell you “no.”

Not only is this the first time I’ve ever driven an RV, but we’re people who typically like familiarity.

When we go out for family dinners we usually switch between 2 or 3 of our favorite restaurants and stick to that – because it’s what we know and love.

There isn’t much risk because we know what we’re gonna get and we know that the quality of the food and the service is going to be exceptional.

Driving an RV for the first time, on the other hand, comes with some unfamiliarity and risk - wouldn’t you say?

As does packing your family up – including your 2 highly-energized dogs – on a 2-week journey into the unknown!

It’s not that I’ve never wanted to go on an RV trip; I find road trips to be quite the adventure – especially when you’re in great company.

I just kept making excuses up until now…

Excuses that it was too complicated to rent an RV…


Excuses that driving an RV for the first time would be a challenge I wasn’t willing to overcome…

Excuses that planning the trip would be too tedious…

Excuses that I couldn’t find enough time in my schedule to take off of work and embark on a trip…

Really, all I was doing was making agreement with the doubts in my mind.

The doubts that told me I was incapable of doing it…

The doubts that told me I was undeserving of taking the time off to enjoy a family vacation…  

But now, we said, “no more!” Those doubts don’t deserve to rule our minds.

So Holly and I agreed it was time to embark on a journey to a new place, into the unknown.

And here we are today.

When was the last time you really wanted to do something, but you found yourself making excuses every time the opportunity came up?

To experience the greatest things in life, we have to be willing to get out of our comfort zone.

… Whether that be in our personal lives, family lives, or professional lives.

Here’s an example of it happening in my professional life.

Over the years, I’ve had to work on getting out of my comfort zone in the sales process – especially when it comes to asking the prospect to seal the deal and make the payment.

If you’ve ever felt a sense of uncomfortableness in this process – which most of us have – I’ll leave you with this invitation.

I’m hosting a 4-part Sales Training in October for people who are serious about getting better at sales and becoming more comfortable stepping into a sales conversation with boldness, ready to ask for the close.

I encourage you to join! (If you haven’t yet enrolled, please take a minute to do so).The first session takes place on October 8th.

And until then, get ready to hear more updates on our family camping trip!