Get in the Car!

This episode is wrapping up a trilogy used to equip us with three key elements for life's Journey. (Recalibrate- changing your mindset and outlook, A good support system, and the will to move forward without doubt)  Everyone's purpose is the vehicle that takes them to their destination, and we want to emphasize the importance of taking "the trip" versus missing out on the most important things in life.

Transcript

Get in the Car!

Hey everyone, welcome back to Nighttime Nostalgia.  So, we made it to Humpday, and since 2020 has been a bit doom and gloom lately, let me take you on a quick trip to 1998.  

 So I’m 17 years old at the time, and the first place I move to from my home in the Bahamas is Campbellsville KY.  Ever heard of it? neither did I.  There was no mall, a movie theater with two screens and the highlight was the local Walmart.  In spite of it all it was gorgeous, it literally looked like a picture form a postcard and it was a nice change of pace.  

 It took me 48 hours to see the highlights of the town, and even though it was beautiful, there wasn’t much to do.  

 So day three I’m relaxing in the dorm and in walks my new roommate, let’s call him Bob for now.  

 I didn’t know what I was getting into, does he snore in his sleep, does he smoke, was he going to turn the thermostat to the surface of the sun. I don’t know.

About 10 minutes into our convo, it was all good.  Bob was cool. He was from Brazil, we were the same age, and Bob had a car!  

 It was this early 90s model gold Toyota Corolla. Good on gas, so putting in half was never a problem, and it was always clean. So, Bob and I hit it off.  The thermostat stayed at a good temperature, he didn’t smoke, and it turns out, I was the one that snored.   Freshman year started to look up.  

 So Bob and I get this idea to drive down to Daytona Beach for Spring Break. We started counting up money trying to figure out how much we’d need for gas and a place to stay, and about five minutes into the conversation I get cold feet. I started thinking, I’d never seen the car drive over 50 mph, and I’m pretty sure Bob didn’t own a map.  The excuses started rolling in and none of them made any sense.   

 One of the coolest people I knew at the time, offers me a crazy fun opportunity, and all of a sudden, I was turning it down.

 My excuses ruined my fun, and now I was trying to persuade him to see my crazy reasoning.  You know what bro, we don’t have that much money and to be honest with you this is how horror movies begin.  Happy go lucky teens come up with a party idea, take a trip, and car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.  Next thing you know, we’re never to be seen again….and you know who dies first in a horror movie.  

 I sucked the air out of the room with that crap.  But Bob still decided to go.  

 So travel day comes, we fist bump, and Bob heads for the car.  At this point I started to believe my own hype; so I waved goodbye like I really didn’t expect to see him again.  

 So while Bob was making his way down to Florida fun, I spent two weeks walking back and forth to the video store and Walmart.  Probably the closet I’ve come to insanity, and all of a sudden running for my life didn’t sound so bad.  

 The Sunday before classes I’m lying in bed with a half-eaten bag of chips, drifting in and out of sleep and I hear keys at the door.  

Bob walks in showing all 32 of his teeth, shirt off smelling like a mixture of suntan lotion and strange women.  

 So, I was like what’s up man, you didn’t die, good for you.  

He broke out his digital camera and started swiping through pictures. Every swipe felt like a slap to the face.  Beautiful women, motorbikes, good food…. literally a punch in the gut.

 That was one of the most memorable times that I felt that level of regret and I use that memory to make sure that I never take opportunities for granted.  

 We crave wealth and success and when an opportunity arises to go and get it, we turn it down because we can’t predict the outcome.

 We have occasions to show what we’re made of and without fail we question our abilities.

 The worst part is, instead of keeping our insecurities to ourselves, we try to pull other people down with us.   

 It wasn’t until later on in life that I realized the truth of the matter is we self-sabotage because our need for comfort outweighs our need for growth. Every day we encounter opportunities and defining moments that can affect our success and happiness and instead of seizing them, we retreat to a false sense of security.  

 At work we don’t speak out when there’s no recognition for our performance.  We tolerate passive aggression and make excuses for other behaviors.   We tell ourselves, I’ll eventually get some training, so I’ll sit tight because I know what I have, but not sure what I’m getting.  

 We sit quietly in our relationships and justify infidelity and mistreatment. “We have an apartment together, we’ve known each other forever, and I’ve invested too much to let someone else benefit”.    

 Or my personal favorite, “I really need to start working out.  I want to eat healthier but it’s so expensive, on top of the fact that I just don’t have the time.  I have to work, take care of the kids and the house needs attention, plus I don’t feel like paying for exercise clothes”.  

 We want maximum results and only willing to put in minimum effort.  

 Unless we at least make an attempt to find our purpose, we’ll never find our happiness.  

 In the first two episodes we spoke about altering your outlook and finding a support system.  On your road in life, take a right instead of a left, and make sure that you have real support backing you.  

We’re accustomed to a specific way of thinking and have to realize that we’re going to encounter, different opinions and beliefs, so recalibrate your mind to hold tight to the things that define you and let go of the flaws that hold you back. 

In your moments, every excuse you give yourself will sound legitimate, but know that it’s not. Allow yourself time for growth and change, lean on your support system and don’t be afraid to change lanes a million times if that means getting you closer to your purpose.  

This trilogy was just the beginning, this podcast will give us a platform to share the lessons we’ve learned on our different paths and how we’ll use it to get to our destination. 

 If you like what you’ve heard, remember to hit subscribe and join us every Wednesday.  Next week will be our first episode of “Pearls for Girls” so I’m really looking forward to sharing with you.    Our website is under construction, but we’ll soon have a platform where we can respond to questions, give you a list of upcoming guest speakers and make it a more immersive experience.  Enjoy the rest of your week and see you next Wednesday.