A handful of years ago, I read an article by David Cain and it changed my life. His wise words were the quiet voice in the back of my head kindly questioning me when I frittered away my hard-earned dollars on a latte... or when I wasted an afternoon on social media instead of spending it on something more enduring or meaningful. The tiny seed that he planted grew until it could no longer be contained in my same old life, the life where I habitually spent my time and money without much thought about my long term goals. 

It is an honor to share his words with you this month as we discuss how we can leverage what is meaningful to prioritize our lives and make powerful, long-lasting change. 

Why do you do what you don't love?

When I arrived at the conservation office I was absurdly early, like I am for everything that’s important. At 9:30 a bus would take me and 39 others to a ferry, which would drop us at the beginning of the Milford Track. From there I’d hike four days through cavernous glacial valleys, living out of my backpack.

After a day of scrambling to get all the right supplies: quick-drying clothes, sandfly repellant, cooking gear, matches, and food that didn’t take up much space, I was ready. Just early.

I sat down on the grass next to another traveler. We had the typical backpacker exchange: names, home countries, and current destinations. He was a German, about 20, headed to the Kepler track.

Our customary exchange ran its course quickly and soon there didn’t seem to be anything else to say, so we just sat against our packs, enjoying the day. It was sunny, and especially quiet. Te Anau is a little town at the edge of the civilization, so there was no background drone of highway traffic. Nothing happening in the foreground either.

Neither of us had said anything in a minute or two, when he turned to me and asked with a straightforwardness that only a German could muster:

“So,” he said, “What are your dreams?” ... 

Click Here to Continue Reading
(No, really, continue reading! You don't want to miss the best parts!)
on David's Blog "Raptitude"

Excerpt reprinted with permission from David Cain. David has been a featured contributor on Thought Catalog. He writes regularly, providing a street-level look at the human experience, on his blog "Raptitude."

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