Are you ready for winter?  Even though it’s only the beginning of September, the kiddos are back to school and the nights are a little cooler.  You can tell a shift is pending.

We are spending as much time as possible out camping.  Last weekend we met some fascinating people living a lifestyle completely different from anything I imagined possible.  I’ll say more about them and their fascinating story in the article below to inspire you about what is truly possible.

What’s interesting about fall is that it’s a time of change on so many levels.  I guess we’re hardwired to become reflective.  In ancient times, this was the time to prepare to hunker down for the winter cold.  Time was spent checking to see that the winter provisions were adequate, and if not, then it was time to hustle to find the last beast to hunt or grain to harvest.  Then, time for quiet reflection and reassessment.

What are you reflecting on right now?  How would you assess your lifestyle?  Are you feeling fulfilled in what you do, or hungry for… something else?

Fall is the very, very best time to start working with a coach.  With the natural propensity to reflect at this time of year, it’s the perfect time to think about those questions and dig deep to find your own answers.  And I can help.  Call me!

Debra

PS.  Thank you to all the lovely readers who expressed concern for my family in Louisiana in the wake of Katrina.  Everyone is safe.  My heart goes out to my homeland and to those of you that live there.  Please consider donating money or time to the reconstruction effort.

Blessings!

Debra

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monthly Quote

"Learn to get in touch with silence within yourself, and know that everything in this life has a purpose.  There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from."

~ Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gypsies

Imagine our shock and dismay when we arrived at “our” secret camping place on public land in the mountains to discover not one, but THREE RV’s set up for a lovely stay.  We were miffed, but cordial, when next morning one of the campers walked over to chat.

As we talked, the circumstances of their arrival came out.  They were scouting a rendezvous point for more campers in their group to visit this part of Colorado.  This spot didn’t meet al their needs and they found another, but what was really interesting was that the guy of the group, Randy Vining, has been living full-time on the road for the past 12 years.  The other two ladies, sisters each with their own rig, had been full-time for 8 years.  HOLY MOLEY!  People DO that??

As it happens, they do.  This particular group, RV Singles http://www.rvsingles.org is spending the summer focused on Colorado, and will winter in the deep southwest.  Each summer they pick a different state and spend the beautiful months exploring and seeing the land intimately.  Other groups, such as http://www.escapees.com exist to support those interested in living a lifestyle on the road, or working a day job to keep the wheels turning on the weekend.  I imagine that a search on the web would uncover many other groups, each with their own emphasis.

This seems like such an escape fantasy.  How could one actually make something like this work?  To live on the road fulltime; how do you do that?  In our conversations throughout the weekend, a couple of important points showed up.

1. The rigs were self-sufficient.  By that I mean, solar panels, low electrical demands, low water usage.  They could pull off anywhere flat enough to level off and live a few days before replenishing supplies.
2. With low energy needs and camping on public lands, it could be quite inexpensive.
3. The people were fiercely independent.  Randy, Diana and her sister were traveling together for friendship and community, but any one of them could take off and do their own thing.
4. There were many ways to stay in contact with friends and family.  Internet/e-mail access was through a cell phone – on weekends when the minutes were free.  Diana told me about flying out to visit her children and grandchildren.   Important connections were maintained.
5. The story I got from Diana is that she sold her house, bought her rig, and stashed the rest of the cash in income-producing investments.  Snail mail is through a post office service that collects mail in a box and forwards it to you general delivery wherever you are.  Now that tracking is simple through the web, you always know where your mail is.

The key is to cut expenses and stretch out the money.  With internet and cell phones, maintaining a business is really not out of the question, but who wants to work??  Here’s Randy Vining’s poem about his lifestyle:

A Bucketful of Freedom

Wealth is like a leaky bucket

Beneath a water spout.

Running water is our income;

Expense is leakage out.

And the measure of our wealth

Is how long we could hold out

If some sad misfortune

Turned off the water spout.

Most folks focus on the spigot,

Seeking increase of the flow.

I’ve focused my attention

On the leakage down below.

I’ve sought to plug my bucket

By reducing my expenses,

Holding in my savings

Like a cowboy mending fences.

With patience I waited for bargains,

Didn’t count on Lady Luck,

Lived well below my means,

Getting bang for every buck.

When water rising in my bucket

Reached that calculated mark,

I left behind my drudgery

And few off like a lark.

So I think my wealth is great

Because my needs are small,

And I won’t have to work again

With any luck at all.

Money can purchase freedom

If you have the guts to buy it.

I know folks with beaucoup bucks

Too afraid to try it.

I am buying freedom

With the savings in my pail,

‘Cross highway seas of adventure

In my land yacht I will sail.

                                                                    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Upcoming Events:

For the full listing of workshops, visit http://www.forwardmomentum.com.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

© 2005 Debra DeVilbiss.  All rights reserved. 

You are free to use material from Moving Forward! in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live web site link.  Please also notify me where the material will appear.  The attribution should read:

"By Debra DeVilbiss, CPCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC.  Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

Debra can be reached at 303-485-9853 or by email:   debra@ForwardMomentum.com

PRIVACY POLICY:  I never rent, trade or sell my email lists to anyone for any reason whatsoever.  You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list.