“Look for a way of life. Decide how you want to live and then see what you can do to make a living within that way of life.”-Hunter S. Thompson
Though I couldn’t articulate it at the time four years and eight months ago, I wanted to live a certain way and offer an original contribution to this world. As the journey progressed, two criteria emerged.
Criteria 1: This would apply to all aspects of my life.
Criteria 2: I was not going to follow a road someone else had paved. I was going to do the paving.
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“Once you have come here as a human being, you are supposed to be the master of your life.”-Sadhguru
All EXTERNAL ACTIONS would become intentional. My time would be spent pursuing activities and people that I found interesting, meaningful, and/or limit-pushing in an effort to create the best version of Benj to offer to the world. Very little time would be spent on all else. (I went to my first work meeting in over two and a half years last week. It lasted seven minutes, so I survived.)
So I began paving. I met hundreds of new people. I travelled to tons of new places. I reimagined a new lifestyle. I redefined so many categories. I unlearned as much as I could. I changed my mind a million times (In my opinion, the ultimate strength. In society’s opinion, the ultimate weakness.)
I did the travel. I did the golf. I did the work. And all of a sudden (not really), it turned into something.
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“I love the process. I love getting better…I love everything about it. I even love that if you do everything right, you can still get screwed, and you have to be OK with it.”-LPGA golfer Danielle Kang
All INTERNAL REACTIONS would become intentional. More patient. More playful. More calm, at ease, and peaceful. I’ve done a lot of work on this. Lots of early morning reading, podcasts, and audiobooks.
If something made me mad, I stopped and asked myself why. If something made me nervous or anxious, I asked myself why. If I was scared of something, I asked myself why. I basically designed a lifestyle of complete uncertainty, so I forced myself to meet these issues head on.
In retrospect, the external acts of moving, starting a new career, etc. have been cakewalks compared to the internal work. Designing an awesome yet largely non traditional lifestyle is pointless if you care what anyone thinks about your designing an awesome yet largely non traditional lifestyle.
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“Above all, I thirst for discoveries, travel, meeting other players, different cultures.”- Kylian Mbappe
It’s almost 2022. My list of interests is as robust as ever. I absolutely adore raising the kids with Christy.
I love waking up to sunrises over the gulf. I love the coastal and New Orleans flavor down here, the freedom of being outside all the time.
Sports betting really has my attention right now. I’ve got 8 or 9 golf tournaments I want to play in next year, about half which are in places I’ve never been. I want to keep teaching, learning, and getting better.
Plus, it’s time to hit the road again. Meet new people. See new places. Learn new things. And I hope that starts in January with one of my favorite places in the world.
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Happy Holidays!-Benj
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anything but khakis 
Enjoyed this one as always. I like when you’re in Miss. & talk about being there & enjoying it. But am also glad that you’re planning on hitting the road again with your travels and then sharing all the new places, experiences, travels, people with us. Thank you, Benj, for sharing.(Your family is so beautiful. And that little girl, like an Angel. Her Mom looks great too, huh!!)
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