I sat in the drivers seat of my champion Volvo at noon today in San Francisco. I had just finished having a cup of joe with one of my best friends and I thought to myself… “What do I really WANT to do today?” Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and discovered the fastest route to the beach!

I arrived in Pacifica, a beautiful little town outside of the city. I could just feel that it wasn’t where I was suppose to be though. I WANTED to get lost!! I WANTED to go off the beaten path and find a “non-touristy” spot. I kept driving and quickly remembered that my car was originally bought new in Half Moon Bay. Almost to the famous site of the profound Mavericks, I cranked the wheel right… I should’ve had “Jesus Take the Wheel” playing because I had no idea where I was going but it felt right.

Heading towards the ocean, I found a quaint parking lot with nearly 45 empty parking spots and only a ranger SUV present. In the distant around the corner, I saw a small sign that said “beach.” I embarked with the intention to feel alive and provoke my mind to think different.

Following the safety signs, I went to where the path took me but that’s just not me. I headed off the path into the woods. What I found was remarkable but more so was the feeling. Ten minutes south by foot, I awakened my spirit and was utterly shocked! The wind against my face, the mist turning into a stronger drizzle, the sound of the waves crashing, and the sight of eternity across the big blue Pacific Ocean!

It was a private beach!

This blog doesn’t end there it actually is just beginning. The creativity, the imagination, and the dreams that flooded my mind were down right divine. First, I prayed and thanked God for this beautiful view. However, I knew what I was there for. This wasn’t a selfish day to enjoy and be like “Hey look at me!” This was about putting the puzzle pieces together, calming my senses, and letting God speak to me.

What do I WANT? What do I really… WANT!? I was searching for answers for my career and my life. These are my thoughts as the following lyrics play on the Starbucks speakers, “No one is going to live my life for me.”

“You become what you think.” The thoughts that consistently and continuously come to mind are “calling you.” I’ve thought of being a life coach, a health coach, and someone who works one-one-one with people to improve their quality of life and happiness. Simply, I’ve wanted to find my niche to help people. When I was a little boy I wanted to be an actor and/or a priest (until I started to like girls, darn girls! lol). Why these things? Why not say a doctor, lawyer, or astronaut (ok maybe the latter, going to the moon would be sick!). The why stems from my worldview which is shaped by where I come from. I come from a dad that enjoys helping people as a Chiropractor and believes the body heals itself. A dad firm in contrarian ideals but with a heart as big as the Pacific. I come from a mom that brings smiles, joy, and a friendly spirit to all she meets. The why is that 18 of the 26 years of my life my mom has had her quality of life severely altered. The chronic pain I’ve witnessed her go through has shaped my thoughts to want to help others holistically with their mind, body and souls.

“Life happens for you not to you.” 48 hours ago, a fellow Gael and occasional dance partner invited me to a life coaching seminar in San Francisco. I went to the life/health coaching seminar last night and thought “why am I here?” While I was there, I swear by the hand of God I was introduced to a gentleman who is a world renown speaker, author, and life coach. If you must know, the last 18 months have been very challenging and I’ve encountered an array of thoughts and emotions. Yet, my actions have remained steady and TODAY I’ve realized they have been preparing me to help people. I can’t count how many books I’ve read, podcasts I’ve engaged with, and conversations about life/fulfillment  I’ve had with people.

“Everything happens for a reason.” The listening, reading, learning, acting, writing, and substitute teaching have all contributed to how I can help, be, and give more to others struggling with making decisions and transitioning in life. The experiences have given me an awareness of what success, fulfillment, and struggles mean. The mentors I’ve been blessed to embrace and the key influencers I’ve obtained nuggets of wisdom from have all been a blessing.

“It’s Your Move,” by Josh Altman is the what I’m currently reading and he inspires the “Ready. Fire. Aim.” approach. He adds, “the difference between successful people and not is two things. Successful people make definitive/quick decisions and they stand by those decisions.” Honestly, I feel the continuous actions I take to follow the Word of God and follow my heart to do the right things contribute to my ability to help people uncluttered what is truly important in their lives.

I don’t know it all and I don’t have the answers. I do know I can help facilitate the conversations to guide the process. I can help people see importance of faith, family, health, and happiness.

The call to action is two fold now. The vision I see is to bring a small group (no greater than 9) together to build a team that can help the masses stay on track as we embark upon life’s unknown road blocks to come. The goal is simple. Help as many as possible achieve the greatest quality of life and levels of happiness.

“It’s not about how to achieve your dreams, it’s about how to lead your life, … If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture