Underwater Enlightenment

Scuba diving’s greatest rewards come once I am out of the water.

True, I enjoy seeing blue-spotted stingrays lurking in dark crevices; parrot fish, with their rich hues of green and purple; and the constant anticipation for my first whale shark to loom in the crystal clear depths. However, I perceive diving as an act of meditation.  Having achieved neutral buoyancy, I glide gracefully in a weightless dimension, imagining I am flying as I soak up a magical world most people will never experience. And when it is over, the effects of this meditation manifest.

I climb from the water, and this absolute peace washes over me as I break down my gear. I sit, then, upon my perch at the front of the rocking boat, my feet dangling over the deck.

Take in the glassy emerald green seas stretching out before me.

The island paradise juts from the ocean, quaint bungalows speckling the palm-blanketed hills.

The sun caresses my refreshed body, and my doubts and fears are forgotten.

In this relaxed state, naturally high from underwater meditation, I am reminded why I came to Thailand in the first place—why I decided to sell my truck and all my furniture to travel the world. Right then, my heart knows I can continue this lifestyle for at least another five months if I try—perhaps forever.

I feel free, and that is all I need.

Finding Freedom Through Self-Employment

The other night I was reminded of why it is so important to work for yourself and take control of your own destiny.  I am currently waiting tables at a restaurant in a popular tourist destination.  I just went to bartending school so I could get a job where I could work minimum hours for regular pay, giving me time to work on setting up my own business.  Before I moved to this town, I had my own landscaping business, but after a real estate deal I was working on went sour, I decided I was ready for a change, so I picked up and moved.  Now I’m waiting tables again to get my foot in the door on this bartending gig.  I also like bartending because I can go anywhere and pick up a job in some of the best places in the world to live. 

Anyhow, when I was getting off work the other night, the current bartender was complaining about a manager who constantly hounds her about the most ridiculous things.  For example, she singled her out for putting one too many cherries in a kid’s drink.  This manager always finds reasons to pick on her.  I eavesdropped a little as she vented to an older waitress who had worked at the restaurant for about fifteen years.  The older waitress told her she needed to just do as she was told, no matter if every manager was telling her to make her cocktail a different way or not.  If you know anything about mixing cocktails and the thousands of different recipes which all have hundreds of variations, this is a tremendous strain to put on an already taxed memory.  But this is not what bothered me.  What bothered me about the conversation was when the older “veteran” waitress told her, “You just have to obey her.”  Obey her!  I could not believe my ears.  This woman has been in this line of work so long she has completely taken on the servant mentality.  The money isn’t that good!

This reminded me how important it was to work for yourself.  Living your life like a slave, at the mercy of other people’s power trips and personality flaws is a risky and miserable existence.  No matter what you are doing with your life, set your sights on creating your own income.  Do not let other control your destiny.  The only reason I chose to put myself in this position is because I wanted a lot of free time and it was easy to pick up a job like this in a new town.  I am already experimenting with blogs, writing an ebook, and setting up a business here in town.  But you don’t have to take on so much to work for yourself.  I just have a habit of spreading myself thin.  Pick one interest and learn as much as you can about it in your free time.  If you don’t feel you have a purpose, go find one.  The worst thing you can do for yourself is give up hope and develop a servant mentality.  Every person is capable of so much if they apply themself. 

So if you work for someone else, think of your job as a temporary stepping stone to self-employment, whether it is the first step or a source of income you need to fund your venture.  Just get out there and hold your dream firmly in your heart and mind.  Find a way to employ yourself, and you will find freedom.