Here’s One Of The Reasons I Tell You To Think Bigger — You Are So Much More

You Are So Much More.

(Last updated 16 February 2017)

So many people visit here, many read, a few ask questions and there are times I feel so inadequate.

I have only traveled down on path in my life (as has everyone else, actually).

I have only learned and observed just so much, and the majority of people who pass by here are:

1. Younger
2. Better educated
3. Even way better off financially than I am.

Yet they often ask questions about how they can get to the Philippines and eke out a tiny living just to be able to live where they want.

Even sadder are people with some sort of disability compensation who write in and ask question like this,

“I’m 22 years old, totally disabled and my compensation is $1100USD a month, can I move to the Philippines and live on that much?”

Stop Thinking Small!

Friends, the one place I do feel I excel, certainly over 22 year-olds who want to effectively end their life’s progress and sit back and ‘exist’ on $1100 a month until they die, unfulfilled is, I think bigger.  Way bigger.

My message?  Stop freaking limiting yourself to what and who you “think” you are and grow, while you are still young … at at 67  71, I am still much younger in my thoughts than a lot of the timid, “permission seekers” I meet here, sad to say.

 You know who this guy in the picture is?

(hint, no it is not me, I’m not as good-looking and I have less hair.)

The picture is one of my life heroes, a fellow name of Peter Drucker who is famous for many great quotes on business.  Perhaps his greatest line ever was, The Best Way To Assure Your Future is to Design It.

You Have Unlimited Potential … If You Want To Tap Into It

In other words, it doesn’t matter how old you are, where you are living, how much schooling you have, how “smart” people think you are.  It only matters what you are willing to do, for yourself, starting right now, today, here and now.

If You’re At The Bottom, That’s a Great Place To Start

I heard a great line a while back from a political pundit responding in a discussion regarding the so-called financial crisis, especially the unemployment rate, and the latest buzz phrase about the upcoming US “Financial Cliff” issues.  The one-liner?

“If you want to be optimistic about the future of the US, learn to stand on your head, because the view from the bottom is a LOT better than the view (and media fear-mongering) from the top.”  Tom Friedman, NY Times

In short, you want to earn money, you want a better job, you want to earn independent of your location?  Simple.  Build it yourself.  Stop whimpering, stop waiting, stop wasting the precious time and talents God gave you and do something for yourself.  You are So very much More than your college professors, your father, your drill sergeant or any other old authority figure in your life led you to believe.

Proof From Right Here In The Philippines

Here’s a blog and podcast you should be listening to.

Dan Andrews is a fellow who knows a little about factory work and production.

He was eking out a living traveling in Asia as a consultant for US firms having work contracted out to China.

Now, he writes (and talks on his own online radio network) about how to live independent of location .. and living at the 7 figure level, not sitting in a wheelchair at $1100 a month, waiting to die.

Explore Dan’s World and Thoughts here:

….

When I started this blog I wasn’t sure where it would go. It seems that, without much deliberate planning on our part, our community has become the best place on the webs to meet up with other legit, bootstrapping, traveling, internet entrepreneurs. People who are actually living the location independent lifestyle.

These entrepreneurs are incredibly earnest, positive, and helpful people. There isn’t a ton of room for sarcasm and cynicism when you are in a position to articulate things you love, and then make them happen in the world.

Over the past 5 months, this blog has been like an iceberg– all of the action is under the surface.

Some of the highlights for me:

• Hosting over 40 entrepreneurs on a remote island in the Philippines to work together and to have some crazy adventures.
• Meeting 100′s of blog readers in places like: Bali, Manila, Davao, Singapore, New York City, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Saigon, and many more.
• Hosting our first “serious” event, where over 120 people showed up for an opening party in the hip Aloft hotel in Bangkok. An unforgettable weekend of entrepreneurial learning was made even cooler by appearances from Derek Sivers, Simon Black, Joe and Justin, Chris Ducker,Brendan Tully, Ian Borders, Travis Jamison, and many more amazing people. This was easily one of the best weekends of my entire life.
• Going on an entrepreneurial pilgrimage to Chiang Mai with a huge number of DCers and other internet entrepreneurs.
• Adding some inspired new full-time team members and seeing our business click over to a multi-million dollar run rate.

For today’s post, I wanted to take you through some of the photos I’ve taken since June and show some of the behind the scenes stuff. If you aren’t interested in TMBA news, check in Friday afternoon for another episode of Tropical Talk Radio.

So, what about it? 

Will you “design” your future life down to a price?  Or up to a standard of living?

It’s all up to you, and remember, You Are So Much More.