We tend to think of the so-called "quarter life crisis" in negative terms, that period in our young lives when we realize we've done everything we're supposed to, made the "best" decisions we could, worked hard, and are disturbed to realize that we're still not happy. Something is still missing.
Previous generations seem to think of this as a "reality check" for us millennials, where we realize that life isn't and won't be as fulfilling as we had hoped and been promised it would be.
F*ck that.
To me this 'crisis' has been a positive event and has given me the awareness that material success does not equate to happiness or fulfillment, and that a new strategy for life is now required to move forward in a meaningful way. I feel like I have come out the other side happier, healthier and more inspired than I ever would have imagined.
We weren't interested in waiting around until retirement to live our dreams. We were also chasing answers to what we wanted in life, what brought us joy, and I was exploring what the elusive concept of success really means.
About halfway through our trip we participated in Rick Cowley's VysionQuest.
To say this experience was life-changing would be an understatement.
We returned home to Toronto, Canada, and have been working on starting anew since then. I have achieved many of my Five Year Bucket List goals and dreams, some while traveling and others since we've been home, all of which I am very proud of and grateful for.
I feel like I've made incredible progress over the last 12 months in creating the life that I most want to live and loving each and every day of the journey. But where the last year has been about tearing down, contemplating and rebuilding the foundation, the next few years will be about doing the hard work to actualize the structure.
A big thanks to Rick for helping me put many of these dreams and goals into words, and to my wife Karen for giving me the courage to be bold and chase them.