No regrets, Part 2

"The only reason I was asking," my friend continued, "is that you seem to be awfully busy traveling all over the country."

"Doesn't seem to be simplified living, does it?" I asked.

I knew the answer to that too. It doesn't feel simplified to me. If you remember,  the point of moving was to get (like you can go somewhere and scoop it up) more peace in our lives. More time together. To create a slower life style. To achieve a certain independence that comes from stepping out and being your own master.

That hasn't happened. Are we closer? I'm not sure. Some days, more days than not actually, it feels like I've got more freedom and peace than I can handle. Other days, I feel so trapped. But no trap is like the one I felt buried in the day-to-day traffic.

Last week, I had dinner in Dallas Monday night; Tuesday night in Atlanta; and Wednesday and Thursday in Seattle. I returned to our cozy cabin in the woods on Friday (after discovering that my bag was still in Chicago,) but Charlsa was in Birmingham with her students for a competition.

We can go and go and go, like the Energizer Bunny. But neither of us wants to do that any longer. On the road, or in our daily work, we put one foot in front of the other and do what's necessary. We carry water and chop wood. When we get home, the warmth and serenity of our habitat surrounds us like a cocoon -- and we don't want to leave. Mondays are tough, because our peace is being threatened.

Unfortunately, the mission is clear. Sitting in the lotus position in a cave is not participating in the world. Jesus said, "Be in the world, not of it." Maintaining the peace while moving about and living life is the key.

Originally, we thought we would be more cave-like. The plan in the beginning of this great adventure called for us to rent a place for a year while I scanned, captioned and keyworded a lifetime of photographic images and submitted them to multiple stock photography agencies. These agencies sell photographers' work for them and take a commission -- usually 50 percent. I knew quite a bit about this business since I had owned a successful regional agency in Atlanta from 1989 to 1995. A conservative income estimate is $1 per image per year per agency. I had 10,000 images and planned to supply five agencies. Sounds like we would have about $50,000 per year in passive income. Nothing salves my soul like $50,000. Unless it's $150,000.

My security and peacefulness had always been tied to my checkbook. If my  checkbook runneth over, I'm feeling pretty good. If it's a little barren and dusty, then I'm in the dumper. Over the past 10 years, I've worked very hard at building security and peace without focusing on the greenbacks. And the evidence proves that if my head and heart is in the right place, I open a channel for greater abundance.

But like all good plans, this one went awry. Out of the blue, a friend of the family offered us 98 acres of beautiful rolling forest land with four streams and a 30 foot-waterfall (which we discovered after purchasing it.) We couldn't pass it up. It was deal we couldn't pass up.

So, the plan took a left turn. The house would come first. And with the house came a mortgage, etc., etc.

And I find myself traveling the country.

Have we achieved a simplified lifestyle. It's beginning to happen between my ears. Not yet. But we've learned that peace occurs inside even in the middle of the airport when your luggage is missing. Peace is always there. We don't always see it.

Peace is not passive. I'm working for it.

Driving the Atlanta roads again, dodging as many accidents as I can, I'm commuting. It's on my terms and pretty much on my schedule. Even though my commute is almost four hours now, I don't regret it. I'm thankful for the opportunities to learn and grow. In my interactions, the more peace I demonstrate, more peaceful my life will become.

So, here's the lesson. As Albert Einstein said:

"Peace cannot be kept by force;
it can only be achieved by understanding."