“I’m headed west until I run out of real estate.”

My words when friends and family asked what my plan was when driving from Ohio to California at the beginning of 2022 when I first started Chasing Waterfalls.

This was usually followed by, “What about after?”

The response was always, “I’ll know when I get there.”

We try to plan our lives out so far in advance that we don’t allow any margin for other possibilities. Why do I have to have to plan out my entire life? If I do, I’m going to freak out when plans change and see the outcome as a failure. 

I’ve never really had a “plan”. But don’t be fooled; I always have DIRECTION. 

After I ran out of room to drive west on the mainland United States, Hawaii called me. Literally. So I answered the call, sold my car, and booked my flight to join the cast of The Real World, Oahu.

The more and more you live a life of uncertainty, the more you learn to trust your intuition. THIS is a 6th sense that we all have access to. I cannot stress enough, this is very real. We all have feelings that can guide us to where we need to be. The choice is ours on whether or not we choose to listen to them or bury them deep inside of us.

I’ve buried them for long enough. Now I listen.

Hawaii could have been considered a risk. Cost of living is higher, working hours for my remote job would be more brutal, i’d have to sell my car which complicates return plans and I have no idea how long I plan to stay or what I’m doing after. 

Still, with all of those question marks, for reasons only I can fully understand, it still made perfect sense. YOU don’t have to understand them. That’s my job. So I made a decision for my own personal best interest.

I can now confirm that it’s been chalked up in the win column.

“So what’s next?” 

That’s always the follow-up question.

“I’ll know when I get there.”

Mr. Worldwide 

Enter: Bali, Indonesia.

I was first introduced to a community of digital nomads in Hawaii. A group of people who work remotely, enjoy traveling and live life as if they’re not promised tomorrow. This is the place I learned to appreciate The Biggest “Little Moments”. These became my people, and my intuition told me that I could benefit from more of the same.

Bali is known for having one of the largest communities of digital nomads internationally, similar geographical landscapes and activities as hawaii, and for a number of other reasons, was the obvious next step in my journey. 

Bali’s primary form of transportation is motor scooters. These are basically baby motorcycles that can go up to 70mph (110kph). Traffic laws aren’t really a thing and stop signs don’t really exist. At major intersections, you just go “when it makes sense to”.

Oh, and you drive on the left side of the road. In bumper to bumper traffic. Next to 2-3 other scooters in your lane. They’re so close I could lean over and give them a kiss. They’d have to lean halfway, but a kiss should be a 50/50 agreement anyways. 70/30 if you’re to be the dominant partner in the relationship but we can talk about that another time.

Balinese is the local language, but Indonesian is more widely used and accepted. Fortunately, English is the universal language around the world and Americans honestly have it easy. Still, have some respect and use Rosetta Stone or DuoLingo and learn how to say “thank you” for speaking my language and making my life easier, if nothing else.

Celsius is used instead of Fahrenheit, Kilograms are used instead of pounds and meters are used to measure distance instead of feet. If I didn’t lift weights, I’d never understand the metric system. I’d like to thank BodyFactory for giving me some insanely good looking people to look at as I learn that a 20kg plate is equivalent to 45lbs. That’s my kind of classroom and gym.

These are all reasons to be intimidated at first. I’ll be honest, I was nervous to leave my villa the morning after I landed. 

I didn’t know where to get food, where to get money to BUY the food, and how to even ORDER the food. It seemed like a whole process in my mind just to eat! 

But the things you’re most scared of typically hold the biggest lessons. 

So I went.

The island of good karma

The primary religion of the Balinese people is Hindu, and as such, the Balinese people believe in Karma. Bring good energy to the world and you will receive it in return.

Bottom line – don’t be a dick.

The locals you encounter treat you with the utmost kindness and positive energy. They’ll remember your name after the first time you meet. They ask about your day, where you’re from and are interested in your back story. They unselfishly put you first, making you feel noticed and important.

That kind of energy is contagious. It explains the good energy flooding this special island.

I’ve learned that in order to continue receiving the blessings in our lives, it’s up to us to give back however we can. 

Even though tipping at a restaurant isn’t expected in Bali, a little goes a long way. Give your server anything and you’ll see how their eyes open up in shock and a smile takes over their face. 

What you won’t see is that they’ll be in a better mood and pass off more good energy to the next customers.

By doing something so small, you’re literally creating a chain effect of good energy.

Next time you see the guy behind the counter who always remembers your name, try getting to know THEM this time. As much as you will make them feel noticed and appreciated, you’ll equally feel good and learn something in return.

It’s always an exchange. The more good you put out into the world, the more good will begin to appear in your life.

A Gratitude List

I like to begin every day by thanking God for waking up to another beautiful day in this incredible life. I am always keeping a mental and written list of the things I’m grateful for, but I haven’t always been that way. 

If you’re in a place where you think your life is difficult, let me give you a few reasons to be thankful.

Just west of Bali sits the island of Java, holding 90% of Indonesia’s population. There is a beautiful but poisonous volcano where sulfuric gases are emitted down a 2 hour hike from the peak down into the volcano. It doubles as a sulfur mine where you can find local Indonesian workers carrying 60-70kg (150lbs) over one shoulder from the base of the volcano to the top. They’ll make this physically exhausting trip 3-4 times a day, breathing in the poisonous gasses without a protective mask because its too expensive. All to make minimum wage, if that. 

What’s minimum wage? To put things into perspective, the average monthly salary is about $200-$300 USD. They get $7-$10 a day for all of their living expenses.

When I speak to a local about a trip to another island, 9 times out of 10 they say something like “I’d love to go there, but it’s too expensive.” 

Even with these beautiful tourist attractions in their backyard, they’ve spent their whole lives essentially stuck on the island because the ferry ticket is too expensive. 

Even if they are able to afford it financially, they can’t take more than 1-2 consecutive days off work because they’re needed there.

Not to mention that the people that work in Canggu often can’t afford to live there, so they have to make a 1 hour commute two-ways from the big city to the office 6 days a week just to get to work. They’re also usually there from sun up to sun down so they have no margin to do anything else outside of work.

Despite this, they’re still smiling.

We have no reason to not do the same.

It’s All About the People

Outside the locals, the island is full of expats from around the world that are as open-minded and free as they come. 

Here’s an important lesson I’ve learned from them:

If you spend a lot of time at the beach club partying, you’ll see familiar faces the more you go and find the people who enjoy getting shit faced most nights. You’ll make friends with them. Therefore, you’ll then end up spending more of your free time at the club getting shit faced with your new friends. 

Easy logic, right?

On the other hand, if you spend a lot of time at the gym keeping your body healthy, local coffee shops working on your mind, and co-working spaces working on your craft, you’ll make friends with the people looking to do something spectacular in this life.

I choose the latter. I found the people who were in Bali to become the best version of themselves. To keep their body healthy, to learn about themselves, to learn about others, to build a business, and to grow in every way they possibly can. 

Knowledge sponges. 

The ones who are looking to create a business from something they’re passionate about and build it up from the ground up. People who want to make a difference in the world.

Surround yourself with these people and they’ll rub off on you. Here’s how:

I’ve never been in better physical shape in my life.

I’ve finished more books in 4 months than I have in 31 years.

I’ve held a full time job working from 9pm to 5am every week night.

I’ve grown an online coaching business helping people around the world stay physically fit and grow as a person using the same logic I write and preach about.

I’ve traveled all over Bali and other islands of Indonesia appreciating every moment in front of me.

The important lesson to learn here: You make time for what’s important.

Each person I’ve met along the way has had important lessons to teach. 

People who have left impoverished regions of the world where there is no hope and little chance to escape because of the inability to even obtain a passport. People who have overcome failed relationships, some as long as 10+ years, with a huge mess to sort out in the aftermath. People who have dealt with family struggles growing up, drugs, alcohol, recklessness, and losing people close to them from the same reckless lifestyle at a young age.

The stories could go on.

These same people have refused to accept failure as an option. They took risks and they paid off. They’re chasing their dreams, they’re making the world a better place, but most importantly, they’re happy.

What’s their secret?

They followed their intuition and they BELIEVED that everything happened for a reason to bring them to this place they’re at today.

Similarly to my experience in Hawaii, I’ve created some bonds that cannot possibly be broken. In 4 short months, 9 of my best friends have visited me at one point or another and collided with the new life I’ve created. To watch two worlds collide, the new friends and the old, has been nothing short of extraordinary.

My intuition led me here and it’ll keep leading me everywhere I go. Because of this, I choose to keep my hand on the gas and feet off the ground.

But believe that along the way I’ll continue to wake up every morning and make my gratitude list…

…and if you’re reading this, you’re on it.