Buoyancy

Before I tell you about yesterday's sale prep progress, I have to tell you about "buoyancy."  It's really the only word I can think of to describe it - I feel like I am being carried by the enthusiasm that other people have for what I am doing.  It's becoming such an interesting phenomenon.  I mean, I sort of expected people to be interested, but I have way underestimated the level of enthusiasm.

Here are a few of about a dozen recent examples:

Monday I was in my neighborhood Wholefoods picking up at few things, and during check out the cashier said, "So what have you been up to today?"  Now, I am acquainted with most of the cashier's there - and by acquainted I just mean that we recognize each other as having exchanged hellos for a few years - but I wasn't as familiar with this cashier as much as most, and his question sort of caught me off guard.  But I'm also just over flowing with enthusiasm, and so I said, "Well, I'm getting ready for a big sale - I'm selling everything I own - I'm over hauling my life."  He stopped checking and said, "What?  That's awesome!"  I continued, "Yep, I'm selling my house, and all my stuff, and just starting over - new career, new life."  He asked what I'll do, and I said, "I'm building a tiny house on wheels - I'm going to be off the grid, and I am going to start a tiny house community in Dallas."  He gave me a high five.  He said all sorts of encouraging things --  and it made me so happy - a total stranger was excited about my plan.  I gave him one of my new cards, and said he could read about all the adventure.  He said he would, and oddly I believe him. 

Last evening my friend Renee was over helping me set things out and she has a friend whose husband wants to do tiny and his wife is discouraging it.  Back in May when we traveled together to North Carolina for a wedding, Renee and I had had extensive conversations about my then developing plan, and her desire to make big changes in her life, and so she was more up to speed on tiny than her friend.  Renee said that this past week she talked with her friend and said, "Hey, you shouldn't be so fast to discount tiny - it's going to take off - I've got this friend...." And she said she told her all about me, and how inspiring she is finding my journey to be.  And she's going to send her to this blog to read about it.  I love that.

I have been handing out my cards, and when I gave a stack to Amanda she said, "Oh, so I can tell people about your blog now?  It's public? (Yes)  Okay good, because I've wanted to, but I didn't think you were telling everyone yet."   LOVE that she is having conversations about it.  Love.

The help I am getting from friends and neighbors for my sale is astonishing.  Tables.  Boxes and bags for packaging sold items.  Time preparing.  Breakfast and lunch for Saturday.  Volunteer time the day of the sale - it just goes on and on.  Last night my sister Mona in San Diego booked an airline ticket to come out for the weekend!  Wow.  Color me grateful.

Up until the last few months, I am not sure that anyone in my life has ever told me that I inspire them.  Now it's almost a daily occurrence - that's just crazy!  And when someone says that to me it's as though the moment is frozen for just a second and I have to just listen and absorb it because I'm surprised, and so grateful.  I'm just doing what feels right - following my heart.  I literally can't NOT do it.  My friend Kelly who started her own very successful business years ago asked me once, "What is your purpose?  How do you help others?"  And honestly, I didn't have an answer.  Now?  Ahhh ha ha ha  Boy, do I have an answer now!

I'm learning that so many people want to make a big change in their life but don't know how to begin.  I am hearing stories from friends and strangers about ideas they have that they haven't tried - they seem to believe that it is out of reach.  I used to feel that way, too.  I'd see a show on HGTV or read a a story in a magazine and think, "Wow.  They really did something there. Cool."   I always have had project ideas, and I'm the friend who has an idea and then actually does it - (I never realized that that was anything out of the norm either, until friends started pointing it out to me...) but I've never had a really huge, life changing idea that I was compelled to do.  All that has changed.

I guess I'm just saying that the phenomenon of people being excited, of wanting to be a part this change, and wanting to help* continues.  And the enthusiasm of others is inspiring me. 

* I got an offer of construction of custom trailer for my house yesterday - so excited!!!  More on that soon...