Where do I go from here?

The Journey America One Year Anniversary Blog

Well, the Crazy Train story is written and I'm off the road, and people are wondering... what next?

In retrospect, this past year (began October 31st, 2006, when the lease on Flowerfield ended) has been bittersweet. What was it about? This has always been a tough question to pinpoint an answer in a few words. Simply put, it has been about following a dream. Yet, what is that dream? That dream is to change the world through my talents and love for God and people, one person at a time, while honing them to their greatest of quality.

In all actuality, I am a decent tennis pro, bagpiper and... storyteller I guess, with much un-tapped talent, ability, and creativity. So, have my talents reached that peak yet? Absolutely not. I would be lying if I said otherwise. Next question: Have I given it my all? Sadly, I don't believe so. Yes, there have been many external weights (money being the culprit, of course) that have kept me loaded down, but still, have I put in my all? I don't believe so. So, what is it that has been my main downfall?...

Discipline It is such a tough thing for me to admit to you all, but I've made it a point to keep my life and it's journeys an open book on this blog, and this means admitting my faults. I have had the joy of being able to see what discipline is, through friends:

Lance Vodicka - a great example of a very disciplined, God-fearing peer who is giving the tennis tour his all.
Cary Daves - an ex Marine who has selflessly let me stay in his spare bedroom and shown me what self-discipline is when it comes to cleanliness, organization, timeliness, etc.
Peter, my brother - a Mann who has, through extreme self drive, pushed himself against difficult odds into a successful complete career change from an Audio/Visual and I/T career to becoming a great young Stock Broker for Merryl Lynch.

and Mentors:

Tim Wilkison - a native Charlottean former touring tennis pro who rose to #17 in the world through his unbelievable self-discipline and work ethic. Tim would wake up at 4am every morning to train and start his day. He also went three years straight without missing one day of practice. He kept a tally of it.
My Mother - the absolute strongest woman I know. Has worked out of the depths of having nothing more times than one should have to do in a lifetime, all through an iron will to see all four of her sons off to be successful in life with college degrees and the wind at our backs. She instilled in me to have the will to plod... every day and every day and every day.

These are just a few of the people who have shown me what discipline really is. I don't describe them to you so much to raise them up on a podium, but instead to explain those alive today that are close to me that have shown me, through their actions, what discipline is and where it can take a man(n) in life. These people have, by their actions, exploited inside of me my own shortcomings and pulled me out of my comfort zone, and continue to exploit my weakness as to stretch my limits, simply by their actions.

So what am I going to do? I am still in the midst of planning Journey America 2008. I have many ideas, but nothing set in stone. I hate to say my ideas before I really know what the plan will be... I don't want feedback on these ideas yet...

Yet, over the next few months I am going to work on my biggest weakness - discipline. I will work to make new, great disciplined habits that will, through diligence, tear down the wall between me and my own success in life.

How am I going to do this? I have made a plan to completely drop most lines of communication (Internet mainly, and most cell phone calls) for a month and go into a place of solitude, where no voices can distract me from creating these refined lines of discipline within my heart and mind. I plan to spend my entire day focused on practicing my two biggest talents to their fullest - tennis and bagpipes. I am currently laying out an entire month's plan of how I am to spend my day, every minute of it, and I plan to follow this to the T.

I will chime back to you in a month with a blog update on how I have progressed in these areas.

Imagine, if I can spend one month in complete focus and discipline, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things, in order to shape my entire life ahead, what would be the limit to my success? Is there such a thing as a limit?

I will cut casual communications from October 20th to November 20th.

"With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." —Matthew 19:26

Rising high above the level of mediocrity...

~ Nate

P.S. If any of you are wondering what you can do to support, I've got an answer! I have made a large order of the incredible 'FeedtheVan.com' T-shirts in order to make them available at a much lower cost - $12 bucks each. Buy one, wear it, tell your friends about it! Click on pics below to see what you're in for and e-mail me if you would like to purchase one. I thank you for your support.


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