I want you to listen up…

This summer I’ve been traveling a lot again. Most recently I was in Arizona.

And I’ve been realizing what is missing in my life: freedom.

As I was driving in Arizona on a daddy/daughter trip, just allowing the beauty of the road, the scenery, the amazing company to just fully engross me, I had a moment of clarity.

I drove over 887 miles in Arizona and not one time did I get stressed out.

Even when there was congestion around Phoenix, you were still moving and you knew that you were close to the open road.

887 miles, not one time did I get stressed out. I can’t drive 8.87 seconds in Los Angeles without getting stressed out, without feeling claustrophobic, boxed in, and congested.

I am so over Los Angeles.

I want you to read on, though, because Los Angeles was a great place for me at a time in my life when I needed her to be that great place for me.

There are still many amazing, beautiful, great things about Los Angeles. But the quality of life doesn’t exist.

As I was horseback riding through the forest on my trip, I realized I could have one of these ranches. I could have animals.

I can own a horse or two.

I can have sheep, goats.

I can have freedom.

And not only can I have freedom, but the quality of life is also so much higher.

I recently did a podcast with somebody and we talked about it.

He’s got so many friends who live in LA, and they all share places so they can live in Los Angeles.

If you ask the majority of people why they live here, they tell you it’s the weather. See, they’d rather live like a rat in a box to have some extra sunshine than live in a place that has high quality of life that they can actually afford.

I think people who live in places just for the weather (and that’s their number one reason, and they’re not a triathlete, they’re not out there running every day, they just like the sunshine, but they live far below what they can have anywhere else) are ignorant idiots.

Yeah, there are some harsh terms in this blog post today, but there needs to be.

Because I experienced freedom this summer.

When I landed back in Los Angeles, all I saw was the congestion and the clutter.

As I got home, I felt boxed in. I felt claustrophobic. I felt trapped.

I have NEVER used that term in my life — trapped — at all.

It’s not something I like to use because I always feel like I can create my own destiny. And yet here I am in Los Angeles, trapped.

Trapped in a place that I outgrew years ago.

I could live anywhere now.

I’d live in Santa Fe, I’d live in Albuquerque.

I’d live up in Flagstaff, where I just was.

Live in Nashville, Tennessee.

I’d move to Denver in a second.

Why?

Because there’s freedom there.

Being able to get in a car and drive, and being able to feel free and explore.

Being able to have a high quality of life.

Being able to live in a really beautiful house that’s super affordable.

Having so much extra money in a place like that because it’s not expensive.

Being able to drive without being aggravated every eight, seven seconds.

Now, the reason why I can’t leave is because I share a daughter and it would take movement of more people.

But, I’ve got to figure this out, because this shit doesn’t work for me.

It doesn’t work. Living here doesn’t work.

I mean literally as I dictate this on my phone, I just got cut off by Power Plumbing. One of the worst drivers I’ve ever seen, ever.

Anyway, this doesn’t work. Living in an over-crowded place doesn’t work.

There’s nothing good about it.

People are here because they live here because of the ocean.

And yet, they can count on one hand the amount of times they’ve even swam in this ocean. You can stare at it, but I’d rather stare at the mountains.

That I can use. Stare at the beauty than stare at an ocean, and to pay the price for it.

I do not like this feeling of being trapped in my life.

I find it really hard to deal with, because obviously I’m about freedom.

The lessons that I teach people, really, are all about freedom. Financial, mental, emotional, sexual, romantic freedom. The freedom to tap into your limitless potential.

Yet here I am trying to define and figure out how I’m going to feel free again.

Because I’m trapped.

Trapped in a little box.

Trapped in traffic.

Trapped by high prices.

Trapped by absolutely no upside.

Trapped.

It’s such a powerful term.

But that’s the beauty about going away on a vacation: you actually get to figure out where you’re at in life and what you need to do.

Besides taking in the absolutely amazing scenery, the amazing experience, you need to think to yourself: where do I need to go in my life?

How do I need to thrive in my life?

Every 8.87 seconds, I’m trapped on a road full of people mesmerized by the sunshine that is so overrated.

There are so many better places to live.