Before I got my dog Whistler, my life was kind of a mess. I had no real direction, no sense of purpose in life and I was heading down a path of self-destruction. I was a bit of a lost soul. I didn’t really love myself, and I felt alone, even though I surrounded myself with family, friends and acquaintances. I had no real sense of connection. I would spend my time off drinking and partying in what some would consider excessive. I struggled with addictions to video games, alcohol and other stimulants that would temporarily make me feel good, but overall felt more and more disconnected and isolated. I ate lots of crap food and was not treating my body right. My entire life, I struggled with depression and crippling social anxiety, which made making new friends always somewhat of a challenge for me. I spiraled down a path of various substance abuses without purpose, except to make me feel temporarily good, even though long term it was making me feel worse disconnected from the world. My ambitious and hyperactive mind struggles to put things into words or actions. I would get overwhelmed with my thoughts that it would actually paralyze me and it would make me sluggish and counter-productive. My relationships always suffered due to my personal psychological and spiritual battles.
Man’s best friend…
Then along came puppy Whistler the Airedale terrier. This dog literally saved my life from a path that had a questionable future. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so alone. The feeling of coming home after work and have someone very excited to see me every day gave a sense of happiness and connection. Having to go outside and hike twice every single day was truly therapeutic to my mind and spirit. Something happened. I got rid of my Xbox. I didn’t feel the need to fill a void by excessively going to parties and overstimulating the mind. I just wanted to make sure to spend lots of positive time with my new best friend. By keeping the mind preoccupied, my anxiety and depression were slowly fading away to a more controllable and predictable level. I was suddenly starting to have a clearer vision of what my life was and what I wanted out of it.
A year later, with the strength of having my best friend Whistler by my side, I headed west to Vancouver to start a new job and path. Something about the West Coast has always appealed to me. Maybe it was the mountains and ocean calling, or perhaps it was the BC Buds 😉
About 10 months later, I headed to the beautiful Sunshine Coast of BC to start a new job in a smaller community, as big city life was definitely not for me.
Navigating the hard times…
Before meeting Kate, I honestly thought that I would never meet someone like her. I was happy with the new direction I was on and accepted this as my fate. I had found that happiness is something you create inside, and doesn’t come from an outside source. When I was at my darkest time, that is when I started to see the light. I had a deep, inward spiritual experience that changed my perception of reality and what life is about. I suddenly loved and accepted myself for who I was and no longer felt lonely, even though it was just my dog and me. I just kept smiling and being nice to people. I just wanted to send out good vibes and only wanted to interact with people that resonated with this feeling. I think that this positive attitude and way of being is what attracted my new friends and of course my girlfriend.
Along came Kate…
After being on the Coast for about a year, I moved into this cabin. This was when Kate and I started dating. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, there I was proven wrong again. Kate was a blessing that came into my life at the perfect time. She accepted me for who I am, despite the crazy stories I tell about my past. She lets me be me and doesn’t make me feel like I need to pretend to be someone I’m not. Three years have passed by since starting this wonderful relationship in this place we call home.
At the end of this month, we are ending a chapter, and starting a new one. We will be moving into a bigger place where we can keep growing together. I just wanted to write something that shows how much gratitude I have for everything that life has given me.
If you want a positive life, you need to be positive and put out positive vibes and actions. Smile. Help people. Say hello to strangers. Only use words that improve on the silence. You need to visualize a life worth living and then become that life, one step at a time.
The last 4 years on the Coast have been some of the best years of my life.