Dreams and Beginnings

First, I love this site. It has an incredible suite of tools and resources that has absolutely no equal in the whole world. My sincere appreciation and gratitude for the members of BiggerPockets that make it go and for ALL of the posters and responders that contribute to this site. Even if you're only offering congratulations or saying thank you, your dedication and implied time and effort to checking in on this site means that there are other people out there who believe in Real Estate Investment. I feel this as a warm well of support and encouragement that makes pursuing my dreams and financial freedom a firm, faith-filled reality instead of half-hearted wishing.

Today is the day where my life changes. I'm holding myself accountable to this blog by having regular updates. I'll be covering a wide variety of topics within this blog in a personal tone, varying from self-improvement, communication skills, religious and philosophical musings, and the actual business activity of Wendt Enterprises, the company that I will be starting. But, first, a little about me.

I've recently become a new father to a wonderful son named Paxton. He and my wife, Katie, mean everything to me and the joy I feel in my family is worth the exhaustion. I work full-time currently and am going to school online part-time. Yes, it's a busy life but it has its own satisfaction! I enjoy exercising ferociously until my body is a trembling parody of itself, reading voraciously through Sci-Fi/Fantasy books, playing expertly my favorite hobby of Magic the Gathering, and writing religiously (literally) on spiritual topics important to me and my friends. Sleeping has recently become a favorite pass-time with a newborn in my house too, haha. I may not meet you, reader, in real life, but I want you to know that there is someone who believes in you and offers a kind smile and nod of encouragement on pursuing what's important to you. You can make your imagination come to life over invested and committed time. The universal Coin of the Universe, your time is precious. And you're reading this post! So thank you for investing in me.

I've been in the analysis-paralysis mode for quite some time now, and that fact is further compounded by something that I find to be very difficult to talk about: my wife's skepticism. Let me absolutely assure you that it comes from a place of love and genuine concern, and that I value her opinion above anyone else's. But it is difficult to talk about the dream of REI when instead of speaking support and praise for my dream she brings up the potential roadblocks and pitfalls that could occur. I have learned that "What if...?" is one of the most demoralizing and time-consuming questions in the world. 

Yeah, what if (insert undesirable thing) occurs? What if (insert another problem that requires the first undesirable thing to occur) happens? Then that will mean (insert consequence) and then what if...? I have just spent 5 whole minutes thinking about potential problems and I haven't even begun taking action yet! I am spending my Coin on fears and scenarios that might not even occur. Is this happening to you? Don't let it. The life of an anxious and worried person is not what this site is for and that thinking ultimately isn't healthy or conducive to success. My wife can choose to be skeptical and not offer immediate encouragement. 

And you know what? For me, that's difficult to accept. I love my wife and I think she's one of the most wonderful people in the whole world. Her opinion to me and of me influences so much of my life. So to have to come to grips with that skepticism is difficult for me because I feel that she is expressing skepticism in me and the plan that I have to be able to support and provide for our family. Like the dreams and sketched out version of our life and our family's life isn't the right one. We all love to be right, and this is hard to humbly accept. I've only recently begun to change my mind about that, and it has come from thinking. I have begun to acknowledge the validity of her points and to mentally talk to myself to confirm their truthfulness, and speak to my mind that she just doesn't see The Dream just yet. She hasn't invested the Coin into the concepts I've read about and the methods I've learned. Most importantly, I remember that she isn't being critical of me and that humility is about understanding people's expressed doubts or fears about something you cherish and being able to still believe in those things and work to make them happen. I am choosing to be humble, believing that The Dream is worth the tumultuous feelings that I have. 

I have begun the formation of a business plan and how I want my business to expand. I have decided on an end-goal for the business and the goals I want to accomplish. I have chosen the market I want to target and the chief modes of profit that my business will generate for my family and the dream. I have established the mindset I need to have and the people I need to surround myself with.

Now, all that's left is to take the first step and begin the path towards The Dream. I'll detail that in the next post, dear reader, of the first steps that I have taken for Wendt Enterprises and the pursuit of The Dream.