Social Media Adventure goes to Costa Rica

When I first launched the Social Media Adventure, I wanted to connect with online friends that I hadn’t met in person. Very simply, I started driving and went to various cities meeting my social media acquaintances in real life.

The support was absolutely overwhelming, and more often than not I was asked the question by those I hadn’t yet met in person:

When are you coming to my city? OR When are you coming to see me?

Surprising to me, many of these requests were from foreign countries. Numerous times I was asked:

When will the Social Media Adventure go international?

Well kids, the answer is… right now.

Social Media Adventure visits Costa Rica

Costa Rica (cc Ardyiii)

I have always wanted to visit Costa Rica. I can’t exactly say why it has appealed to me more than any other country, but for the last 5-6 years I have had a constant whisper in my heart: “Go to Costa Rica”. It’s gotten a lot stronger as I’ve listened and quieter as I’ve ignored it. Now, due to recent change in circumstance, I’m following that call and making good on my promise to always listen to the still small voice of inspiration.

(Or maybe it’s just that I want to be on the beach playing with the monkeys… either way, I’m taking the Social Media Adventure to Costa Rica)

Overall Purpose of SMA:

When I embarked on the Social Media Adventure, I had a simple, but very big vision in mind. I wanted to make the world a smaller place by connecting people together and forming meaningful, purpose-driven relationships that would make a difference in people’s lives… and thus make the planet a little bit better for everyone.

That purpose is still at the heart of every trip in the Social Media Adventure.

Above and beyond that mission, this particular trip has 2 specific objectives:

Objective 1 – Heal A Broken Heart

As you might already know, on December 28th I had the best birthday ever.  I got engaged to a beautiful woman that I grew to love very, very much. Not just her, but her two sons as well… (They had become my best friends. We jumped on the trampoline together every day, and I spent my evenings watching them, playing & reading with them)  I had a family. I had a beautiful life…

Embarking on my healing journey...

A few days ago, that all changed.

Sometimes things don’t work out… I understand that. And, I respect the outcome of what I now understand to have been only a temporary journey with this amazing woman. We made that decision together, and I wish her a life filled with love and happiness, and that our time together might serve as a springboard for an even better future life for her and her family. To be honest, though, I have a lot of emotions to process.

I’m hurt, sad, and my heart is a little (lot) on the broken side.

Even deeper, this brings up a very, very powerful fear. A fear that I didn’t even realize that I had. That fear is that I won’t matter to those that I love the most.

Yeah, even though I get messages every day from people saying that stuff that I have written or shared has touched their lives… Even though I’ve been recognized as an “amazing man” who inspires the world… Even though I have the support of so many people… A situation like this stirs up a fear that my contribution won’t be felt. That, to the people I love the most, I won’t really matter.

This isn’t a new fear, I have realized.

In the recent past, I was working on a book that, in my mind, would be my most important contribution that I could make beyond being a part of a family. It was a book about all the life lessons I had learned through some of my past mistakes & experiences. The content in that book is the foundation for everything I have shared on Twitter and on my different blogs.

I stopped writing that book out of that same fear. (Despite having a publisher already on board…)

So, now, I realize that I must work through that fear, in addition to working through all the sadness, anger, confusion, regret, etc that goes along with having your world turned upside down by no longer being with the person you planned to spend the rest of your life with.

To do so, I’m finishing that book. (Yes, you can hold me to it, I’m making a commitment)  My trip to Costa Rica is dedicated to healing this broken heart, and I’m going to do it by writing the lessons that have become etched in my soul through the most precious & painful experiences from my life.

Or, as my publisher friend said, I’m writing the male version of Eat Pray Love.

Objective 2 – Prove that people can live dreams, no matter what

I also have another desire for my trip. This situation reminded me that I had put my dream (of living in Costa Rica) on hold for far too long. With the unexpected break up, I was reminded that life is short and you never know what might happen. I decided to carpe diem… 2 days later I had a flight booked my flight for Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Sunset (cc JetPunk.com)

Everyone has dreams. Like me, everyone also has excuses as to why they can’t live those dreams. This trip is the affirmation that I can live my dreams, and that so can you, no matter what.  The obstacles that you face to your dreams don’t have to stop you, you just have to learn how to get around or overcome those obstacles. A friend of mine helped me take the leap to book my flight… my intention is to support you to take your own leap.

In this recent post I very briefly explained a few of the ways that I have set up my business to run in a way that allows me to spend my time following my passion.  I want to open that up even further and use this trip as a case study on the power of Social Media to allow people to earn a living doing what they love most.

My intention is to create a step-by-step guide on exactly how to use Four Hour Work Week principles, leveraging the power of Social Media relationships to live your dreams. No matter what those dreams are, you can live them, and I want to share the tools that I use along the way so you can have the support that I have been extended by my friends, mentors & colleagues.

To pass this information along, I will:

• Publish detailed blog posts about what I am doing to make living my dream financially possible
• Compile a list of all the social media resources that will help you live your dream
• Introduce you to the people and companies that I use as my support team to allow me to work a Four Hour Work Week type lifestyle

At the heart of it all is a powerful principle that some may refer to as “it takes a village to raise a child”. To me, it’s the truth that when we have meaningful relationships, we can overcome any challenge and achieve any dream.

So, my friend, I can’t do it without you.

The Request (Yes, please get involved!)

The very heart of the Social Media Adventure is the power of genuine relationships. I believe that my network of online friends will be the fuel to make this happen. This, then, is a call to all my online friends to share your support.

Here’s what we need to do to make this happen:

• Will you make a commitment to live your own dream? If so, we’ll figure out how together.
• Do you see anything that can make my idea better? Let me know, I’m open.
• Will you pass the word along? I will let you know when something good happens worth sharing.

I’m making it happen. I need your help.

You can also make your dreams a reality. I’ll help anyway that I can.

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Related Posts:

• Social Media Adventure Facebook Page
• #12DaysOfGiving Day 2: Dennis Crowley & Camp Interactive
• Featured on Fox News – 12 Days of Holiday Giving Using Social Media
• A big THANK YOU from the blue hair…
• Epiphany From Paradise – Lessons from the beach in Cista Rica