The Unknown Is Just Unfamiliar
When I retired my wife and I set out to explore our beautiful country, pulling an RV. We knew a little bit but not a lot about finding routes and RV parks. It was unfamiliar to us. But we made it an adventure, and I shared some of our travel photos and some of our experiences in my first blog, retiredtorvliving.com.
You can look at my blog if you want to, however, my point here is that the unknowns in your life are just unfamiliar. That is why I encourage you to schedule time for reading and researching the unfamiliar every day!
Don’t let fear of the unknown cripple your ability to act. That is, don’t let yourself avoid the unknown. Just prepare to experience it. Then, it will be more familiar.
Most of us avoid trying to do new things for fear of failure. But you must be open to making mistakes, then learn from them.
Landmarks and Observations
The interstate highway system is an engineering marvel that allows us to travel for hours without stopping. But if you are looking for landmarks to visit and want to observe how others live in different areas of the country, you will need to get off the interstate!
As we traveled with our RV, which was a fifth wheel pulled by a diesel-powered pickup truck, we found a lot of unfamiliar landmarks. Those sites added to our adventure and our recognition of work done by others, especially when building a unique experience for visitors.
Some landmarks are natural, but many are man-made.
I made many observations about farming and natural vegetation in each area we traveled in, which varied depending on the terrain and the climate.
You will observe how big this country is when you drive across it. Small towns and big cities, with many people finding opportunities!
Preparing for Opportunities
Opportunities are unmarked roads waiting for you to make a vivid trail!
To make sure you move forward better than most, you will need some training from advisors who are familiar with the roads you want to travel.
Know what you are equipped to do. Then, consider who you need to learn from to be better equipped and supplied for your journey. Be sure to keep your advisor’s phone number in your address book!
Since my oft-stated goal is to help you build a better mindset for money, I must remind you that an essential preparation step to take advantage of opportunities is to be financially stable.
If you build a good saving habit and learn how to safely invest your accumulation, you can build your own resources that can keep the stress of debt out of the equation when seeking opportunities.
The best financially stable position is adequate savings and no debt. If you can accomplish that, then, you will be better off than 77% of the population, per the Federal Reserve.
You will have options when opportunities come your way. And they will come!
Common Themes in Small Towns
Since manufacturing operations were moved overseas to take advantage of cheaper labor, many small towns around those closed production plants were forced to get more creative to support their local citizens.
For most small towns, agriculture has become the core industry. It did not pay well but it allowed survival. Many of the town’s people moved to bigger cities to find more opportunities.
However, I did observe many small service shops and small fabrication operations in most of those small towns that I passed through.
Some were prepared for opportunities!
History Gets Attention
Another observation about small towns across America is that most had some history that could be capitalized on. People who travel like to learn about local history.
Some created museums or restored old houses of former prominent citizens.
I was a Civil War Reenactor for a short while, which introduced me to a lot of battle sites and other related events. Obviously, I took side trips in my travels to visit sites related to the Civil War and the settlement of the West. Most of those sites are near small towns with visitor centers or museums to that local history and its significance.
History gets attention!
Tourism Versus Manufacturing
Perhaps you live in a small town that has a lot of tourist traffic. And maybe you have an idea for a product or service that others might use. That is a potential opportunity.
I like small towns. However, you will need customers. If you can sell online the service or product you provide, then, a small town might be a great place to live.
There are always costs related to pursuing an opportunity. Did you build that savings account while paying off your debt? If so, you will be better prepared than others seeking the same opportunity.
Over the past 40 years, the United States has become known for services more than manufacturing. “Made in China” has become the norm. Perhaps you and others like you can find a way to change that trend!
A Place to Visit or a Destination
There are many places around the country which are great to visit but I would not want to live there. Some are places where it gets hot and humid in the summer. Some are places where it gets very cold in the winter. Of course, each of these places have offsets that keep the locals working to serve the visitors!
Another observation, in recent years, is that folks living on the east and west coasts where housing is very expensive tend to retire to the Midwest, after selling their house. They can buy more house for much less money and find that everything else is cheaper too!
You can expand your options and find more opportunities if you prepare for them.
Guard your mind from advertisements trying to sell you something that can keep you from a better future by using up your resources that could fund your financial growth.
Travel if you can and visit those small towns and learn their history. You will find that those who succeeded had worked hard on an idea, sacrificed to save, and used time wisely to make their trail more vivid!
Work to make the unknown in your life more familiar.
Make observations, set goals, and make landmarks for your progress. Save more. Spend less. Earn more. Pay off your debt to reduce your financial burdens. That will help you prepare for bigger goals and opportunities!
Make your own history. Make life an adventure!
RV parks are fun places to visit. Most people you meet there are happy. They have reached a goal they made. Now they can afford to travel!
They have learned to go down unmarked roads so they can tell new friends how they learned to make vivid trails!