Make It!

---

Is there a problem you want to solve during this week of Thanksgiving? Do you believe you can create the solution if only you had more time? If you've answered yes to these questions, keep reading this post for a way to begin working towards a remedy.

In 2016, five weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, my wife and I made a bold move. We chose to sell our home, donate personal belongings, and relocate from the US to Mexico. Our children were 3, 4, and 5 at the time, and we knew the decision to live abroad offered them a future filled with moments of gratitude.

From time spent together in Ethiopia and Mexico, my wife and I were aware of the drawbacks and benefits of life outside our home country. We considered violence, challenges with learning a new language, the opportunities to have more family time, and a more affordable lifestyle. And with trepidation and excitement, we downsized our three-bedroom home into ten suitcases.

When you're thinking about the challenge you want to address, think about what can go right and wrong to achieve the outcome. You should acknowledge potential obstacles, plan for circumvention and error correction, and continue moving forward.

It is impossible to control everything, which means you’re better off trying. Whether you win or lose, it beats staying complacent.

The common struggles of my family included working nonstop without adequate compensation to meet our needs and desires. We were grateful for what we had and also felt like something was missing. Along with the work obsessions came difficulty with prioritizing family time.

It took the death of my wife’s mother for us to find the courage to live the life we wanted for ourselves and our children. We had to make it happen. The rhetoric in multiple motivational speeches finally reached our ears, and we moved to the city where my mother-in-law took her last breath.

I don’t want the death of a loved one combined with frustration at work to encourage a life decision for you. If you want something different, the time is now to make it happen in your life. Start in gradual phases to build what you desire in dedication to the problem you perceive.

As we saw last week in the Kyle Rittenhouse case, justice is selective in America. Two people died, another person was injured, and the shooter was acquitted. The court ignored the outcries made in protest for Jacob Blake.

In the Ahmaud Arbery case of this week, the court opened their ears and got it right.

Anywhere you go in the world, you will find legal inconsistencies, injustices, corruption, and other challenges worthy of your attention. The difficulties with diversity, equity, and inclusion are unfortunate aspects of our society, but we can influence changes in our respective locations.

Start where you are, with what you have, and begin creating a more equitable world. You don't need to leave the country to find your passion and purpose. It might only require you to take a break from work and sit in silence for a few moments over the weekend.

Uninterrupted time to think can produce wonders for your mind and soul. By eliminating technological distractions for a full day or more, you can engage in what Cal Newport calls deep work. The solitude will help you create a manageable schedule for the necessary work to resolve your problems.

My family’s decision to experience something different led us from the US to Mexico and now Antigua. That action, discipline, prayer, and the assistance of others enabled us to write books, start businesses, eliminate credit card debt, enjoy more time with each other, and work with a diverse group of communities to impact global causes.

Our life abroad has not been a fairytale, but worth it for the opportunities we have today. During this week, where US families will recognize Thanksgiving, I give thanks for my life in Antigua and the problems that inspire me to continue working.

CNBC's Make It and an article written by my wife captured the financial side of my family's move abroad. See the beautiful video below and read the insightful article at this link. I hope they and this blog post encourage you to make whatever you want to happen in your life move from an intangible dream to an awakened reality.