Granting Wishes to those in need
How It All Began
Ask my kids where daddy lives and they’ll say “everywhere” without missing a beat. And in that regard, they’re absolutely right. I have no fixed address, traveling to exciting destinations shining a light where needed. Many people only see the gloss of this life and think it’s all happy faces and smooth sailing. It’s not. The truth is we’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point. Changing the momentum of your life isn’t a cakewalk. It takes a lot of practice and effort to adjust your conditioned way of thinking.
Courage is needed to trust your gut. Especially when so many think you’re crazy for going against the grain. Doing things differently. If you’re interested in comfort, might as well stop reading now. Is our life easy? Not at all. Have we pushed the limits of our relationship, pocketbook, and sanity to transform? Yes. We’ve taken buses to dream days with only $100 left to our names and slept of friend’s and families couches more times than I can count. Not to mention the loans and family support. I’ve quit more than once, only to change my mind the next day.
Why? Something in me kept saying, “Don’t give up, take one more step.” And, always, at the right time something needed would appear. Imminent failures magically avoided at that last moment.
The first few years were exciting but hard. “50 pounds or less” was our running joke because that was the extent of our belongings – 50 pounds each. If we went over, we were punished by the airlines with a baggage penalty. Keeping us (and the bags) in check. Downsizing from owning a house, car, and all life’s standard fixings takes a bit of getting used to. Never knowing where the money might come from or where we might be sleeping from one night to the next isn’t for the faint of heart. A faith guided tightrope balancing act.
Today, life on the road is normal for us. Things we once considered disasters are now opportunities to learn more about ourselves. But we had to learn to walk before we could run into this new life. With this new balance, we now surf the waves of life, going with the flow. Trusting in ourselves and the spirit within. Trusting in the momentum we’ve created. We believe giving its own reward. This perceptive shift has allowed the flow of giving to cycle its way back. Instant karma is real whether you believe it or not.
This homeless journey all began with a wish-granting driving tour from Montreal to Miami, Miami to LA, and LA to Vancouver, B.C. With about 40 stops in between. Soon after we created the I Am Genie Foundation, followed by an egotistical desire to bring peace on earth before settling into being content with inner peace.
Reminding me now of Rumi’s quote: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Dream days soon became wish weeks and what we were doing began to attract the attention of some people involved in TV. Then came our events with spiritual leaders, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, Gabrielle Bernstein, James Van Praagh, Marianne Williamson. We evolved. Happiness quickened by living moment to moment.
Has it made us stronger? Yes. Have we followed our dreams? Totally. Would I change a thing? Nope. Because everything we’ve done has led us here, to this moment. I give you this true story in the hope you find yours. I believe in Oscar Wilde’s word: “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
So let’s be rare together and remember Dr. Seuss’ advice: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Let’s begin making that smile of yours a little wider.
