the middle finger project

Costa Rican Retreat 2010

SPECIAL NOTE: If you sign up before Monday, August 2nd, get $300 off the cost of the retreat.  See below for more info!

Life can be disappointing.  I know.

Maybe you’re a recent college grad wondering, “Is this all there is?“  Maybe you’ve been out of college for 20 years, and can’t figure out how you’ve let life pass you by.  Maybe you just feel dead inside, longing to feel alive again.

You wonder if there’s something wrong with you.

It feels like you’re on a hamster wheel, running and running but never getting anywhere.   You’re doing everything you’ve always been told to become successful, but you’re starting to wonder what that really means.  You’re disillusioned, discouraged, and in a rut.

And you have no idea how what to do about it.

So instead, you suck it up and tell yourself that it’s just the way life works, that work isn’t suppose to be fun, anyway.  But there’s a part of you that can’t help but wonder how true that actually is……

I can relate.

I’ve been there.  As Director of Marketing, I was making great money, had an important role as a primary decision maker, and even had a big, sunny window in my office.  I was doing really well for myself, and had the fancy apartment and car to show for it.

I had waited my whole life to get out in the real world and have those things. I dreamed of wearing power suits, holding important meetings with important people, and having someone manicure my lawn.

And I got exactly what I wished for.  I was successful by society’s standards. Based on appearances, I had everything going for me. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel that something was still missing.

I felt hollow. Unfulfilled. And deeply disillusioned with life.  I had landed a great job, yet couldn’t figure out why it felt more like I had landed a prison sentence.

I found myself resenting my work. Day in and day out it was the same routine, and I felt as if I was stagnating.  I wasn’t learning anything new, I wasn’t inspired, and I didn’t feel as if I was really living life.  I felt like I was living to go to work.

This was what I waited my whole life for?  This?

I craved freedom.

Adventure.

A sense of fulfillment.

Purpose.

Excitement.

Exhilaration.

To feel alive.

To feel like my life actually meant something.

Instead, I would sit in my office, starting out the window at the planes flying by, and every time, would feel a pang in my heart.

I wanted to be out in the world–not trapped by four walls.
It felt so unnatural.

Eventually, I decided if that’s what I wanted, then that’s what I was going to do.  So to my boss’ surprise, I handed in my resignation and booked the next flight to Costa Rica, where I decided to live for a while.  Only live once, right?

And let me tell you what–while just picking up and going was one of the scariest decisions I’ve ever made, it was also one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I don’t regret it for a second.

Getting out into the world, into the unknown, was precisely what I needed.  That trip to Costa Rica turned what I knew to be true right on its head, and challenged me to question my version of reality, and then allowed me to rework it.  It helped me break free from my routine, and all of the things that formerly comprised my identity, giving me the freedom to think about things I hadn’t had time to think about in the past.  Important things.  Life-altering things.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
– Miriam Beard

It helped me find incredible clarity, in areas where I had been confused for years.  It helped me find perspective, where I needed it most.  It freed me from my own sets of expectations and limiting beliefs.  But most of all, it helped me figure out who I was, and what the hell I wanted to do.  And just as I had suspected, being a cog in a large corporation wasn’t it.

Cornily enough, I felt like my soul was awakened.

Though, it makes sense why. Research has shown that travel promotes creativity, open-mindedness and the ability to solve problems more efficiently, insisting that our thoughts are shackled by the familiar; yet, once we remove ourselves from our regular environment, our thoughts begin to flow, and we begin to think of things we never did in the past, and in ways we never could have before.

“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds.  When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then.  People don’t have your past to hold against you.  No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

And that’s exactly what happened.  Next thing you know, my brain was on overdrive, drumming up ideas for businesses and getting excited about being able to pursue projects that were meaningful to me, one of which was my blog, The Middle Finger Project.

If you don’t already know me or The Middle Finger Project, it was created in order to communicate with the world a lot of the realizations I was making; to question the way we’re living our lives, and encourage others to get out there and do what it is that lights them up inside–regardless of anyone else’s opinion.

I’ve been more than humbled by the success I’ve seen with the site, and soon realized that there were many others out there who were experiencing the same feelings I had once experienced, trapped in the rat race and not knowing how to exit.

As things with the site progressed, I started getting the same emails over and over:

• I’m unhappy in my job, but I’m scared to jeopardize my income in order to pursue my own projects.
• I recently got laid off and am at a crossroads; should I look for another 9-5 for stability, or should I just go after my dreams and see what happens?
  
• I’m confused about my purpose, and what I want to do in life. All I know is that what I’m doing right now isn’t it.
• I want to escape the rat race but I don’t know how.
• I just graduated college, and I don’t want to end up doing something I hate, living to work instead of working to live.
  

I would get these emails, and I wanted so badly to be able to share the wisdom I had gained with the people who had been emailing.  I desperately wanted to find a way to give a little extra push to those who need one.

I wanted to find a way that I could help others break away from their daily routine, go beyond their comfort zones, and start taking their dreams seriously.

I knew that the best way to do this, in my experience, is travel.  To break away, experience something new and allow for the opportunity to see things in a new light, bringing unique perspective, vision and confidence that ultimately carries over into other arenas in life, too.

As I learned on my seminal Costa Rica journey, and the many travels I’ve embarked upon since then, the more you travel the less you fear.  You become more comfortable with differences and new experiences.  You begin to see how fear can stop you living a full life.  Most importantly, travel forces you to question your own preconceived ideas and impressions–the very first step in freeing your mind-set in order to make the changes you need to make.

Though we tend to love our homes and regard them as the anchors of our identity, there are disturbing ways in which the familiar can affix us to a less desirable version of ourselves that we no longer wish to side with.  Comfort can prevent us from asking the questions that we need to be asking ourselves.

It may not be until we’ve crossed an ocean, and are in the presence of new faces, new ways of life, new everything, that we’re able to take important leaps, encouraged by the change around us.  Travel has a way of suddenly manifesting the answers we’ve been looking for the whole time, that appear right in front of our faces like a hot pink, blinking neon sign.

The return on investment that one receives from travel is immeasurable.  Travel is invaluable in terms of growth.

But unfortunately, as much as I can respond to those who email me with their plights, and as much as I promote the value of travel as a way to facilitate change, the truth of the matter is that most people simply won’t go.  They won’t make it happen.  For many, the thought is intimidating, perhaps cumbersome.  For others, perhaps they wouldn’t even know where to start, even if they wanted to.

So, most of the times the advice was futile; since I can’t travel on anyone’s behalf, all I could do was point them to my favorite flight aggregator and wish them bon voyage and best of luck.

But that simply was not enough.  It wasn’t enough for them, and it wasn’t enough for me.  I knew that I could do more.

So I did.

With that in mind, I am thrilled to announce my newest project.

It’s with great pleasure that I introduce LIBERATION SEVEN, an exclusive retreat designed for those serious about breaking out of the cube and living life on their own terms.

It’s being held on the beaches of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for seven days–hence the title–from Tuesday, December 7th through through Tuesday, December 14th, 2010. And it’s going to be amazing.

The retreat is designed specifically for those of you who:

• Need to make some life changes, and want support
• Want to meet other like-minded folks experiencing the same inner turmoil
• Would like a supportive place to discuss ideas, get motivation, and find direction

Ideally you are:

• Someone who has limited travel experience (though not required)
• Serious about increasing the quality of your life
• Aren’t scared to openly discuss unconventional ideas
• Willing to dedicate the time and work necessary to make positive change
• Want to embrace new experiences
• Ready to have an incredible week on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches – all you can drink mojitos included!

The retreat is centered around two primary objectives:

1. To provide an authentic
immersion into the culture.

Essentially, this means experiencing life more as a local than a tourist–it’s beneficial in that only by viewing the world through a different cultural lens, are we able to truly reflect on our own and, by extension, our lives.

You’ll gain perspective that will
free you to live the life you want by:

• Staying with a host family – two meals/day included
• Visiting a public school
• Shadowing a local in a portion their workday
• Attending a traditional Costa Rican celebration
• Exploring the reality of the agriculture industry
• Sampling authentic cuisine from local kitchens typically overlooked by tourists
• Learning to dance salsa, merengue & bachata–and practicing in the disco later
• Befriending & hanging out with locals, facilitating invaluable cross-cultural exchange
• Witnessing the beauty of the Central American rainforest via a morning of ziplining
• Organized discussion session with locals regarding Costa Rican values and priorities

2. To help you overcome your
obstacles in creating the life you desire.

We’ll be holding group discussions–one day out on a boat in the beautiful turquoise ocean, other days on the beach, others during delicious, freshly-prepared dinners overlooking the beach–also included in the trip.

You’ll be inspired to go get the life
you’ve always wanted via informal
workshops and discussions on:

• The difference between living and just going through the motions–and how you can start doing more of the former
• American society & culture–why you don’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations but your own, and how to figure out what they are in the first place
• Identifying your passion(s)
• Learning how to make money with your passion
• Overcoming your fears
• Location independent living-pros, cons & how you can join the mobile lifestyle
• How you can use a blog to create freedom
  

All sessions–both cultural activities & discussion workshops–are entirely optional.  There will be plenty of free time built into the schedule as well, to allow for your own independent exploration of the culture.

In Addition . . .

As a way to encourage thoughtful reflection, all participants will be issued a writing journal at the beginning of the retreat, and will be asked to record their observations, feelings, thoughts and ideas on an ongoing basis.  Sharing will not be required, however those interested in contributing parts of their final reflection journal toward the publication of a dedicated anthology to be published at a later date, are welcome to do so.

The retreat will be nothing short of a fun-filled, unmatched educational adventure that has the potential to change your life forever–not to mention make long-lasting connections with other like-minded folks looking to kick their life up a notch, and start taking matters into their own hands.

• You will leave feeling revitalized, as if someone pressed a reset button on your life.
  
• You will remember what it feels like to have control over your future; to have options.
  
• You will feel as if a gigantic weight has been lifted off of your shoulders.
  
• You will be in the right mind-set to finally make the long-awaited changes that you’ve been putting off, but know that you need to make.
  
• You will be on the path to loving your life again–not just stumbling through the motions.
  
• You will be empowered.
  
• You will be set free.
  
• You will be alive.

Sign up today to hold your spot and get excited about your life again. Twain said it best:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do thn by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”

Pricing is as follows:

$1795 $1595 - 7 days – All inclusive, with exception of flight 

Price includes:

• Round trip ground transportation from airport to retreat location, on Costa Rica’s pacific coast
• Accommodations with a host family for duration of trip (private accommodations also available, though not encouraged in order to receive full benefits of retreat)
• All meals (2 meals/day with host family; one meal per day dining out as a group, unlimited beverages included, both alcoholic and non)
• All workshops, sessions & discussions
• All immersion activities
• Reflection journal & supplies
• One-on-one, personal consultation time with me

***IMPORTANT***: To ensure individualized attention, the retreat will be capped off at 15 participants!

A deposit of $500 guarantees your spot in the retreat, with the balance due by November 1st, 2010.

NOTE:  I do not want to alienate anyone from this experience, so if cost is a factor, I’ll be happy to work with you to set up a payment plan.  Email me at:  ihavetheguts [at] themiddlefingerproject [dot]org and we’ll talk.

With that, I extend to you a formal invitation to join us for 7 memorable days on the beaches of Costa Rica!  It’s time to stop putting off living, and start saying yes to life–to the things that matter.  It’s time to start saying yes to yourself. Hope to see you there!

CLICK BELOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!

Let’s go have the time of our lives, shall we?