I don’t come from a religious family, far from it; until the last year, I could count on my fingers the times I’ve been in a church. It wasn’t that the subject was taboo or anything like that; it simply wasn’t ever discussed.
My parents grew up during the Canadian Quiet Revolution. At a time when the government put in place more and more public institutions, they became involved in everything from economic, social, and cultural life. They took power away from the church. So instead of looking to God to fix their problems, the people started to look at the government. This eventually led to the separation of church from state.
Faith, spirituality, and religion were not part of my childhood, but as I grew older, my views have dramatically changed.
In March 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I decided to move from the city to my house in the middle of nowhere. That house is as Canadian as they come. Imagine a log house on the top of a mountain overlooking a valley and lakes. The type of place where you can walk your dogs on the main road, off leash, and not meet anyone.
A lot of people say that this is their dream life, living away from society but spending this much time alone is not easy. I went from never being home to spending all my time there. From being busy from dusk till dawn, to having all the free time in the world. When you remove all life’s distractions, it forces you to take a good look at who you are. We get so tied up in the daily grind that we become completely oblivious to who we are. Going through the motion day after day is the best way to lose touch with ourselves. All this time in solitude made me realize that like a lot of you, I had become my job. I was a sales engineer and very proud of it.
About 1 year in, I took a sabbatical from work. I wasn’t happy with who I was becoming. I didn’t like the fact that I was my work. Over 20 years, the most time off work I had taken was 3 weeks. So I decided to take 3 months off. I finally did something I’ve always wanted to do: get my motorcycle license. Within, the day after I completed the course, I was buying my first bike, a 2010 KLR 650. A week after that, I was leaving for my first road trip: 3 weeks by myself with nothing more than camping gear, some clothes and a bit of food. I ended up traveling thousands of miles and let me tell you something: this was one of the best time of my life. There is nothing like losing yourself in order to find yourself!
This trip was the moment when I realize I wasn’t meant for this corporate 9 to 5 life anymore: I was meant for more. I eventually went back to work and started planing my escape. 6 months later, my girlfriend moved in with me. Then, a year later, after spending 2 and a half years in the woods, we left Canada, on this crazy RV adventure. We’ve been exploring the US for more than 8 months now, and it’s been a transformative experience. I’ve written my first book, recorded so many podcasts that I can’t keep track, started my video production/marketing company and met some extraordinary people!
So for almost 4 years now, I haven’t lived a normal life. A life that 99% of people can only dream off, all of this because of my faith. I’m convinced that faith is the reason why I am where I am today.
Obviously, I’m a very hard worker, I have the courage to go after what I want, and I have the discipline to make it happen, but without faith, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be the man I am today.
The Woods Changed Me
What does FAITH mean to me?
“Faith moves mountains, doubts create them” Unknown There are 5 virtues to a good man, and FAITH is #5. Not because it is the least important but because it ties everything together. This is where the magic happens. My faith gives me purpose. Knowing the reason I was put on this earth allows me to go after my personal legend. To me, there are 3 types of faith:- Faith in yourself
- Faith in others
- Faith in something bigger