Why Wait to Start Living?

Good morning!

I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to invest in life experiences.

Thank you for your continued support.

I traveled to Virginia this past weekend to celebrate a friend's 50th birthday. 

I've known this friend for more than 12 years.

If there's one thing I know about her, it's this: she's passionate about traveling and exploring corners of the world that most people have never heard of or wouldn’t consider traveling to.

Whether it's backpacking through remote areas, setting up camp deep in nature, or exploring Mongolia, Africa, or Antarctica, she's made it a non-negotiable part of her life to invest in life experiences.

And to share those experiences with the world.

When we caught up during the weekend, she shared something that stuck with me. 

As part of a birthday wish, someone wrote to her, "Keep showing me the world with your lens."

It’s a beautiful compliment. But it also made me think. The person who wrote that line is living vicariously through her adventures. 

While there's nothing wrong with admiring someone else's life experiences, it made me wonder: why do so many people settle for watching others live their dreams instead of pursuing their own?

The truth is, most people can live out their own exciting travel adventures, but either they don't believe it's possible for them or they're waiting for "someday."

And "someday" often never comes.

I experienced another example of this recently when I was talking with someone about cross-country road trips. This person told me how much he would love to take one. When I asked when he planned to go, he said, "Once my daughters are grown and out of the house."

Now, I don't have kids, but if I did, I know one thing for sure: I wouldn't wait until they were grown to experience the cross-country road trip I really wanted to take.

I'd either find a way to experience the trip solo (like I did in 2016) or take my kids along when they were old enough to appreciate it. 

Either way, the important question is the same: why wait?

Waiting for the "perfect" moment (when the stars align, when life is quieter, when work slows down) is a fool's game.

The truth is: the perfect moment does not exist. 

Life doesn't slow down long enough for that.

I get it…we all have responsibilities. Jobs, families, finances. Life gets busy. 

However, creating meaningful life experiences doesn't always require a passport or months away from home. 

It just requires being intentional. 

You could carve out a long weekend for camping off-grid, plan a week for a road trip, or spend a few days exploring a new city.

You could even start smaller…a day trip to a nearby town you've never explored.

It's not about grand gestures.

It's about moving forward instead of waiting.

What's the point of all this?

The point of all this is: don't sit on the sidelines of your own life, watching others live out their dreams while telling yourself, "Someday." 

Be intentional. 

Create experiences (big or small) that align with the life you want.

Life doesn't offer a second chance. 

If you keep waiting for the "someday," you may look back years from now wondering why you didn't start sooner. 

And I promise you: you'll never regret investing in a life experience.

But you will regret the ones you didn't allow yourself to have.

Remember:

There is no perfect time to start living your life.

There is only now.

Stop waiting. 

Start where you are.

Quote that caught my attention:

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”

—Joseph Campbell

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