Strolling through the streets of Nice, France
Enjoying the Med, Côte d’Azur, France
mistakes, but through love I am finding the courage to regain confidence in myself and in others. Through love, I am finding what I need: to let go and to move on. Through love, I am finding out who I need to be. Since I “lost” it all, I decided to spend most of my time living out of an overstuffed backpack and an empty cup, traveling around the world, sleeping on the beach, meeting people, seeing things, having fun, and learning to “be” someone I can love, so that I in turn, can learn to love others, with the goal of ultimately living a life of love. Not long ago, I returned to San Diego after traveling through Israel and Europe, where I rediscovered many of the things I’ve loved, like playing music, riding bicycles, sharing, and exploring. The time I spent traveling was invaluable and now that I am back I’ve found that I have awakened my desire to have all the luxuries that I once had and more. I’ve found that I have awakened a deep and intense desire to give. I’m finding that I’m actually more determined to achieve and succeed than I was in the past. The difference is that I feel I am more aware as to how I want to spend my time and energy succeeding; after all, I have found that many things in life are simply not worth it, especially if the price is an unfulfilled life of compromised values. One thing that I’m sure of is that there is a way to make a fortune being who I love being, and doing what I love doing. There must be. The most successful people in life, after all, are those who have followed their passions and those who have chosen to do what they love. “Do I really love it?” I ask myself before consuming anything. “Is it really worth it?” “What would I really love to be doing at this moment?” I ask myself in times of boredom or frustration. “I love music,” so I listen to music. “I love adventures,” so I take a trip (sometimes a long stroll will do). “I love the freedom to learn and experience life and to enjoy all that life has to offer. I love taking chances and I love having faith in myself and in others.” So I do whatever it takes to experience what I love. It sounds corny at best, but it’s true nonetheless. I sometimes hesitate, though, mostly because of fear, and because of reasons I have yet to discover. I think I am trying to find the direction that is pulling me the most, listening to my heart for a change. My mind, at times overrides my heart, reasoning when I feel I need to be unreasonable. “It takes courage,” I remind myself. “Do I have it in me?” Doubt creeps in. “Faith,” I reassure myself. “Believe in
Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
V I S I O N M AG A Z I N E
f e a t u r e yourself.” I feel guilty sometimes for allowing myself to live from love. I sometimes think that I am simply wasting time. I sometimes think that many people would agree. But then I consider the many people I meet daily, even some of my friends and family, who work at jobs they don’t necessarily love. Maybe they feel the need, as I sometimes do, to work at something, no matter what it is, to support a certain lifestyle. Maybe there is something noble in doing what it appears must be done— in sacrificing, rather than doing what one would rather do. My old, obsessive, achievement-driven self tends to agree. I’ve traveled that road before, however, and for me, it doesn’t work. Not anymore. For me, that road leads to too many compromises, too many regrets. By the sound of things, it might seem that I’m always walking on sunshine. Not always. There are always challenges in my life, but I feel more conscious of the way
A morning walk along the beach in Oahu, Hawaii
I choose to take on these challenges. Is my life “peachy?” Far from it. Is there pain? Yes, often. Suffering? Of course. For me, it’s all part of being alive. It’s all part of how I choose to move through my life. Because I am lost, I’m finding that I am far richer than I ever knew I was and I’m thankful. I’m thankful for all the people I’ve met and for all the people I have yet to meet, I’m thankful for all the ideas, the stories, and the good times we share. I’m thankful for all the love that I’ve found in the world (trust me, there is a lot)! I’m thankful because every day, I have the chance to let myself shine, and to allow myself to find the things I can pour all my heart and soul into; some endeavor that I can be proud of and something that will eventually overflow with the goodness and love that I want to give. I hope that everyone takes the chance at living a life of love. Finding myself through love is turning out to be an exhilarating ride. Allowing myself to choose love over everything else takes more courage than I ever thought I had. It gets more daunting, more challenging as I move through this life. In a way, I am doing what I feel must be done. Through love, I am finding what I need, when I need it. Bob helps. Did I mention that I love listening to Bob Marley? Always have. Probably always will. I’m listening to Bob right now and he is one of my favorite teachers. Bob Marley sang, “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver and gold.” Thanks for the reminder, brother. I am lost, yet I’ve found that I’ve never lost the love of friends and family. Through love, I find that I am a lot closer; closer to finding my soul. Charlie Compuesto is an explorer, writer and co-founder of The Love Company, an apparel company whose mission is to help the world come closer to peace through simple but bold statements of love. Thanks for spreading the love!
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