From FL to NY by Edward Rodriguez

Title: From FL to NY

Author: Edward Rodriguez
Genre: Personal Growth

This is the story of one mans walk from FL. to N.Y. to spread happiness awareness, with only $200 in his pocket. 

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Excerpt

        Sometimes the best laid plans fall apart. Then they become awesome!

The Walk for Happiness Awareness was not my original plan. The plan was to drive to Washington, DC, spreading happiness by sharing the smile along the way. I then planned to make a video with the message, "Smile and Wave, America, We Love You!"

Who could have guessed my plan would be instantly wiped from existence, replaced with a 2,000-mile fun-filled adventure?

At the time I was living in Wellington, Florida, just south of West Palm Beach. These were dark days as my wife and I were going through a separation, work was slow, and life was throwing me one curveball after another to see what I could handle. It was a great time for learning, as every day brought a new lesson that helped me to retrain my brain to see life differently. I was shifting from dwelling on the negative to focusing on the positive. I had discovered my calling for spreading as much happiness in the world as I could.

For a month I had been planning the drive to Washington, DC when on the evening of March 2, 2011, my plan changed. I was getting ready to go to work installing acoustical ceilings at a local grocery store. I was working after store hours to avoid interrupting their business. I put my tools in the back of my van and walked back in the house to gather the rest of my things. When I walked outside again, the van was gone.

At first I thought maybe my roommate had borrowed it. Then I remembered he was out of town.

I stood in the driveway, stunned. Now what? I can’t explain why, but I never even thought about getting to work that day. All of my thoughts were about my trip to Washington. How was I going to get there now? My insurance company wouldn’t give me much for the old van. After the deductible, there wouldn’t be enough money to buy another car. I would have no means of transportation. The more I thought about it, the more determined I became that nothing was going to stop me from making that trip!

I called my friend Mary who had worked on the original Happiness Project with me. I told her, "I’m walking to Washington, DC I leave tomorrow."

She said, "What? Are you crazy?"

I said, “Why yes, I am. Thank you very much.”

The funny thing about the human mind is that it will go wherever you train it to go. I had trained my mind to find the best in any situation, and to me, walking was the best answer, so my mind automatically made this decision.

During our conversation, I was drilled about how I needed to plan this out, how dangerous it could be, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I talked to other friends and they all wanted me to wait, so I decided to delay the walk for a week to plan it out more carefully. One week turned into two, then three, as my friends made plans for me and my trek. A Hollywood movie producer wanted to film an interview with me before I started walking. Other people wanted me to attend their events, and one friend told me I couldn’t leave before her birthday bash. I stayed put for 3 weeks. In the meantime, I wanted to see if I could find sponsors to help with the cost of the trip.

Those three weeks felt like three months. I was all ready to go, but everyone kept telling me to wait a little longer until everything was in place and money was in my pocket. Two weeks later, they found my van, but by this time, I had made up my mind I would be walking the whole way. Who is going to listen to a guy who drives to DC to do a "Smile and Wave America We Love You" video? That’s right, nobody! But someone who walks to... now that’s a different story! I liked the idea and I wasn’t about to change it. So I signed the van over to my roommate, who needed a car, and kept on planning out my trip.

There were many challenges standing in my way. People loved my cause, but I am not a skilled marketer, so I wasn’t able to find any sponsors to raise money. Friends advised me to delay the walk some more. A few doubted my sanity. Who walks up the East Coast without any financial backing?

Well, I wouldn’t buy into that negative mindset. I believed it could and would be done, and was determined to prove it. My plan was evolving into more than just a Walk for Happiness Awareness. It became a challenge to prove that no matter what’s going on in your life, you can go out and live your dreams. No matter what your financial status, you can have a positive effect on other people.

Mary drove me everywhere I needed to go and was joyful in doing this for me. I paid for the gas and our food and she provided the transportation. Together, we went to networking meetings, workshops, businesses, and to visit friends. We planned out the route for my walk and discussed how the trip would go. She even drove me to various worksites. I had lost some of the jobs I’d been doing when the van went missing. Still, life was good. I had a plan and a vision, something I believed in that I was working toward. I was about to embark on a whole new world of life lessons that would help shape my future.

As the days passed, I grew increasingly excited, and my friends, nervous.

Review

Typically, this is not a book that I would read. However, a friend introduced me to this book and the author. Being that I am not one to say no to reading a book, guess what? Yep! I read it. With that being said, I have to tell you, I greatly enjoyed reading it.
Walking alongside the author's journey and learning of everything he faced along the way, I have to be honest with you, I really don't think it is something I could ever do. Reading about the people he come face to face with, some were exciting to read about, while others left me afraid for his life. Coming across a murderer on the streets? Now, be honest with me, wouldn't you be afraid? I know I sure would Confronting a murderer is scary stuff. However, learning why that man is a murderer lowered the scare factor, but I still felt it.
Along the way, the author did have his challenges, but he didn't let it get him down. He knew something positive would come his way. The way he described some of his challenges, he had me laughing so hard, tears came to my eyes. He was on a mission and he was determined!
Learning the goal behind the author's walk, I now have great respect for this man. If only we could have more people like him in the world, it would for sure be a better place.
Thank you Edward Rodriguez for bringing a smile to my face!

~~~*~~~

When you feel like you’re at the very end of your rope and things are not going to work out, don’t give up, keep on believing. Trusting is the answer. If it doesn’t work the way you thought it would, then maybe you over thought it; maybe you were holding on too tight to the end result, or maybe you were asking for something that was not meant to be.

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Excerpt

Lessons from the road:

I have always been told that the way something starts is the way that it ends. NOT TRUE! Georgia started with a menacing bridge and ended with a blessing and gift!

The past does not equal the present or the future. Thoughts from the past had me shaking at the knees when I came into Georgia; blessings given later the same day had my heart growing for the people that I met along the way. Even the same situation with a rifle had no power, because I didn’t feed it any. Things only have power when they are fed; if we don’t buy into the fear, most things are powerless against us.

Sometimes the biggest gifts are not the prettiest. The hotel I stayed in was not the newest or the prettiest, but I could never replace the feeling that the owners and I felt by my staying put and not moving on to a nicer place. Now I’m not saying not to move on, I’m just saying if you get a chance to take a moment to bless those around you, you may want to make a little time for them, then keep moving on.

Remember to be open to what’s ahead of you, to count your blessings every day, and be sure to honor those who have honored you!