Why I Don’t Have ‘Plenty of Time’

by Brendan Wenzel on 07/06/2012

As you probably know, I’m considering running for public office in the city of Jacksonville within the next three years. I’ve received tons of advice and comments about these plans. Some of these comments have said “you have plenty of time” to run for office. Basically saying wait until I’m older. And while I understand why they say that I’m not so sure they’re correct in saying that.

I’m worried that our country, our state and our city has been making monumental mistakes in policy that is bankrupting our governments. And the more I think about it the more I realize we need people in office who are willing to tackle the tough issues and not demagogue their way out of making difficult decisions. This is what got us in this position in the first place. And if something is not done about this sooner than later and we may be looking at a more dire situation by the time most would say I should run for office.

Above all, we need to get the city back to its basic roots of providing high-quality emergency services/public safety and improving infrastructure. And this needs to be done almost immediately. Unfortunately, most politicians think that bribing big businesses to come Jacksonville is the way to grow the city. Same thing even happens at the state and national level. But that simply won’t work for the long run. Personally, giving out money in return for jobs seems like a desperate move of a city that has nothing going for it and that’s not where we are.

When you have a state-of-the-art infrastructure, businesses will naturally want to be a part of it because it will allow them to take advantage of the infrastructure in their business processes. Jacksonville has a lot of advantages that, if marketed correctly, would entice many businesses to move to the city. We have perfect access to the Atlantic Ocean. We have CSX and a railroad system built in our city. We are the most Western coastal city on the East Coast (about as far west as Cleveland). We have two major highways going straight through Jacksonville in I-10 and I-95. And an international airport that, in my opinion, is not being fully utilized. We have a lot going for us!

I’m looking at all this and not seeing very many on the Council bringing up the subjects. However, I do see the Council throwing money around like it’s game. I’ve seen the budget and we’ll have extra might be throwing around. The city needs to prioritize and in need to do it without delay. People are tired of paying more taxes for less services.

And this is why I’m sticking with my decision to move back to Jacksonville at the end of the month to begin building the foundation of the campaign. After looking back at my doubts, it’s easy to see why I would question myself to make such a jump. But I think it was necessary for me at least question myself to make sure that I was in this for the right reasons. It’s go time now!

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Letting Go Emotionally and Forgiving

by Brendan Wenzel on 07/05/2012

It’s come to my attention that I’m holding onto things emotionally that are damaging to my chances for success. Unfortunately they are not as easy to get rid of as one would’ve hoped. These feelings are very deeply embedded and I’ve been struggling to let them go.

In order for me to reach my next level of growth as a person it feels incumbent upon me to address this issue head-on and find a fix for it. And it all starts with forgiving those that I’m holding negative emotions towards. And when I say forgiving I mean unconditional forgiveness. The type of forgiveness that Jesus spoke about in the Bible.

I’m going to be trying a few different methods over the next few days and doing a lot of studying on how this is done. It’s not something that I can take lightly because it has such a strong bearing on my future. This is something I’m taking very seriously and am very eager to get this weight off my shoulders.

If you have any resources that may help me on my journey to emotionally let go of things and forgive then please share away because I’m going to need everything I can get. Thank you so much for any help you may be able to provide.

When I’m done with this process I will be sure to let you know what worked and the results.

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Declaring my Personal Independence

by Brendan Wenzel on 07/04/2012

On this July 4th, I declare my own personal independence from those seeking to control my life, liberty and pursuit of my own happiness. It’s the reason why years ago I decided that there was no employer that can hold me down. When there is something that I want to do there will be no one who will tell me that I cannot do it when I want to do it.

It breaks my heart to see so many people out there that lives under the rules of someone else’s game. When they want to go on break to have to ask like they are schoolchildren. When they want to take a vacation to have to ask for permission months ahead of time and sometimes still don’t get it. But that won’t happen to me ever again.

While the 4th of July may be a day to celebrate America’s independence from England, it is also a day to think about setting the goal for your own personal independence from those who attempt to control your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

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My negativity detox

by Brendan Wenzel on 07/02/2012

David King, my roommate here in Costa Rica, and I were talking a little bit today about how I’ve been overcoming my negativity towards things and people. In a way that’s a big reason why I made this trip to Costa Rica this time.

Most of 2011 was spent in a very negative environment for me. And towards the end of the year many negative things happened. It was evident to me that I was going into a negative spiral that I had to break out of.

And for me the one place I know that I can come to get my head back on straight and to see the positive things in life is Costa Rica. This trip was more than just about surfing. This trip was to help me break out of my negativity and to start viewing life from a positive viewpoint again.

I’m very thankful to have had David down here with me because he has really helped me when it comes to the words I use and the way I look at things. Honestly not sure I would’ve gotten as far as I did without him here.

It’s amazing the difference in everything around you when you look at it in a positive light. Business runs better. Thoughts flow smoother. Everything is more enjoyable. And all around I’m just so much happier.

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Having daily unplugged time

by Brendan Wenzel on 07/01/2012

Something I have almost found necessary on a daily basis is to have time where I’m unplugged and not working at all. Usually surfing covers this for me. If it’s not surfing then it is going to the beach and swimming and just laying on the beach.

During this time I don’t try to learn anything new or process anything through my brain. And the reason why I do that is because this time is my unplugged time. It’s when I get to turn everything else off in his let my brain rest and reboot itself.

I found that when I do this that I am often more creative when I’m working. Sometimes I think we all this over do it. We try too hard to get too much done and what we end up doing is the exact opposite.

It’s important to have times where you can let your mind relax and be free from all the stress that working causes.

But let me make it very clear that TV time is not unplugged time. The TV does not allow your mind to take a break. If you feel the need for stories that pick up a book and read a fiction book.

Working out is another great way to unplug the mind. It allows the blood the pump and for you to focus on something other than what has to be done at work or at home.

And what I’ve noticed lately is that if you do this in the morning before you ever even turn on your computer that it gets you way more results than if you wait later in the afternoon. That’s why love to wake up in the morning, make breakfast and then go surf.

I write this so that hopefully you will try it out and see if it helps you release and reboot on a daily basis so that you do not get burnt out.

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Making life-changing decisions

by Brendan Wenzel on 06/30/2012

Making life-changing decisions is something that I feel has to come from deep in your gut. It has to be something that you know deep in your core is going to make you feel fulfilled.

When you’re making a life-changing decision it needs to come from a place of passion and instinct. And the reason for this is because you have to believe without a doubt that you’re making the right decision and that no matter what you’re going to follow through on it.

I’d like to take a minute to share with you a life-changing decision that I made about eight months ago that changed everything for me.

Last year this time, I was in a miserable situation. It was stressful, depressing, negative and downright life draining. While I tried to ignore it at the time it took a major toll on me and my health. Looking back now I can see the mistakes that I made.

But the best part of all is that I didn’t allow my current situation to limit me to stay in a situation. When I realized what was happening in the downward spiral that I was going in I knew it was time for something drastic to be done. And that’s when I decided to pack my bags and move back to Costa Rica.

I mean that’s why I got into Internet marketing in the first place. It was to be able to live anywhere that I wanted whenever I wanted. It was to be able to chase dreams without the confines of a boss or an office that required me to be somewhere on someone else’s schedule.

When I made that decision I didn’t have the resources available to even buy my plane ticket, but what I did have was belief that I would make it happen. Two weeks after making the decision a major client landed on my lap and paid for most of all my moving expenses.

It was something that I knew had to be done deep in my core to restore my sanity so that I can provide value to the world. It came from a place of passion and instinct.

Now I told you that story because I wanted you see a real-life example of making a life-changing decision. It’s not something that can be done lightly and is something that needs to be done seriously.

If you are not happy with your current situation and you haven’t been happy for a while then you need to slow down and think about what will get you back in that place where you’re providing value again. To your dreams and your success!

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My Plans for the Future

by Brendan Wenzel on 06/29/2012

Unfortunately, we don’t have time machines to test out our different theories of how life can go based on the decisions we make. It’s hard to make life changing decisions. It feels like there is so much at stake with these decisions. Especially as I’m getting older and realizing how precious every single day on this planet really is.

Now I’ve got two basic ideas of how things can play out for me over the next 3 years. One is that I go back to Jacksonville and I begin networking and building relationships with influential people in the city to prepare for a run for city Council. And the other direction would be to do more traveling through Central America and continue surfing as much as possible.

And then there’s also the possibility of doing both. I’ve been thinking of them as being in either or situation, but the more I think about it the possibility of doing both may actually be something to consider.

Running for political office

Now before you go wondering why in the world I want to run for office let me explain my reasoning on this. I’ve been very into politics since I was a little boy. My family has deep political ties in Jacksonville. And my dad would always be listening to talk radio during the day when he was working from home. This exposure to politics throughout my life has created a love for the game of politics.

I’ve also got a degree in political science from the Florida State University. It was there that I was introduced to the ideas of Ron Paul and the liberty movement. These ideas have grabbed a hold of me like nothing ever before. I’m very passionate about spreading the idea of a limited government that allows people to make decisions as long as they do not infringe on other people’s liberties. In fact, I’m so passionate about liberty movement that I had the word liberty tattooed on my back.

Which brings me to why I want to run for city Council. It’s the logical place to start a political career since not only is it easier to run and win, but the connections that I already have established give me a solid foundation for running a campaign. My end goal with all of this if I choose to take this route would be to become a US congressman within two decades of winning my first seat in public office.

While I realize I may not make enough difference to make radical changes to the way government operates, I feel it is incumbent upon me to at least try to take office to sow the seeds of liberty in government. And I say this because I have looked through the list of liberty candidates across the country and it is severely lacking of quality campaigns. We need more liberty candidates.

Doing this and running for office will be highly stressful and sometimes downright dirty affair. They’re going to be rough times in the campaign and it will be a dogfight for at least a year or two. It will not be easy and sometimes it will not be fun at all. However the rewards will be great.

Surfing around the world

My other option for my future is to continue living abroad with the sole purpose of being somewhere I can be surfing is much as possible. Obviously, this option is a lot sexier and would probably be a lot more fun. However my question with this option is would it lead to as much fulfillment as the prior option. Sure I would probably be happier doing this, but in the end what I feel like I did everything I could.

Living in Costa Rica has been an amazing experience for me. It’s taught me how to live a simple life of joy and fun. It’s not about how many thing you own. It’s about the experiences that you have in your life.

Surfing is something that keeps me on an even keel. It’s my Zen.

Doing both surfing and running for office

No I haven’t really considered this until lately, but it’s something that I could really do. What I’m starting to think is that I can do two months in the states and then one month going on a surf trip somewhere new. At least I can do this for the next couple of years before the campaign gets really heated and serious. When the campaign gets down to it, I won’t be able to take as many trips, but I was still be able to take a few here and there.

It’s a really tough decision for me. I’m honestly not sure what I’m going to do at this point. For now, I’m just going to enjoy every single day I have left here in Costa Rica. And I’ll make my decision soon enough.

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My Opinion on the Jacksonville Sexual Orientation Bill

by Brendan Wenzel on 06/28/2012

Over the last month, Jacksonville has been debating whether or not to add an amendment to the human rights ordinance that would effectively make it illegal to discriminate against any gay or transgender individual. It had been a very heated debate by both sides. When I attended the last city Council meeting I got to see firsthand exactly how heated that debate has really become.

Now I would like to take a minute to explain to you my position on this subject. In my opinion, the most important aspect of this debate is not even being brought up. And that is whether or not the free market can correct this problem without the intervention of government.

Personally, I don’t feel there is any need for the government to have a human rights ordinance that dictates to small business owners who they should hire or even serve as customers. If that small business owner chooses to be a racist, a homophobe, a sexist or have any other type of small minded bigotry, then that small business owner has the right to do so. Is it right? Absolutely not. However, I don’t feel that it is the duty of government to change that or dictate that.

The free market solution to this is that when the small business owner uses that bigotry to deny someone something then the person wronged needs to make it public what that business owner has done. This will hurt the small business owner where it matters most which is his wallet. If for any reason it causes the person wronged monetary damage then that person has a right to seek an attorney to seek justice in the courts.

And the beauty of having a free market is that if you don’t like how somebody runs their business, it is easy to start your own business and compete with the business owner you don’t agree with. Since the other business owner has already showed a lack of willingness to work with a certain group of people, you will now be their one and only solution.

Now after saying all that, I do believe that there should be a discrimination policy involved when it comes to any government involvement with a person. And that discrimination policy should be simple and to the point, do not discriminate.

If any city employee or elected official is found guilty of discriminating against any individual no matter the the specific type of discrimination than that employee or official should be immediately fired or forced to step down from their seat. There is no place in government for discrimination since every individual should be treated just as that, an individual. Discrimination should not be tolerated and by having such a strict and zero-tolerance policy, I believe that you will see a sharp decline in discrimination from city organizations.

Well now you know where I stand, above the year your opinion on this very important issue of the day in Jacksonville. Thank you for reading.

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