First and foremost is Steph, we all know her as Tampa Steph from Flip This Wholesaler. Her and I had a little email back and forth a few days ago and she answered a question of mine openly and honestly and it actually made me think and made me admit things out loud and it also made me realize that I definitely need to do something to make this a reality NOW.

Reading Steph’s response I realized, well actually I already knew this before but didn’t share it too much and didn’t really think I had a choice either, that I don’t enjoy wholesaling as much as I enjoy my internet adventures. Like working on this blog (odd that it’s about flipping and wholesaling, huh? Actually, if you read the majority of the posts….it’s NOT!,) working on my Gay Marriage website, working on my Our Gay Lives blog, working on my BBW Dating site and working on my BBW Life blog.

I also enjoy getting the small revenue that I get from getting paid ads on my gay marriage site, adsense from all of my sites and memberships from my dating site. I’m not making huge money, but it’s nice to make some change when you don’t expect it and for doing something that you enjoy (and in most instances for doing something that is helping other people.) Obviously, if I had more time I could work on improving that income, but I don’t right now because I gotta figure out how to pay the bills *sigh*

Then on to thinking how I really enjoy and get excited about receiving my passive income from my rental property (I have a tenant that is an angel…pays be early every month. He’ll make 2 payments in a month for the next months rent payment.) And I really enjoy receiving passive income from my atm’s. That is super exciting.

When I talk about my atm’s and my rental property and my internet adventures I really don’t have anything that I don’t enjoy about those things. I mean grant it, I hate to have to evict someone, etc. but that’s once in a blue moon, it’s not a constant thing. I actually enjoy going to business owners and trying to talk them into letting me put an atm in their place. I actually enjoy visiting places in the world and taking pictures and videos and then bringing it back and adding it to my Gay Marriage site.

So what I realized from my brief back and forth with Steph is that I want to solely concentrate on accumulating passive income streams from this point forward. I don’t want to concentrate on active income activities like wholesaling or short sales or anything that requires me to be involved a great deal.

Remember I had started a direct mail campaign for apartment buildings? I’m going to go with that full force. Because that has the ability to be a huge passive income stream (definitely property management company material, don’t ya think?) I’m going to be looking at buildings with 50+ units primarily. I have spotted some with less that may be interesting, but my goal really is to first acquire a 50+ unit building.

Kathy is included in this goal for me PERSONALLY, because I’m tired (as is she) of her traveling for work all of the time and being away from home. It sucks. I mean once in a while no biggie, but constantly…it sucks. (Note: I love real estate investing…just not in the active income sense. Which is why I’m looking for passive income opportunities that apartment buildings can bring me. I sure hope this makes sense to SOMEONE out there!)

I mean I actually want to spend time with her and enjoy her company and do the things we want to do in life and plan how we can get there. That’s what you do when you love someone and want to be with them forever, right? You don’t want them to be away every week working so you don’t have to be near them? (Hey, maybe some people prefer that, but not I lol) And the key is I want to do all of this stuff NOW, while we’re young. Why in the hell should any person or any couple have to wait until they are retired to “enjoy life” with one another. And go on vacations and do this and do that without worrying about a boss and this and that.

Screw that. This brings me to my next person I’d like to publicly thank and that is MikePA from the flipping homes community and from The Tattooed Investor.

Mike made a post recently about taking massive action and the massive action thing isn’t really what got me as I know that taking massive action gets results as I’ve seen first hand what massive action leads to but more importantly in that post Mike said this:

I’ve always been stressed about money (well not always, but for the most part.) I have to make x amount of money to pay this, I have to make money for this. I tell Kathy “no we can’t go to Hibatchi’s and bowling because we can’t afford it, we’re trying to get out of debt.” Money has always been the thing that I’m working towards, but oddly enough, the money I earn has never REALLY been truly for me and my life yet? (Some of it has been i.e. rental property, atm’s, etc. but the MAJORITY is what I’m talking about here.) That money has been for other people/businesses, etc. But never for me and my life and my family. Odd huh?

Now don’t get me wrong, I am NOT saying money is not important. It’s very important in life. Try paying your mortgage with a love note But what I got from MikePA today is that I’ve been totally going about this whole money thing wrong. So I thought about the why’s that he talks about and the very first why that popped into my head was Kathy and her traveling all of the time for work.

That is a major WHY in my life right now. I want to enjoy my partner and spend quality time with my partner NOW, not when we’re 60, 70, or 80 yrs. old. Now!

So when I got a shower today I figured out what Freedom meant to me and this is what I came up with (I’m sure it’s still a work in progress tho, so bare with me please:)

F- fly anywhere (week long vacations, weekend get aways, family vacations, travel is unlimited)

R- really concentrate on things that I’m interested in and passionate about like gay rights, my gay marriage site, my other online endeavours and teaching children a different way in regards to money and life (I know, I know that I’m still working on it myself, but I’m way ahead of most of the children in the world!)

E- eat anything or anywhere (buy organic, no more worrying about price tag, eat out at any restaurant whenever we choose too. No more “we can’t go there because we’re in debt.” No more dollar menu items, etc.)

E- enlighten family and friends and especially the children in my life (Andrew, Joe and Brandon) that “yes, there is a different way and look we are doing it!”

D- debt-free living (no more worries about bills. Btw, here I’m not including mortgages for rental properties and apartment complexes, etc.)

O- opportunities open and are endless. (when everything is in line in your life and you actually have the ability to SEE, amazing opportunities in all aspects of your life will come your way.)

M- more time with family and friends to spend it and enjoy it how we like.

One more thing that I liked from MikePA’s blog-

So I read Mikes post on FH.com and I read these 3 blog posts of his and for some reason today was the day it clicked. Mike, if you’re reading this though, Thanks first of all and second of all……how about that list of books that you recommend?

My FREEDOM scenario above are just some of the things that are going to start my path on how I am going to design MY life. Because after all “It’s My Life!” and I have the personal responsibility to design it the way I want it!

What is YOUR idea of freedom and the design for YOUR life?

In closing…..check out “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi.