A Silver Lining

Today I want to share with you something that’s been on my mind for a while now and I haven’t really talked about it much before.

I’ve been on a rad journey this last year discovering and learning about an asset that is making a huge impact in people’s lives around the world (even my family’s!), so I just gotta share it with you now!

Money and financial matters can often be awkward to talk about. People often avoid talking about it or you can even be obsessed with it.

Let’s face it though we all come to a point in our lives where we gotta figure things out and get our financial “ducks in a row.”

But sometimes things just don’t make sense. I often feel like that hamster in a wheel–working so hard but getting absolutely no where! Can you relate??

I was raised by surfer hippies that once lived in their vans. Yes, I am describing my mom and dad (haha) and let’s just say that financial matters weren’t their strong suit. They sure gave me so much love in amazing areas of life like faith and chasing my passions; but financially I had a lot to learn.

Last year was an eye opener for us with our finances. We had major pay cuts across the board and without being able to travel to events, we took a major blow. I know many of you were in the same boat with your jobs. Yes, we had the peace of God that all was going to be ok, but it put us in a situation where we were like, “OK how do we adapt to this financial situation we are in? What do we do now? Are there any steps we can take?”

First thing we did was look at our savings account. “Ok we have a bit saved up!” And then we started hearing about the trillions of dollars being printed to cover the costs of the crisis. This had us troubled because if more cash is being added to the overall supply, our savings loses value. Not only were we losing work but our savings were being debased (losing value)! This led us on the journey of how to protect our money, which is ultimately a value of our work and time. We looked at stocks, bonds, derivatives, etc. all those options looked ok to us and we tried investing with those for a bit but it just didn’t feel right. It’s hard to explain but we didn’t truly own those assets and it felt like we were participating in something that was not made to benefit you. Yes there is opportunity there, but it just didn’t feel right to us. Hard to be a part of something that often gets manipulated.

But then we started hearing about and learning about an asset that you own yourself, that only you have access to. An asset that doesn’t require large amounts of cash, bank statements or approvals, and is available to everyone, everywhere no matter what background you come from. An asset that has the potential to protect you from inflation, create generational wealth, and the community surrounding it is growing by the day. We got pretty excited. It’s called Bitcoin. I’ll put some informative links below for you to look into. One is a book called “Thank God for Bitcoin.” It’s an amazing resource, written by Christian authors, explaining the corruption of the monetary system and how Bitcoin came about to redeem, in a way, our financial freedom. There’s so much to learn about it!

But before you dive in, you might be saying “I’ve never heard of it!” Well, now you have! Or “Can it really help people?” and “Is it for me?” Yes and Yes!

Check out this story.

I’ve been to surf in El Salvador a couple times for some fun surf trips, and have seen the poverty and can only imagine how hard folks there must work to earn a meal. Many kids often resort to joining gangs to provide for their families. It’s just not an easy life there.

Surfing provides a ray of hope to the El Salvadoran coastal communities. It brings joy and also a way of life and brings opportunities that are sustainable. So when I learned that missionaries were not only sharing the Gospel there, they were equipping folks with Bitcoin, it got me really excited.

These guys were working with a community in El Zonte giving them tools to become financially independent and successful in life! The community has no access to banks, nor do they even have enough to open an account. But with a smart phone, which most folks have in 3rd world countries, these community members are able to gain economic empowerment. They are able to transact with locals and foreigners alike. They are able to save portions of Bitcoin and pay utility bills, medical expenses, and provide for their families without partaking in the dangers of gang life or government oppression. It’s really incredible and something I’m sure the locals would never have fathomed!

Then, it gets even better! Bitcoin Beach is not only empowering the community by supporting families and creating jobs in the area, they are sponsoring the El Salvadoran surf team to go to the Olympics this year! So rad.

However, what started as a joyful day – when the El Salvadoran surfers signed the contract to train for the Olympics without worrying about money or work for the first time – turned into a tragic moment that impacted the entire country. One of the olympic qualifiers, Katy Diaz, went surfing afterwards and was struck by lightning. Incidents like this hit close to home for me. So many similarities in our lives, but Katy has no “second chance.”

In a time of hardship there is often a meaning or purpose.

The Bitcoin Beach community has seen the needs for these people, and is rallying to celebrate the life of one of the first surfers in the world to be sponsored in Bitcoin. They are going to honor Katy by building a surf training facility in El Salvador. This is incredible for the community, as the facility will provide so much opportunity and potential for the locals. It will be life changing for so many people, and this will only get the word out to more people about Bitcoin and the power it has to be a transformative tool to help the unbanked in places like El Salvador and build a better future. If you would like to help share and show the love and join the Bitcoin Beach in this effort, check out the links I’ve put below.

This is just one story of how Bitcoin is changing lives in a big way. It’s an incredible opportunity to be a part of something that is just starting to gain traction and will continue to impact lives all over the world, and it can be a game changer for you too.

Thanks so much for reading this with an open heart and mind. Ultimately I want what’s best for you and this world. Hopefully, these little nuggets that I share with you continue to encourage you and support you on your Unstoppable journey.

Mahalo from me and Adam,