Dustin's Book - Chapter Twelve (#140) — Transcript
Updated: Oct 26
THE PICTURE OF WEALTH · EPISODE 140
Dustin Serviss reads chapter twelve of his book. An unexpected email offers Theo a different future, prompting a conversation with Ashley about work, change and what they want next.
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This transcript was generated from the episode audio and lightly edited for readability. It may contain transcription or speaker-attribution errors. Refer to the recording for exact wording.
Chapters
[00:00:25] Chapter twelve: Luck-Altering Email
[00:01:46] The snail shell and a question of permission
[00:03:04] Ashley arrives as Theo considers his next step
[00:04:18] An unexpected offer from the lodge
[00:05:28] Turning a fantasy into a possibility
[00:06:47] Considering the move together
[00:08:02] A shared decision and a promise to commit
[00:09:22] Fear arrives after the excitement
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Transcript
[00:00:00] Dustin Serviss: Welcome to the picture of wealth or TPAW as we call it. I am your host, Dustin Service.
[00:00:25] Dustin Serviss (reading): As I mentioned in the last chapter, I don't know what the book name is going to be. It was Man's Picture of Wealth. But actually, it's going to be something different. Something more meaningful. Something more true to the text. So, listener, I appreciate you coming along the journey reading the book with me. So, without further ado, chapter twelve, luck altering email. Fourth contest, twenty second of June twenty nineteen in Burnaby, BC. Theo lifted his finger from the mouse and sat back in his chair with a sigh. He stretched out his arms, cracked his neck, and thought about taking a break. He was tired of clicking through pictures.
[00:01:07] Dustin Serviss (reading): He and Ashley had been home from the lodge for a week, and today was the deadline to submit the entry for the contest. He knew that win or not, this would be his last attempt. Click picture of Roy and his fishing buddies. Click more pictures of Roy. Click click pictures of the lodge, the lake, A picture of Mads and Helena smiling. As important as the contest was to him, he was having trouble focusing. His mind kept returning to the lodge and what Mads and Helena had told them about their lives and what they'd learned. His office chair creaked. He leaned back with his hands behind his head and let his eyes drift up the shelf above his desk.
[00:01:46] Dustin Serviss (reading): On the shelf beside Kaz, the snail farmer's picture was the large, intricate snail shell she'd given him as a souvenir. He picked it up and held it up to his eyes for the thousandth time. Take a risk, he could hear her tell him. What's the worst that can happen? As he stared at the shell and its delicate lines curling into infinity, he realized that he'd been waiting for permission to do what he wanted for a long time. He hated his job. He felt trapped and bored. He was tired of doing what was expected. His father's voice drifting through his head, When you get older, you don't feel like doing things you used to. Those words chilled him.
[00:02:25] Dustin Serviss (reading): All that work, all that lost time spent saving and sacrificing, only to give up when it was finally his turn to enjoy. What the hell? Theo said aloud. Maybe there was something out there for him and Ashley that wasn't what they'd imagined, something different. It was unmistakable that the overall flow in Theo's life had improved since returning from the lodge. He and Ashley had made love more often in the past week, and he was more patient with the kids than he usually was. He wasn't rushing off to work, and significantly, the responsibility he'd given his main project manager, Claire, had been paying off.
[00:03:04] Dustin Serviss (reading): While he was gone, she'd proven herself and landed a couple very nice contracts. Something was shifting. Just then, Ashley sauntered into his office with a cup of coffee barefoot in an oversized t shirt and shorts, munching a piece of toast. What are you working on? He turned to her, not yet ready to share what he was really thinking. I'm trying to decide on what picture to submit to this contest. She leaned over and looked at his computer screen at the rows of Roy, Bill, John, and various fishing poses. When's the deadline today she said I'll leave you to it she kissed him and patted his cheek
[00:03:40] Dustin Serviss (reading): affectionately an old habit from their dating days and reappeared after they got back from the lodge Thank you for getting the girls' backpacks organized last night. Theo sat there for a moment, zoning out, when his email notification pinged. Absent mindedly, he clicked open his desktop email server and was surprised to see a message from the lodge admin account. He clicked it open. Hi Theo and Ashley. Writing to let you know some news. Man's had a stroke and has been taken to the hospital in Vancouver. He's stable now but it looks like he and Helena are going to have to move to the city for the unforeseeable future.
[00:04:18] Dustin Serviss (reading): They can no longer take care of the lodge and are looking for management. They offered it to me, but I don't want the responsibility. I love it here, but I love my sanity more. Lol. Their son isn't interested. They thought that the two of you would be perfect for the job. They aren't ready to talk yet, but Helena asked me to put this to you and tell you to think about it. And man's had a special message for you. Remember the fish in the pool, Whatever that means Hey guys. I think it's an awesome offer. I know you have your own business Theo But I could tell you were looking for something more up here.
[00:04:53] Dustin Serviss (reading): Maybe this is it Anyway, gotta get back to it. Think about it. Orson. A couple hours later, Theo, dressed in his favourite Evel Knievel shirt, gave himself a pep talk and went to find his wife. All morning he'd been consumed with the visions of himself leading fishing and biking trips through the mountains, Ashley and the kids coming up on weekends to enjoy all the benefits of nature and the outdoors, a whole new start and life for all of them. He pictured Ashley giving yoga workshops and the girls growing up close to nature. But most of all, he saw the lodge as a sort of retreat for
[00:05:28] Dustin Serviss (reading): those looking for clarity in their lives for a chance to see a bigger picture. It was an idea that had come to him up at the lodge as a crazy fantasy. But amazingly, here's a chance to make it real. In a flash, he remembered something and went to their bedroom where his journal was sitting on the dresser. He opened it to the pages he'd written the last morning at the lodge. This was it. All those conversations, what he learned was right here. Now he wanted to use it and to talk about it to anyone who would listen. He felt like he'd found his edge again. Ashley had dropped the kids off at day camp and was working in the
[00:06:06] Dustin Serviss (reading): garden in the front yard. It was a warm morning, and she had a large sun hat and shorts kneeling in the dirt. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, then told her about the email from Morrison leaving out the part about managing the lodge. He wasn't quite sure how she would react. She put down her tool and stood up, brushing off the soil from her knees. Poor Helena, she said. Should we go visit him? Yeah. I suppose we should. She put her hands on her hips and thought, who's going to take care of the lodge? Orson, I guess. Too bad we can't do it. She laughed. I would love to go back up there. Theo took a deep breath.
[00:06:47] Dustin Serviss (reading): He couldn't have asked for a better moment. He reached out and took her hands in his. Well, actually, I didn't tell you all of it. They did offer management to Orson, but he isn't interested. And their son doesn't want it either. So apparently, the job is ours if we want it. And I think we should think about it. I know it will mean taking a pay cut, but think about the lifestyle. Think about the girls being up there in all that nature, how healthy it would be for them. I think we can still do well with it. Maybe we can talk to mans about a succession plan. We're still young. We enjoy challenges. We love each other.
[00:07:24] Dustin Serviss (reading): And, well, I just really wanna do it. Her eyes widened, and there was a tense moment when he could see her fighting with herself. She wore the look she always had whenever he suggested he would like to buy an expensive, high powered, single seat item, and he could almost hear what was coming. Are you effing kidding me? Theo felt his hackles start to rise. Why do I even bother? He wondered. But then he remembered the way they'd been reconnecting and decided to keep quiet and let her think. She shook her head and looked down for a minute thinking. Then she seemed to come to a decision and looked at him in the eye.
[00:08:02] Dustin Serviss (reading): To his relief, her face had softened. I've always kind of wished I could go homeschool the girls. This could be a reason. Theo actually felt the sun brighten. But promise me one thing, Ashley continued. If we do it, we go all in. I saw how happy you were at the lodge. I want that guy to be around more often. As long as the numbers make sense, let's look into it carefully, properly, and we make the decision together. Theo gave Ashley a long, tight hug and said, we won't half ass it. I promise. He gave her a hard, excited kiss, and she laughed and pushed him off. I know what you're doing for the rest of the day, she said.
[00:08:44] Dustin Serviss (reading): I want a full report later, and don't forget about the contest. She winked and picked up her rake and turned back to the garden bed. Theo went back inside, made a fresh pot of coffee, and headed back up the hallway towards his office. He was practically floating, he was so happy. It wasn't a done deal yet, not by far. But the way he was feeling right now was all he needed to know that he was on the right path. Finally, he felt light and hopeful and in control of his own life like he was finally taking the reins back from a force he had known was there. He sat down at his desk prepared to start doing some planning and was
[00:09:22] Dustin Serviss (reading): immediately gripped with fear. His chest constricted. What the hell am I thinking? Flash through his mind, And he imagined what his dad's reaction would be when he told him that he and Ashley were moving their entire lives to a remote fishing lodge up in the mountains. He would think Theo was insane, and he would be right. Shit. He stared at his computer screen panicking, his heart racing, and his eyes wandered over to the set of photos he'd been scanning earlier. One caught his eye and he leaned closer, suddenly remembering a conversation he'd had with Manns on the first day at the lodge about protection and everything came into focus.
[00:10:01] Dustin Serviss (reading): Luck is happening all around you every day. Slow down and notice when you are lucky.
[00:10:08] Dustin Serviss: Thank you for tuning in to this episode. If you enjoyed the show, please like and rate the show, share with a friend, or use your new knowledge in your next conversation. If during the show something gave you a pang of inspiration, motivation, or sense of uncertainty, act on it now. Get the clarity you're looking for. Find the permission you seek. Go to servicewealth dot com to discover how others are learning how to take Fridays off or buying a recreation property or spending more money. If you're an organizer of an event where you believe my philosophy on finance lifestyle design would be applicable, go to servicewealth dot com and book me
[00:10:40] Dustin Serviss: as a speaker at your next event. If you want a copy of our new book coming out soon, send me a message on Instagram or Facebook and we will be sure to get you a first copy.