Not too long ago, someone I know said that every morning he wakes up and says, “Whatever” and, when he lays down at night, he offers a, “Thank You.” When I pressed him on this odd take on prayer (“Who are you saying this to?” “What if you have a really bad day?”) he simply said that it doesn’t matter. All he knows is that he is not in charge, that fate will deal the hand she feels like and that he will handle it, and be grateful for whatever comes his way. This faith, expressed in such simple terms, resonated with me. My spirituality is undefined at best and I have never engaged in any formal practice. Yet thanks to recent events (more on that later) I have come to understand that I have far less control over my life than I thought and, here’s the kicker, that’s OK. I have spun my wheels trying to orchestrate everything around me, when things will go the way they go, regardless of my efforts. As an added benefit, this simple realization frees up about 90 percent of my time and energy.

Not to mention, “Whatever” has a delicious ambiguity to it. Said in a mumbly, teen-aged way it signifies complete indifference. Said by someone who has just listened to one of my great ideas, it is a judgment. Said as a morning mantra, it is a world of possibilities and that’s the “Whatever” I love. It’s wide open.

Which brings me to why I am writing. I am contemplating selling my share of a business I have been involved with for 25 years and, in the meantime, will spin my wheels in a more productive direction by fulfilling the American dream (and a few clichés along the way). I am taking to the open road in the Wild West to discover…whatever.

The thing that excites me (and scares the living shit out of me) is just how undefined my future is—there’s no direction, there are no plans, no hints nor clues; there are only endless opportunities. I am taking to the road in an effort to find out what really makes me tick—what makes me happy, what brings me serenity, what I can live without and what I really need. I want to cut through the clutter, do away with distraction and just exist. In other words, I am embarking on a journey to find myself (Yes, I just wrote that with all sincerity. Note that it is cliché #33).