Welcome back to Freestyle Fridays, the place where I share what is on my heart—uncut, unedited, and completely unscripted. Some weeks the message is about something I learned. Other weeks I share something I am teaching. And sometimes, like today, I talk about what is happening in my own life in real time.
This week’s Freestyle Friday is all about the power of changing your environment.
And for us—it meant leaving Florida, packing up everything we own, and moving back to Indiana.
Why We Left Florida: The Real Reason Behind the Move
A lot of people asked, “Why would you move to Indiana?”
Others said, “I did not see that coming.”
And frankly, most people would never understand unless they lived our exact life.
Here is the truth:
We moved for family—and for healing.
My wife and I lost our son, CJ, in 2020 at AdventHealth in Central Florida. And every single day, as we left our neighborhood, we saw an AdventHealth sign directly across the street. Then we would get on the interstate… more signs. Drive further into town… more signs.
You can only look at a reminder like that so many times before you realize it is time to change your environment.
My career gives me the blessing of being able to work from anywhere. My wife is incredibly gifted in dermatology and can work anywhere as well. So when the signs kept showing up—literally and emotionally—we made the decision:
It was time to start fresh.
Arriving in Indiana: A Weekend That Reminded Us Why We Came
We spent our first weekend in Carmel, Indiana—recently ranked the #2 best place to live in America—and immediately remembered why we made the move.
Weather in the upper 60s and low 70s
Beautiful neighborhoods
Friendly, welcoming people
Space, peace, and community
Twice the home for the same price we paid in Florida
No overcrowding, no gridlock, no constant noise
It felt like breathing again.
It felt like home.
We walked around Carmel’s downtown center, had incredible food, and soaked in an environment that was enjoyable instead of overwhelming.
The move was expensive—no question. More expensive than we predicted.
But the cost did not matter.
**Our peace mattered.
Our healing mattered.
Our family mattered.**
The Truth About Florida—and Why It Was Time to Go
There is nothing wrong with Florida. I lived there for many years. I was raised there. And I know why people love it.
But it changed.
We changed.
And the reminders we faced there were too heavy to keep carrying.
Indiana, on the other hand, offers exactly what we wanted for our son:
A safe yard to run barefoot
Soft grass
No fire ants
No alligators in every lake
No sharks every time you jump in the ocean
No bobcats, bears, or panthers in your neighborhood
Just fresh air.
Four seasons.
A Midwestern pace.
A community rooted in family.
My wife’s sisters live here. Her brother lives here. Both of my daughters have already come to visit. And we finally feel surrounded by the people we love most.
A Change of Environment Can Change Everything
Sometimes we do not realize how stuck we are until we finally step into something new.
Maybe you do not need to move across the country.
Maybe you simply need a new neighborhood, a new job, a new routine, or a new environment that lets you breathe again.
Ask yourself:
Are you stuck in a rut?
Is your environment holding you back?
Is your surroundings weighing on your energy, your mindset, or your peace?
Is it time for a fresh start?
One of the most powerful decisions you can make is choosing to change your environment when life calls for it.
**A new environment can create a new mindset.
A new mindset can build a new future.**
Your Challenge This Week: Audit Your Environment
Take inventory of the world around you:
Your home
Your city
Your job
Your daily routine
Your surroundings
Your support system
Your energy
Then ask:
Does this environment support the life I want to live?
If the answer is no—even slightly—start exploring your options.
You do not need to uproot your whole life like we did.
Sometimes all it takes is one small shift to remind you what it feels like to thrive again.
Final Thoughts: Choose What Is Best for Your Family
If you take one thing away from this message, let it be this:
**Your family is the most important thing you will ever protect.
Put them first—even when the decision is uncomfortable, expensive, or misunderstood.**
We changed our environment because our family needed it.
We changed our environment to heal.
We changed our environment to grow.
And if you feel like you need a reset…
Maybe it is time to consider changing your environment too.
I will see you next week for another Freestyle Friday.
Take care of yourself—and take care of the people who matter most.
Make it a great weekend.
