Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 10
March 17, 2018
The Truth Is a Terrible Thing, But Not Compared to Falsehood
Reality isn’t just what someone tells you. They could be lying to you, or they just might be speaking from their own limited perspective. We know this, right? We can’t just accept at face value everything we hear.
But reality also isn’t just what you tell yourself, at least not if you’re trying to avoid something. You too have a limited perspective. You have weaknesses, insecurities, and fears that can be surprisingly resilient in their pursuit of a false narrative.
Reality is at least so...
March 6, 2018
What Is Your Personal Moonshot?
A moonshot, according to the ubiquitous WikiPedia, is a “is an ambitious, exploratory and ground-breaking project undertaken without any expectation of near-term profitability or benefit and also, perhaps, without a full investigation of potential risks and benefits.”
In other words, it’s a long-term goal with the hope of success, but also the awareness that not every outcome lies within our control.
I was thinking about this while reading a series of “moonshot proposals” from people who...
February 20, 2018
Final Round of WDS 2018 Tickets On-Sale Now
This is the last chance to get your ticket for an all-new adventure.
Tickets are on sale now –> Join Us in Portland for WDS 2018!
Each year, 1,000+ people from 30+ different countries journey to beautiful Portland, Oregon for a summer gathering known as the World Domination Summit (WDS).
It’s an event unlike any other, all focused on a central question, “How can we live a remarkable life in a conventional world?”
We’re doing it again this summer (June 26th – July 2nd, 2018), and the te...
February 18, 2018
I’d Like to Hear Your Stories About Failure
In many of the talks I’ve done, I’ve noticed that one topic comes up over and over: failure.
What’s your biggest failure?
Are you afraid to fail?
How are people able to recover from failure?
Even though I have a daily podcast that tells success stories, I believe we can also learn a lot from failure. And here’s the thing: I don’t know if the learning objective is always to “bounce back.” Some failures may be, well, permanent. (Philosophical question: if it’s so easy to recover from a set...
February 15, 2018
Choose a Long Life, Be Forgotten Immediately Afterwards
Even if you’ve never read Homer’s Iliad, you’re probably familiar with parts of the story. Much of it is about heroism and valor, but it’s also about choice.
Here’s an alternate history interpretation of a choice that Achilles faces:
I have an idiosyncratic take on Book 9 of the Iliad. The Iliad is the story of Achilles is the great warrior on the Greek side in the Trojan War. He gets mad at some slight, and he goes back to his tent to sulk, and the Greeks start losing. So then they sen...January 25, 2018
To Win the Lottery, Buy a Ticket and Never Check the Numbers
I recently bought my first lottery ticket in something like 15 years.
The purchase happened on a whim, as I was walking down the street in California. When I passed by a convenience store, I thought, “I should go inside and buy a lottery ticket.” And so I did.
To a lottery novice such as myself, the process was a little confusing. Apparently there’s not just one lottery… there are many! Not being familiar with the pros and cons of various options, I asked the clerk for the cheapest one.
...January 22, 2018
Under the Unseen Blue Sky in Sydney, Australia
If you’re going through a dark night of the soul, you might as well pass the time in a beautiful place.
That’s what I was thinking as my hour-long Qantas flight from Melbourne began its descent to Sydney. Australia has long been a place of joy and peace for me, and Sydney in particular. Ever since I first stumbled into town five years ago, when I was denied boarding on a flight from Brisbane to Nauru (long story), I’ve been coming back every chance I get.
This time felt different because,...
New Travel Hacking Offers: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Points & More
Greetings from paradise, also known as Australia.
I started writing this post from one of my favorite places in the world: the balcony of my room at Park Hyatt Sydney (check out this photo of the sunrise!). I’m staying here with points earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred, my #1 recommendation for travel rewards cards.
Normally, the room would cost $900 a night (!), but naturally, my cost is … $0. I’ve been here over and over, usually at least once a year, and every stay has been “funde...
January 10, 2018
Join a Supportive Community and Create a New Source of Income
Join the Side Hustle Society and Create a New Source of Income Link: Side Hustle Society Short version: my new training program (the first I’ve made in 3 years!) is now available for registration. Join during the introductory launch—one week only—before it closes for at least a month.
-OFFER ENDS January 16, 2018-
And here’s the slightly longer version…
It only took me six months to finish what I started.
Last January 1, I introduced Side Hustle School, a daily podcast that promised to sho...
January 2, 2018
Don’t Feel Pressured To Find Your Life’s Purpose At Age 21
I got an email from a reader who wrote in with a question I’ve heard many times in different ways. Here’s how Andrew, this reader in particular, phrased it:
“I just graduated from college, but still feel entirely lost on what I want to do and where I want to be. I’m only 21 and graduated high school and college a year early, but I just feel like I’m pushing my life along without learning what I want and enjoying the process of it all . I’ve had my highs and lows throughout these years, a...
