Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 85
September 15, 2014
Lessons from the Journey: Unhappiness Can Lead to New Beginnings
“To the discontented man no chair is easy.”
-Benjamin Franklin
From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons.
Lesson: Unhappiness can lead to new beginnings.
If you’re not happy with an aspect of your life, or even if you just feel a faint stirring to do something different, pay attention to the dissatisfaction...
September 14, 2014
A Life That Matters
A lot of personal development writers use the phrase “a life that matters,” as in “Here’s how you live a life that matters.” But this phrase is problematic, because everyone’s life has value and “matters” regardless of what they do with it.
A better way to think of it is how to live a life of fulfilled potential. While everyone’s life has value, it’s clear that some people live in fear, have unnecessary regrets, and never achieve the things they hope for. In fact, most of us experience these...
September 12, 2014
“Don’t have dreams. Have things you do”: Matt Krause’s Long Walk Across Turkey
This is a “quest” case study, a new feature focusing on quests and adventures of all kinds. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )
I met Matt in Istanbul last year, at the end of an epic journey for both of us. I had just finished visiting every country, and he’d just finished walking across all of Turkey. Of course I had to hear more.
Introduce yourself!
I’m originally a West Coaster from the U.S.—mostly California and Washington State to be exact. My quest was to walk across Turkey, every meter. I...
September 11, 2014
Cycling the Greatest Possible Distance Over 7 Days
James Golding sets out to break a world record of cycling 1748 miles in 7 days:
“If you start thinking about fear, you become trapped by it. To get prepared for a challenge of this magnitude is not a short process. It’s something I’ve been building on for a long time.”
Sometimes to bounce forward, you have to take a step back.
Live to ride again!
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Two Other Great Books Out this Week: Daily Love + Smartcuts
It’s not just my new book that’s new on the bookshelves this week… there are at least two others that you should check out too.
[1]
Daily Love by Mastin Kipp.
Sneak preview:
When Mastin Kipp found himself at rock bottom—addicted to drugs and parties, living in his ex-girlfriend’s parents’ tiny pool house, jobless, and with nowhere to go—he looked to the divine for help. What he found took him in an entirely new direction. He moved from a life filled with the excesses of Hollywood as a manager i...
September 10, 2014
6 Discoveries From Near and Far, Volume IX
I. Around the World
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Illegal (and awesome) drone video of Beijing — Detained by police for filming, Trey Ratcliff made it out and so did the video
Native American women leading the way to preserve their culture — Marie Claire profiles young women doing the important work of keeping their tribal language and culture alive
Photos of the aftermath of San Francisco’s largest earthquake since 1989 — A recent...
6 Discoveries From Near and Far, Volumn IX
I. Around the World
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Illegal (and awesome) drone video of Beijing — Detained by police for filming, Trey Ratcliff made it out and so did the video
Native American women leading the way to preserve their culture — Marie Claire profiles young women doing the important work of keeping their tribal language and culture alive
Photos of the aftermath of San Francisco’s largest earthquake since 1989 — A recent...
September 9, 2014
Facing Fears and Traveling Alone: On the Road with Anna Zalazar
This is a travel hacking case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )
A while back I asked readers to share their stories of earning Frequent Flyer miles to travel the world. I loved Anna’s story because it combined travel hacking and the love of seeing the world.
Introduce yourself!
Hi! I’m Anna. In 2011, I left for what was supposed to be a six-month trip around Asia that then became a thirty-month trip around the world. I share stories on my blog (where I’ve given myself the title “Chief A...
The Happiness of Pursuit on This Morning’s Morning Joe
I got up super early (well, for me) to head down to NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center.
I went on the show for a short interview. The segment was a bit rushed (blame ISIS and abusive football players for taking up more of the time), but somehow I managed to be somewhat articulate.
I’m excited to get things on the road!
Feel free to say hi and let me know where you’re reading (either the blog or the book).
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Hey, Everyone: The Book Is Out! I’m On the Road!
The day has come!
Live from New York City, I’m somewhat happy incredibly thrilled to publish my new book, The Happiness of Pursuit.
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Ask at your local bookstore
This book represents the culmination of a ten-year odyssey to every country in the world—but it doesn’t end there. As I approached the end of the journey, I spent two additional years researching and interviewing other people who have undertaken a quest.
My goal...
