Leon Logothetis's Blog, page 24
January 17, 2012
The Fearless Five
"Put a grain of boldness into everything you do".
Baltasar Gracian
I just had the pleasure of talking with five fearless English girls. I was in the relative safety of my living room. I say relative because sometimes my Boston terrier, Winston Churchill, can get rather rowdy. The Fearless Five were in the deepest darkest reaches of the Atlantic Ocean. Rowing their way into the record books.
I am no stranger to adventure. However, it is one thing to have an adventurous spirit and it is quite another to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a rowing boat…
The Fearless Five are true adventurers.
Julia, Debbie, Katie, Kate & Helen are the brave souls embarking on this epic journey. Their goal is to break two world records (One is so 2011). As I write they are well on their way to becoming the first all female team of 5 to row any Ocean. And their attempt to be the fastest all female team to cross the Atlantic Ocean is inching towards the record books as well.
The girls row 2 hours on and 2 hours off. The Guardian, which is the name of their boat, is 7 meters long and will be there home for just over 40 days. Or 3000 miles. Or in plain old English. A bloody long time! They are attempting to raise one million pounds for charity to eradicate the scourge of human trafficking around the world. The route they are rowing retraces the shipping lanes of the old slave trade.
The Fearless Five are part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, which is recognized as the world's toughest rowing race. Oh, did I mention that 4 out of the 5 girls have no sailing experience. None. Thought I should add this little tidbit, just to insert some more gravitas into the epic nature of their undertaking.
The trials and tribulations they have endured are truly epic. It seems that crossing the Atlantic is predictably fraught with challenges. They have had to contend with extreme heat. Massive waves. Powerful storms. Boredom. Sea Sickness. Loneliness.
Their beloved Guardian has not faired so well either. Their automatic steering malfunctioned within the first few days. This meant they have had to steer manually across the whole Atlantic Ocean. Not good. Their water desalinator broke down. They have been using a plastic pump to make their own drinking water. Again. Not particularly good. The only mechanical thing they have left is their GPS. If this fails I hoped that one of them knew how to navigate using the stars. None of them did…
One more thing to frighten the daylights out of you (and me), they don't have a back up team. So. If the sh*t hits the proverbial fan. They are in a serious pickle.
Many may read this and think why have they done this to themselves. Well, in adversity there are priceless lessons to be learnt. I have always found that adventures are not simply external journeys. They are in fact predominately internal ones. The greatest adventures happen within our hearts. They change us. They mold us. They make us into the best we can be. They push us out of our comfort zones and into a new reality. A reality where we realize anything is possible. Successfully rowing across the Atlantic Ocean is a perfect example of the famous mantra: impossible is nothing.
I was tremendously impressed by the courage, boldness and shear magnitude of will these 5 girls have showed. Life experiences are fuel for the soul, you see. And the adventure of crossing the Atlantic Ocean I am sure will shape their lives. The money they raise will shape the lives of those whose existence has been touched by the odiousness of human trafficking.
Bravo to the Fearless Five. Bravo.
For more information or to donate, please visit www.rowforfreedom.com
January 9, 2012
Live like there's no tomorrow. One day there won't be.
Inspirational people are a joy to be around. They cajole you out of your comfort zone and show you that life is a giant cupcake waiting to be devoured. Alex Papanikolaou is one such inspirational chap. Our paths crossed recently and his powerful words of self-realization and hope resonated with me. I felt the need to ask him to share some of his story with you.
Be inspired. I was.
Live like there's no tomorrow. One day there wont be.
"Life begins outside of your comfort zone"
Cesare Pavare
My name is Alex Papanikolaou and today I'd like to tell you a bit about myself and a subject that's on almost everyone's mind at this time of year. The dreaded New Year's Resolution. More on that in a moment.
I'm 23 years old and grew up in a small town in the UK, and as you may have guessed from the pictures there is a wheelchair and a disability involved in this story. When I was a baby I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, a disability that affects the part of your brain that controls balance, coordination, and fine motor skills.
I vowed not to let this stop me. Ever.
Over the past 3 years, I've made it to over 100 cities in 31 countries with a backpack and my electric wheelchair as companions. I've used hundreds of buses, trains, boats, taxis, cars and airlines you've probably never even heard of. I've lived in Australia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
I have lived.
I now spend my time speaking, writing and coaching others on how they can take control of their lives, set a new definition for their life and grab a hold of what they thought was out of reach. In the process I have learnt that nothing is out of reach. Nothing.
Now, why am I telling you all this? I'm not trying to impress. I'm telling you because I am on a mission to teach people that what you can and can't do in your life, what your life means, how that affects you, and everything in between comes down to one person – YOU!
I am not special. I am not gifted.
Everything I have achieved came down to a decision I made a long time ago that I wasn't going to put myself in a box called 'disabled'. My disability was never going define the rest of my life.
The decision I made was simple; I chose to give myself more choices. More choices? I hear you mutter. How confusing! Think about it though, what would it mean if you had more choices in your life?
Are there things you consider just impossible or unimaginable, or thought of as "I'm not that type of person, it's out of my reach, I don't have the skills, knowledge, education, that's for other people! All these crazy ideas like travelling, making more money, having better relationships, having a better body image, what if you took all these 'not possible' labels off them, and instead made them a choice?
What if you made them possible?
There is a funny little secret about the way our brains work, and that's that if you ask yourself why you can't do something, your brain will do a really good job of giving you a thousand reasons why you can't do it. But guess what, it works the other way too!
Our brains job is to give us answers. Imagine what would happen if you suddenly took that 'impossible' thing and made it a choice! You would immediately start asking yourself "how can I do this?" and what do you think your brain would start doing? It would start giving you answers! Oh yes. Lots and lots of inspirational answers. Never ending streams of fresh and brilliant answers. Over and over again. You would be drowning in a sea of answers!
Now of course this is just the first step, and I bet you can guess the next step…
Taking action!
Which brings us back to our New Year's resolution. Most of us are very good at setting these light-hearted goals for the New Year. Nice to think about ideas we wish we could do. But know we wont.
The best gift you can give yourself this New Year is the gift of opening yourself up to more choices, choices that you never before thought possible. Start asking yourself "What if I really could do this? What would that look like? How would I feel if I achieved that?"
And then comes the best part, action! Go exploring! Remember how much fun it was as a kid when you did things you knew you weren't supposed to do, not knowing what would happen, but just doing it anyway because it was exciting? I do. So does my mum…
Do things you wouldn't normally do. Say things you wouldn't normally say. Mix up your routine. Get uncomfortable! Take a chance, Take a risk. See what happens, and see what fits. You never know, you just might stumble across the best thing to ever happen to you!
I wish you the very best of luck and success for 2012!
Please visit my site (www.alexpap.com) and connect with me on facebook.com/alexapc
December 16, 2011
Happy Holidays from Leon!
Hello!
I hope all has been well since I last reached out to you. I wanted to extend a big thank you to all who supported me during the launch of my book, Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, and during my Kindness Cab Tour. During the tour I re-traced the route I took in Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody, where I crossed America with only $5 in my pocket, relying entirely on the kindness of strangers. I gave back to the cities and communities that offered me kindness and enabled me to complete my first journey. In the spirit of the season I wish you from the bottom of my heart a huge THANK YOU and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
All the best,
Leon Logothetis
***LIMITED TIME HOLIDAY OFFER***
The book would make a great gift or stocking stuffer for your friends, family and colleagues. Please consider purchasing a gift copy today! And for a limited time only, I've created a special holiday offer. With every purchase of the Amazing Adventures of a Nobody Season 1 DVD, I'll include a FREE copy of the book! This offer will end December 31st so act now!
"A gem of a book: endearing, engaging and inspiring!" – Catharine Hamm, Los Angeles Times, travel editor
"Amazing Adventures of a Nobody… An amazing read from an amazing and truly inspiring guy!" – Christy Cahela, Executive Producer & Co-Host, DayBreak USA
December 6, 2011
November 23, 2011
The Kindness Cab Arrives at the Hollywood Sign
What this world needs is a new kind of army - the army of the kind. ~Cleveland Amory
The Kindness Cab began its journey on the not so mean streets of New York City.
Over 4000 miles later it has completed its epic journey, arriving at the Hollywood sign in one piece. It battled through snowstorms. Engine Freeze. Battery Malfunction. Hills. The Kindness cab hates hills. Really hates them.
It has come to the aid of people all across America. 96-year-old great grandmothers. Four-year-old great grandsons. Bankers. Homeless VA veterans. Teachers. Above all the Kindness Cab has put a smile on the face of thousands. Included in that statistic is the Kindness Cab driver himself…
If you have been in the back of the Kindness Cab you know there is something special going on. You feel the energy. You soak up the goodness. Magic happens in the Kindness Cab. It has nothing to do with me. It has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with us.
The Magic of us. The magic of connection. The magic of people. Strangers. Connecting. Life happens in the back of the Kindness Cab.
The trip started as an opportunity to give back to the communities that helped me during my trip across America relying on the kindness of strangers.
It turned out to be so much more. It turned out to be a reminder of what I believe to be the innate goodness of humanity. The simple need and desire that we all have to connect. To talk. To be a part of something. Being in the back of The Kindness Cab gave people that chance again.
The Kindness Cab and I want to thank all of you who made this journey possible. From Kenneth Schulz who sold me this magical cab. To Lauren, who graced us with her 96 years of wisdom and brought her great grandson along for an ice cream. To the good Samaritans, who helped fix The Kindness Cab along the way…
The Kindness Cab will be back. In fact it's already plotting its next adventure. Africa.
To read the book that inspired The Kindness Cab tour please visit my website.
November 19, 2011
November 16, 2011
The Kindness Cab in the LA Times
The Kindness Cab: So many fares to remember
By Catharine Hamm
Los Angeles Times Travel editor
November 16, 2011, 7:01 a.m.
Three weeks, 11 cities, $11,500 raised and countless lives touched.That's a summary of the 4,150-mile journey of the Kindness Cab, a 1985 London Sterling cab (see pictures of it here) that adventurer Leon Logothetis bought in New Mexico, transported to New York and christened as the conveyance of good works. Along with friend and cameraman Steve Privolos, the two took calls from people wanting a free ride in the cab. They were happy to oblige.
They took a man with liver cancer to a VA hospital in St. Louis. They took a couple to their wedding at a chapel in Las Vegas. They picked up a family that didn't get out much and took them for ice cream. They carried a harmonica-playing dad (video above). Everywhere they went, the deep-green cab attracted attention, garnering smiles and waves from people amused by the unusual looking (and unusually painted) vehicle. (I saw this for myself on a recent spin around downtown Los Angeles—lots of smiles and nods from people, and when was the last time you saw that in L.A. traffic?)
You may remember Logothetis from stories he has written for the Los Angeles Times. Perhaps you know him from his TV series, "Amazing Adventures of a Nobody." Maybe you recall that he and his driving partner/cameraman, Steve Privolos, started the Mongol Rally this summer from Britain to Mongolia in a tiny car that was broadsided in Romania, bringing their adventure to an end.
After that near disaster, Logothetis was down but not out. He was eager to find another way, he said, to celebrate kindness.
From New York to Washington, D.C.; Indianapolis; Cincinnati; Chicago; Galesburg, ill.; St. Louis; Denver; Santa Fe, N.M.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; and finally L.A., they gave so many rides that they lost track of how many people they met—but not the amount that passengers would have paid for the fares. That's the amount that turned into donations to local schools and to St. Joseph Center in Venice.They did lose count of the number of mechanical problems the cab had. (The man from whom Logothetis bought the cab told him to call whenever he had a mechanical issue. They spoke daily during the three weeks.) There was an alternator issue (hence the spare battery you see in the "boot" when you look at the photo gallery), a steering column issue and a few others.Besides the mechanical issues, they ran into a bit of weather in Colorado (12 inches of snow) and discovered that the Kindness Cab was a bit reluctant to go up hills (sort of a problem in West Virginia and Colorado).But all's well that ends well. They arrived Monday in Los Angeles. They made it in one piece, albeit minus one gas cap. "The whole trip," Logothetis told me, "has been blessed."
On Thursday and Friday, he will be appearing at Moffett Elementary, Lennox Middle and Jefferson Elementary schools in Lennox to speak with students about giving from the heart. At 4 p.m. Friday, he will do a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Manhattan Beach.
November 14, 2011
Kindness Arrives in Sin City
How beautiful a day can be When kindness touches it! -George Elliston
The Kindness Cab limped its way into Sin City early yesterday afternoon. These were troubling times. Engine trouble. Battery trouble. Snow trouble. All kinds of trouble.
I stopped off at a vintage mechanics and the cab had a complete overhaul of its alternator. Catastrophe was averted. The journey could continue.
Las Vegas is world renowned for being the center of all the action. Gambling. Prostitution. Lost dreams. Gained dreams. Now you can add kindness to that list. Yes. The Kindness Cab was taking Vegas by storm.
I had a varied assortment of guests in the cab today. It started off with taking a young family to buy some treats. They were living in low income housing and struggling to get by. We found our way to a 7 -eleven and The Kindness Cab bought them all Slurpee's!
Next stop was a young saxophone player on the outskirts of Vegas. His beautiful and melodious tunes soothed the frayed nerves of The Kindness Cab. Even though the alternator had been fixed the cab was still a bit shook up from its earlier visit to the mechanics…
The highlight of the day was taking a soon to be married couple to their wedding. It was a special moment to have these two lovely and infectiously smiling people in the cab. It was also a first. Wedding bells always brighten the mood!
The trip to Vegas was not filled with the usual vegas exploits but I felt lucky to have had the chance to bring kindness to Sin City. Los Angeles here we come!
Schedule of Kindness Cab pit stops can be found at: www.kindnesscab.com, additionally use #thekindnesscab on Twitter to reach me there.
November 13, 2011
Book-A-Day Giveaway Winners (Week of 11/13)
[image error]This week's Book-A-Day giveaway winners are below! Enter everyday by posting the following message to your Facebook or Twitter:
@LeonLogothetis is giving away a book a day for 30 days! Simply share this link on Facebook or Twitter, http://amzn.to/nbjPE9, and you'll automatically be entered to win your very own copy of Amazing Adventures of a Nobody!
WINNERS*
Sunday: Slot Head
Monday: Jim Shortle
Tuesday: John Martinez
Wednesday: Teresa Montano
Thursday: Benita Grillette Parker
Friday: Anna Fredrick
Saturday: Juliet Bain
*Winners please e-mail me your mailing address by clicking here and I'll get a copy of the book out to you right away.
November 11, 2011
The Kindness Cab in the Las Vegas Review Journal
Author and TV hosts drive Cash Cab for Charity
Author and TV host Leon Logothetis is crossing America in a Cash Cab for Charity, having departed New York's Times Square on Oct. 24, stopping in Las Vegas Friday and arriving in Los Angeles for the start of World Kindness Week on Monday.
Upon arrival in Los Angeles, he will donate to charity all money raised on his fare meter while crossing America.
Logothetis will retrace the route he took in his TV series "Amazing Adventures of a Nobody," which aired on National Geographic, where he crossed America with $5 in his pocket, relying entirely on the kindness of strangers. Now in his Cash Cab, he will give back to the cities and communities that offered him kindness and enabled him to complete his first journey.
In each city, he will offer free rides but keep a running total of local fares he accrues. Logothetis will donate the total city fares he raises to a local school, helping them to buy books through his partnership with www.ClassWish.org. Logothetis is encouraging people in each city to get in touch with him if they would like a complimentary cab ride. During the tour, they can connect with him via Twitter (#thekindnesscab) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/leonlogothetis).
