Two kinds of people

You’re feeling dissatisfied, unsettled. You want better than what life is presenting to you. You want to provide for yourself and your family. Maybe you’d describe yourself as unhappy.

No matter where I’ve gone in the world (or who I’ve worked with: students, prisoners, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, monks), I’ve seen two typical responses to this situation.

Option A — Action Paralysis
What does this mean? Ideas aren’t in short supply,…

On risk

Risk frightens some people. It paralyzes others. Risk has stopped many people from doing incredible things.

Risk has also failed to prevent others from wholeheartedly chasing their dreams.

It might be worth asking whether risk is your fear dressed in disguise.

If risk wasn’t an issue, would your decisions change?

A quote from Derek Sivers

If you think your life’s purpose needs to hit you like a lightning bolt, you’ll overlook the little day-to-day things that fascinate you.

Nepal

While fundraising for the Discover Outdoors Foundation, I learned Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. One quarter of its people live on less than $1 a day and barely half of them are literate. After some research and plenty of emails, I found a local agency that places volunteers in projects across the country. My bags are filled with crayons, games and animal balloons,…

What connects us

Understanding that first and foremost, the life you want to create for yourself, the type of person you want to become, the parts of yourself you’re most excited to develop will attract individuals who will help you get there.

Realizing that true, authentic connection is expansive. The right relationship discovered at the right time can help you soar, find freedom, create, and see a limitless future.

Recognizing that relationships are catalysts…

8 Do’s and Don’ts for Adventurous Living

“You’re so lucky! I want your life!”

If you’ve heard this, you probably know luck has very little to do with it.

If you haven’t, you, too, can live the life that gets people asking, “How do you do it?” by following these tips for living adventurously:

Don’t: Be afraid of looking like a fool.

The “foolish” moments are the stories you’ll share later on. You won’t always have the answers, and on…

29 thoughts from a 29-year-old

1. Decide to get it done. Commit. Go.
2. Goals will keep you on track.
3. Fears take on tricky disguises. Call them out or enlist the help of someone who can.
4. Helping others is one of the best things you can do with your time.
5. You will learn more traveling than sitting in a classroom.
6. Relationships are containers for growth.
7. Be kind.
8. Laugh more.
9. It’s OK to make mistakes.
10. It’s OK to admit you’re wrong.
11. It’s OK to say no.
12. Sometimes you…
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Get out of a career that isn’t working for you

Several years ago, I made the transition from social worker to social curator. My time spent working in courtrooms and jail cells paved the way for boardroom negotiations and architecting group dynamics. When I tell people my story, questions ultimately focus on how I made this transition. Part curiosity, part plea for guidance, people want to know how it’s done, the best way to make the change,…

Creating opportunities

Today I have the good fortune of finding myself in the heart of New York City, surrounded by folks who are making their biggest dreams happen. I’m looking at a room of individuals who refuse to accept complacency, who want to embrace the revolutionary times we’re living in.

These people are risk-takers, entrepreneurs, storytellers, researchers, bosses, and creative weavers. They are here because they want to understand where their biggest…

Are you near or far sighted?

10 questions to help you decide:

1. Can you describe the life you want?

2. What does a perfect day look like, from the moment you wake until the moment you sleep?

3. Do you have an end goal in mind?

4. Is there a problem you want to solve?

5. Do you want a thriving business that lasts after you’re gone?

6. Are you wanting to make someone’s life easier?

7. Are you putting work…