We just had to share this powerful TEDx Talk about the power of imagination and how our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by the choices we make…
BOLDNESS + BRAVERY Page 10 of 18
Love work
How do I plan my next adventure?
This is a guest post by adventurer, author and motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys. Find out more about Alastair here.
Turning an empty calendar and a lack of direction into an exciting, rewarding, challenging, money-generating expedition is both easy and difficult. This is how I go about making stuff happen…
- Block off the biggest chunk of time possible. Guard this jealously. Time is so precious and demands on it so numerous. I can always earn more money. I can never reclaim lost time.
- Sit and daydream. Think of all the places I have not been. Think of all the journey styles I have not done. Pore over an atlas as I pour the coffee. Browse my bookshelves for inspiration. Drool over Google Images and Flickr and Sidetracked.
- Try to think of a trip that is, for me at least, fresh, novel, difficult and different.
- Draw up a shortlist of the few plans that currently excite me most.
- Narrow this list down against criteria such as cost, season, timeframe and potential partners available.
- More or less settle on one preferred option.
- Faff around for a while.
- Send out an email / meet up with somebody / do something that tips me over from day-dreaming about how fun this would all be to actually getting off my arse and making it happen. The tipping point is often small but significant: walking across India was solidified merely by having dinner with a friend’s parents, for example.
- Buy a plane ticket or whatever is the single most expensive, painful, committing action to take. This is without doubt the most significant and difficult stage of the entire process (hint: it’s far harder than the scary expedition you are worrying about). This single act of commitment is what differentiates dreamers from do-ers. It’s not hard, but it is bold.
- Run around like an idiot, realising that I have grossly underestimated the time and expense involved in making the trip happen. (NB: I have never looked back at a trip).
For the post-expedition phase, here is a post I wrote on how to make a living from your travels.
Eat. Pray. Wi-fi.
This is a guest post by Ben Keene. You can find out more about Ben here.
Has moving to Bali for winter with our family worked out?
I’d only been at Bali’s first co-working space, Hubud (a bamboo beehive of digital nomadic activity at the heart of the island’s ‘eat, pray, love’ capital, Ubud) for an hour when Steve Munroe (a ‘post-UN-cubicle survivor’), uttered his mantra. Perhaps even more interesting than what Steve was saying was the fact that he was speaking to a group of Harvard students who had come to Bali to study ‘remote working’ and sustainable business.
Shared story: Lisa Langer
The first thirty years of Lisa Langer’s life were guided by habit, conditioning and the external distractions. And then she found yoga. With regular practice she was empowered to throw off the shackles of the past and live more consciously, compassionately and happily. Today she shares how she’s doing what she loves and supporting others do the same. Here she shares her story…
In 2004 Hugo Cory, my self-inquiry teacher, asked me the question that changed my life: “If you had two weeks completely free, with no responsibilities and no schedule, how would you spend your time?” Well, I said, that’s obvious, I’d practice yoga, read about yoga, teach yoga and study yoga. I had been a yoga practitioner since 1999, a teacher since 2001 and considered yoga as my hobby. But I’d never actually considered yoga as a legitimate career until that moment. You see, until then, I lived in the way that I thought I should live – I did well in school, followed rules, celebrated obligatory holidays, was active with family and society, married a brain surgeon, became a corporate lawyer, had a baby, etc… I valued the external world over my internal truth every time until Hugo and my yoga practices taught me otherwise.
A new beginning today
Earlier this week I woke up to a magical winter wonderland – it was snowing! As I stood at the window admiring mother nature’s spectacular work, I started thinking about how beautiful the world looks in white.
There’s something quite special about the colour white. In colour psychology, white symbolises purity, innocence, awakening, growth, completion and new beginnings. It’s thought that we wear white clothes (often subconsciously) when we are moving in a new direction in life, such as travelling abroad, moving house, embarking on a new relationship or changing careers because white makes us feel calm, organised and optimistic. Colour psychologists also say that surrounding yourself with white is good for your soul because it cleanses and purifies your thoughts, emotions and, ultimately, your spirit, refreshing and strengthening your entire energy system.
Venturing out into the crisp white snow – a big blank canvas full of possibilities – was just the inspiration I needed to be bold and start the art course I’ve been dreaming about.
What’s will you begin today? We’d love to hear what’s inspired you.
Download a high res version here.
Shared Story: Renee Scheer
After working in the land of corporate America for over 25 years, Renee Scheer knew something had to change. Her passion for creativity and desire to help people realize their dreams had come full force and she decided to risk it all to fly solo. Last year Renee found the courage to wave goodbye to the office cubicle that was slowly suffocating her, and swap her high heels and smart suits for the barefoot boho lifestyle she’d always dreamed of.
Now, as an artist, guide and facilitator of authenticity, Renee uses her own personal and business life experiences to help others find what they need to live passionately and joyfully. Renee is a certified life and spiritual coach and she has received several accolades for inclusiveness, leadership and creativity. Today she shares the truth about her journey towards doing what she loves…
Renee Scheer
Help me write my TEDx talk!
When I heard last week that I had been confirmed as a speaker for TEDxYouth@ Islington I was in equal parts thrilled and terrified. It’s a fantastic but somewhat daunting platform, and something I have had on my dream list for quite some time. Most people get around 5 months to prepare for a talk like this. I’ve got 7 weeks, and I need your help! In fact, I would be so grateful for your help that one person responding to my quick survey will win a free place on the Do What You Love course.
My topic will be “How to teach your parents to give you better careers advice”. It is based on the premise that careers advice is nearly always well-intended but frequently flawed, because we often ask our children the wrong questions when trying to help them discover their path in life.
In the talk I will offer the young people in the audience:
Your year of microadventure
This is a guest post by adventurer, author and motivational speaker Alastair Humphreys. Find out more about Alastair here.
YOUR YEAR OF MICROADVENTURE
Would you like to live more adventurously this year?
- To experience the wild and escape from the rushed, mundane real world.
- To do something new, fun and different.
- To spend memorable time with your friends, family or by yourself.
- To challenge yourself, surprise yourself, and achieve something to be proud of.
I bet you can think of other reasons why you’d like to do have a more adventurous year. You may even be intending to make this the year when you really do get out “there” as much as you dream of doing.
But real life often gets in the way and good intentions fade.
So why not commit, today, to a challenge? It’s easy enough to be achievable, but will be really rewarding to complete.
12 months. 12 overnight microadventures. 1 adventurous year.
Are you in? Good!
Read on to find out more…
In their words – why the Do What You Love e-course could be just what you need
We are always humbled and thrilled to hear how our courses have helped people change their own lives, sidestep mountains, move forwards, and find fulfillment and happiness on their own path. As we prepare for the Do What You Love course to begin on Monday 26 January, we thought we’d share some of the latest words we have received about the impact of the last class, in the words of the participants themselves.
If any of these resonate with you, and you’d like to be able to say the same within five short weeks, then join us for the online adventure of a lifetime.
Our acclaimed course Do What You Love begins on Monday 26 January and runs for five weeks. In those five weeks, everything could change for you – not least how you see yourself, others, your future and your place in the world. It’s powerful and inspiring – don’t miss it. Book your place now.