CREATIVITY + INNOVATION Page 5 of 22

Merry Christmas from Do What You Love (+ 10 alternative gift ideas!)

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Christmas is just around the corner, and we are feeling oh-so-festive in this corner of the world. This is our first Christmas in our new house, and baby Maia’s first ever Christmas. And Christmas Day is Sienna’s birthday, so there is much to look forward to.

2015 has been an amazing year, a challenging year, and a happy year, but also a tough year for many people we know. This time of year brings many things into focus, and we hope that whatever kind of a year you have had, you have a very happy festive holiday.

Here’s to celebration and happy moments

Beth and the Do What You Love team

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Our 10 favourite alternative Christmas gift ideas…

(1) Make a memory movie

(2) Write a story (use our free resource Winter Writing Workshop to help you!)

(3) Create a mixtape

(4) Create vouchers for your time (teach someone something, mow their lawn, do the washing up etc)

(5) Create a book of family recipes

(6) Give them a voucher for the Do What You Love course to help them make a major change in their life* (course starts Jan 18, 2016)

(7) Design a scavenger hunt with a map and clues hidden across your town or city, in places that remind you of special times

(8) If you are feeling very generous, and want a gift for someone who loves adventure, this Exploring Mindset trip down the Mississippi would be an amazing present!

(9) Book a ticket to a free event (museum, public lecture, street market etc) and take them along

(10) Write a letter telling someone how much you appreciate them

And if you want some tips on present wrapping, no-one does it like the Japanese!

*If you want to buy a gift voucher please drop a line to [email protected], and be sure to mention the discount code DWYLXM50 to get £50 off, if you book by December 31, 2015

How can you make more time for yourself?

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Do you ever feel like life is running away with you? Well you’re not alone.

In our over-caffeinated, hyper-connected world it seems that living life in the fast lane is no longer a lifestyle choice, it’s the norm. As we hurry from one thing to the next, juggling family and home life with long hours at work and an endless stream of social commitments, it’s easy to be distracted by our busyness and fooled into thinking we are leading full and worthy lives. But as Henry David Thoreau said: “It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?”

“Between work, being a mum, managing the house and organising my husband I don’t get a minute to myself,” explains my friend Kirsten, 36, a university lecturer who has a two-year-old daughter. “ I’d love to bake more – and even start my own cake business – but after a long hard day I’m so tired and I end up in front of the TV or catching up with Facebook and Twitter – the time just goes.”

Sound familiar?

Busy is not inevitable

When we find ourselves feeling busy, overwhelmed and tired, it’s important to remember that being busy is a choice. We are never forced into a lifestyle of busyness. It is a decision we make. In order to become less busy we must first realise that we determine our own schedule and that we have the power to change it. After all busyness is, essentially, about misplaced priorities and it’s only when we slow down and listen to our intuition that life begins to flow again. By accepting it’s ok not to be busy, and by making sure our priorities align with our values and the contributions we’d love to offer this world, we open ourselves up to all sorts of exciting new possibilities.

FREE goodness to help you slow down, tune in and light up!

We have had a crazy few months at DWYL HQ, so we are dedicating October to quiet, reflective time. As we search for meaning in our busy lives it can be hard to relax, tune out the noise and listen to what we really want to offer the world.

If you feel like this, or you find yourself saying: “I don’t have time” more often than you’d like, please gift yourself our free resource Making Time, a 31-day experiment in carving out more time for the things you love.

You’ll learn how to look up and rediscover the small wonders out there that make you happy, one day at a time, one minute at a time. Sign up here (it’s free!) and receive one email per day for 31 days, each one providing a specific prompt to encourage you to create, connect or just have fun.

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We’d love to hear how you get on. Connect with us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you do with your new-found time!

The Do What You Love team

What if…?

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Making time to do the things we love is essential for our happiness and wellbeing, whether it’s strolling through the countryside, taking a long hot bath or reading the next chapter of that gripping novel.

Imagine then if you could take the thing you love most – fashion, baking, writing, gardening, painting, helping people, even walking the dog – and make a living from it. Starting your own flourishing business is a great way to turn your passion into profit.

However small or large your business, it can be a fantastic way to do what you love. To start dreaming big deep and wide about what could be possible for you in business download our free ‘What If…?’ resource. You might just surprise yourself!

Food for thought at The Little Beach Hut of Dreams

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In the spirit of summer we’re delighted to bring you this post from lifestyle blogger Niomi Smart who packed a delicious picnic to enjoy at The Little beach Hut of Dreams….

Niomi Smart
Last week I was lucky enough to spend the day in the ‘Little Beach Hut Of Dreams‘ in Hove, Brighton, so I whipped up lots of delicious food in preparation for a delicious picnic by the sea.

The beach hut is beautifully decorated in greys, whites and pale pinks, and there are comfy seats with big fluffy cushions to help you get comfortable while you dream the day away. As it’s the height of summer (although you’d never know from the windy weather!), I thought I’d make this video to share a few of my fresh and healthy recipes, which are perfect to pack up and enjoy on-the-go. They’re all listed below, too. I hope you enjoy!

Fruit skewers

  • strawberries
  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • melon chunks
  • grapes

1. Chop the strawberries into chunks, and slide onto a skewer. Follow with a blueberry, then a raspberry and finish with another strawberry chunk.

2. Repeat with the melon and grapes.

Corn on the cobs

  • 2 corn on the cobs

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

2. Wrap in tin foil and place in the oven.

2. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Salsa

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 red onion
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 red chilli
  • Himalayan salt & pepper to taste
  • handful fresh coriander leaves
  • 1/4 cucumber, chopped

1. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor apart from the coriander and cucumber and pulse until the tomatoes and onions are chopped to the consistency that you would like the salsa.

2. If there is a lot of liquid from the tomatoes, spoon out the excess liquid. Transfer into a container with a lid.

3. Chop the cucumber into small chunks and pick a handful of coriander leaves and stir into the salsa.

4. Store in the fridge for up to three days.

Butternut squash & buckwheat salad

  • 1 cup uncooked bulgar wheat
  • 1/2 butternut squash
  • salad leaves
  • 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • handful fresh coriander

1. Peel the skin from the butternut squash and chop into about 1 inch thick chunks. Steam for about 20 minutes or until soft.

2. Cook the buckwheat according the the instructions and allow to cool.

3. When the buckwheat and butternut squash are cool, transfer to a large bowl and stir in all the remaining ingredients.

Fresh mint & orange water (serves 2)

  • 10 fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 large orange
  • 1 lime

1. Slice the orange and lime into slices and divide into two glasses.

2. Add the fresh mint leaves to the glasses and top with water.

Naomi’s outfit: Dress – ASOS, bag – Skinnydip, shoes – ASOS, sunglasses – Quay Australia

To find out more about Niomi, visit her website.

A week in Berlin: a taste of life as a digital nomad

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Today’s post is by Vickie Binz, Marketing Manager at Do What You Love.

Image credit: Stefano Borghi, www.stefanoborghi.com
Image credit: Stefano Borghi, www.stefanoborghi.com

I wrote this article while sitting on the floor at Berlin Schönefeld airport waiting to travel back to London. My plane may have been delayed for 5 hours but I felt lucky…

  1. This was a great opportunity to get ahead with work
  2. The WiFi at the airport was really fast
  3. My computer still had 57% of battery life
  4. I was eating a free sandwich bought with vouchers from the airline
  5. I had a carry on bag containing everything I needed to be comfortable
  6. I could stay with friends in London since my plane was getting in so late – and we love an impromptu catch-up!
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Waiting for my delayed plane

Rewind a few days and I was excited to be flying to Berlin to attend the first-ever global digital nomad conference, www.dnxglobal.com. The Do What You Love team works remotely so I was intrigued by the prospect of meeting people who work the same way, or who’ve taken it one step further.

My mission: find out more about digital nomads and their lifestyle to then spread the word about a movement that seems to be well in line with our values: sustaining a happy life while doing what you love.

And because I love to visit new places, experience new things and meet new people, I decided to stay on for a week, and live and work in Berlin as a “local”.

So what did my experience teach me about the life of a digital nomad?

(more…)

An update from DWYL HQ – July 2015

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This month’s DWYL news round up is brought to you by our senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.

We have some very exciting news to share this month… there’s a new arrival at DWYL HQ!

Our coos and congratulations go to Beth and Paul who welcomed their second daughter, Maia Seren Bailey Kempton, into the world on Sunday July 19. It’s a magical time and we wish them all the very best as they start this wonderful new chapter as a family of four.

There is, of course, lots more news to report this July too..

1. The Do What You Love e-course is in its final week and it has been a pleasure and a privilege to see so many people embark on their own personal journey to doing what they love. It makes us very happy to see everyone embracing each stage of the course, and getting so much out of it. It’s also great to know that the hard work that goes into designing and creating our content pays off.

2. The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has opened its doors again! We’ve already welcomed a number of ‘Dreamers in Residence’ to our little sanctuary by the sea and they’ll be sharing their experiences via guest blog posts throughout August.  UPDATE: The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been sold as we no longer live in Brighton and only residents are permitted to own beach huts there. This post has been archived for reference but we are no longer accepting applications for Dreamer-in-Residence. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Dreamers-in-Residence for being part of our adventure, and to Towergate Insurance for awarding The Little Beach Hut of Dreams runner up position in Beach Hut of the Year 2015. She was very proud!

3. Finally, we’re sad to say goodbye to our Marketing Officer/Community Manager Rose Radtke who is moving on to pastures new. We only worked with Rose for a few months but in that short time she proved to be a valuable member of the team. She is a very special lady with much to offer the world and we wish her every success in the future.

An update on our collaborations

Make Art That Sells (MATS):

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1. The Global Talent Search is nearly here – and it’s an amazing opportunity to change your life! The Grand Prize winner wins two years’ international representation from Lilla Rogers Studio, plus a host of covetable product licenses, and a series of prizes to support the development of their professional career. You can register here today!

2. Our early bird offers for Make Art That Sells end on July 30 so don’t miss your chance to register. As an early bird you’ll get  bootcamp for free when you take MATS Part A, MATS Part B or MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor in 2016. You’ll also save £99 on your next career development course.

Make It In Design (MIID)

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1. Summer School is here! Back for a second year, hundreds of creatives are currently taking part in Summer School 2015 – a truly special event which is uniting people across the globe. The first galleries have now been published and you can view them here. As you’ll see, the quality of work is just outstanding.

2. Meet Rachael Taylor at Printsource New York on August 11 & 12. On both days you’ll find Rachael in The Future Cafe at Printsource New York from 4.30pm, as this is where the colour and trend seminars will take place. Rachael will be joining the likes of Pantone and Trendstop on the stage to deliver two fascinating presentations (one each day) about the surface pattern design industry, her journey to success and the opportunities for other designers. Unlike other talks at Printsource, Rachael’s is free to attend so if you’re going to the show, you won’t want to miss it. Find out more here.

3. Registration opens for September’s design courses: Are you interested in becoming a successful surface pattern designer? Are you new to surface design and want to discover more about what the industry can offer you? Or are you an established designer who’s looking to polish your skills? Wherever you are on your creative journey we can help you. Check out the latest courses from Make it in Design: Module 1 – Designing Your way, Module 3 – Monetising Your Designs and The Ultimate Portfolio Builder.

Thought of the month… the importance of family

“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” ~ Barbara Bush

As loving parents it’s only natural to question the amount of quality time we spend with our children – especially when we know how vital it is vital for their development and happiness.

The great news is that every little bit of time we spend actively engaging with our kids – whether it be reading together, having a cuddle, playing a game, doing a jigsaw, making music, flying a kite, cooking a meal, or learning a new skill – is quality time. A recent report on Britain’s children also found that youngsters who spend time talking to their parents regularly are much happier than those who don’t.

When life gets busy it can be easy to rush through the day, without pausing to really enjoy our children. Baby Maia’s arrival at DWYL HQ has reminded me about the importance of spending time together as a family. As the Polish proverb goes, ‘You have a lifetime to work, but children are only young once.’ Reading these blog posts got me thinking about how I can make more time for family fun in everyday life. If you need creative inspiration, check them out!

Here’s to happy families,

Rachel

 

We need your vote! The Little Beach Hut of Dreams shortlisted for Beach Hut of the Year!

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Yesterday we opened up The Sunday Times newspaper to discover that The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been shortlisted for Beach Hut of the Year (cue squeals of excitement!)

This is particularly exciting for us, because it is a tiny creative project that we dreamed up in order to create space in a busy world, to honour the importance of carving out time to dream, and just be in the moment. But more importantly because it recognizes our idea to share this tiny space with the world through our Dreamers-in-Residence programme, which allows members of our community to borrow The Little Beach Hut of Dreams for free for the day in return for a blog post which will in turn inspire others.

Now the competition is on to find the winner – and there is a public vote so we would LOVE for you to support our project and vote for The Little Beach Hut of Dreams! It just takes a minute – CLICK HERE to vote.

By voting for The Little Beach Hut of Dreams you are showing your agreement that we all need time and space to dream, and encouraging others to use assets like this for wider community benefit, not just their own enjoyment.

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Here are just a couple of examples of how The Little Beach Hut of Dreams is playing a part in other people’s dreams and plans:

SHABNAH: Shabnah used the time to think about a big adventure she was planning, and in doing so realised just how much power there is in pressing the pause button. Since her residency, Shabnah has travelled to Peru and Ecuador, before spending January in Colombia, which she tells us was 100% unplanned and 100% perfect. She wrote about her Dreamer-in-residence experience here.

In Shabnah’s words “Every time I catch sight of (a beach hut) I am taken to that silence within my previously overactive, second-guessing mind. When I applied (to be a Dreamer-in-Residence) I had been feeling lost and struggling with all decisions – I might make the wrong one, so best to make none. Being able to take a deep breath and return to how I felt that day makes it easier to listen to myself and make a decision that feels right in the moment, however small. Thank you Little Beach Hut built for dreaming for letting me clear enough of the chatter from my head for dreaming space.”

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PETA: When Peta applied to be a Dreamer-in-Residence she was in need of a huge boost of inspiration. She had been working on an illustrated book for months, but needed space, and the view and calm to make real progress. She said that in her home office she was constantly distracted by emails and other work obligations. She also has a grand plan to live somewhere where she can plant fruit trees and keep bees, but is currently stuck somewhere with little nature nearby, so the day in the beach hut was a taste of being close to nature for her. She made great progress with her book during the day and we are waiting to hear when it comes out.

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Our 2015 Dreamers-in-Residence are using The Little Beach Hut of Dreams this summer and we will share their stories soon.

If you like our idea and love our Little Beach Hut, please do take a moment to vote..

Huge thank you – this means a lot!

From all at Do What You Love

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[All images: Holly Booth]

Do What You Love – Update from HQ – June 2015

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In our line of work, as a company where everyone works remotely, we don’t often get a chance to spend that much time – in person – with our team or our collaborators. However June provided us with an opportunity to get together and enjoy a fun couple of days in the sunshine. It was a great reminder of the energy people bring to a community when their passions and values align.

Our ‘Annual Idea Generation Away Days’ saw us bring our small (and perfectly formed!) HQ team together, from Brighton, Sheffield and Spain. We planned the two days very carefully to make sure they were as special and relaxed as possible, while also being useful and productive.

We began day one by celebrating everyone’s hard work over the past 12 months, and sharing our vision and business plan for the next few years. Then we went on to discuss ideas for some exciting new resources that we are currently developing (which are all hush-hush for the time being!) and in true DWYL team fashion everyone’s positivity and ideas lifted our thoughts off the paper (and computer screen!) and transformed them into real, workable concepts.

The afternoon was packed with brainstorming new ideas for even more ways we can help people to do what they love. One of the highlights was sharing news about ‘Reading Week’, where later in the summer, everyone in the team will switch off their email and do in-depth research and thinking on a particular topic, without distraction. We gave each team member has a specific brief to work on during this time – something we know they relate to and feel passionately about. Vickie was especially pleased as hers, as it included a trip to Berlin at the end of July! Stay tuned for an update on that one!

And on the second day we took the team to a place where Beth and I always do our best thinking… the open seas! A few hours on a yacht, soaking up the glorious sunshine, saw us generate tons more great ideas, and share how we all plan to do more of what we love over the coming months. All in all it was a fantastic couple of days.

boat1Our team: (From left to right) Rachel, Rose, Me, Beth, Louise and Vickie

There is, of course, lots more exciting news to report this month too…

1. The DWYL e-course, started on June 15 and once again we’re delighted to be joined by participants from all over the world. The honesty and courage being shown in class to date has been remarkable and we are watching on with interest as everyone’s unique journey unfolds. If you are wondering about the true power of the course, well it doesn’t come much bigger than a marriage proposal… and just wait until you find out how he popped the question!

2. The Business Soul Sessions is coming to an end, and we have loved witnessing all the lightbulb moments in the classroom. We can’t wait to see the participating entrepreneurs use their new-found knowledge and skills to make positive changes within their businesses to create greater impact, explosive growth and serious profits they can be proud of.

3. The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has opened its doors again to the ‘Dreamers in Residence’. We look forward to sharing some of their blog posts shortly. UPDATE: The Little Beach Hut of Dreams has been sold as we no longer live in Brighton and only residents are permitted to own beach huts there. This post has been archived for reference but we are no longer accepting applications for Dreamer-in-Residence. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Dreamers-in-Residence for being part of our adventure, and to Towergate Insurance for awarding The Little Beach Hut of Dreams runner up position in Beach Hut of the Year 2015. She was very proud!

4. Our blog continues to be galvanised by our guest bloggers who are all leading all experts in their field. They include: Alastair Humphreys, Ben Keene, Frances Booth, Louise Armstrong and Lara Tabatznik. One of my favourites this month was Alastair’s post on how his book ‘Microadventures’ became a bestseller on Amazon – you can read it here. Of course what he doesn’t say in his post is that his book is also a brilliant read!

An update on our collaborations

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Make Art That Sells (MATS):

1. There is only one place to start… MATS: The Global Art Gathering was just the most amazing event! At the gorgeous Brighton Dome on June 12 we played host to creative people from all across the world in what was an extraordinary day of career development, inspiration and motivation. It promised to be fun-filled and action-packed, with all the energy, passion and magic you’d expect from Make Art That Sells, and in the end it was all that and more! It surpassed all of our expectations and left all of Brighton buzzing. All the months of hard work were worth it when we saw the radiant smiles, and felt the incredible energy, of everyone in the room. The artists had gathered from across the globe with one thing in common – a love and passion for art and a commitment to making it their career.

Besides our partner Lilla Rogers, the team was joined by some very special guests including Kelly Rae Roberts, Rachael Taylor and Lilla’s agents, Susan McCabe and Joanne Hus who were outrageously generous with their knowledge, experience and advice.

For me it was great to witness 60-70 people meet for the first time in person after discussing art for the best part of two years online within our classrooms. One of them described the day as feeling like a first date: exciting and nervewracking at the same time and potentially, the start of something amazing!

dwyl232From left to right: Beth, Lilla and Kelly Rae

For us the most important thing of all was that everyone left feeling inspired, invigorated and motivated to forge ahead in their career in art. We look forward to supporting them in doing that.

2. MATS: Creating Collections for Home Decor started last Monday. It has been hugely in demand since we announced its launch a few months ago. Lilla and Beth have teamed up with Top Art Director Margo Tantau (VP of Creative for MidwestCBK) to create it. Margo says: “This course is teaching something desperately needed in the industry. It’s a gamechanger.”

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3. Registration for the 2015 Global Talent Search is now open! Don’t miss out on what could be one of the biggest and best opportunities for your career… you can register here. We are proud to be producing this global online event again this year, and are blown away by the calibre of the judges and prizes on offer. Find out more here.

4. MATS: Assignment Bootcamp finished with the publishing of the June gallery. I can honestly say that I’ll miss the buzz in the Bootcamp Community but I know there will only be a short interlude before attention turns to this year’s Global Talent Search.

5. The Make Art That Sells website continues to turn heads! It’s bursting with free resources, industry insight and motivational videos to help the artists among you make leaps forward with your career. Be sure to check it out.

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Make It In Design (MIID)

Rachael Taylor – speaking at three industry events: already this summer Rachael Taylor and the Make it in Design team have hit the road – and the sky – to attend a number of industry events. Recently Rachael spoke at The Make Art That Sells Global Gathering and the New Designers trade show in London, and she’ll also be speaking at Printsource New York in August 2015. Read more on the MIID blog.

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  • Registration opens for Summer School: back by popular demand Summer School returns to bring fun, creativity and inspiration to homes around the world this July. There are three tracks Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced and you can sign up for one or more options to use this opportunity to stretch yourself, connect with other designers, experience working to a brief, grow your portfolio and even get your work published! Summer School starts on July 6 and finishes on July 31. Visit the Summer School page to discover what’s in store, prizes on offer and free resources at your fingertips.
  • The Ultimate Portfolio Builder course is well underway. We have welcomed students from around the world including the USA, Dubai, Italy, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Slovenia, China, Bulgaria, Austria, Netherlands, UK and more. The course’s private Facebook group is alive with creativity, buzzing with excitement and brimming with artwork inspired by different cultures. We’ll soon be opening up registration for our next round of courses starting September 21, so be sure to sign up and prepare to launch your career and design work to dizzy heights.

Thought of the month…

I am currently reading ‘An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth‘ by Chris Hadfield and I thought I’d share a few passages, which I’m sure we can all relate to.

“Square astronaut, round hole. It’s the story of my life, really: trying to figure out how to get where I want to go when just getting out the door seems impossible. On paper, my career trajectory looks preordained: engineer, fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut. But that’s not how it really was. There were hairpin curves and dead ends all the way along. I wasn’t destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself in to one…”

As a 9-year-old after watching Neil Armstrong land on the moon…

“…I was old enough to understand that getting ready wasn’t simply a matter of playing ‘space mission’ with my brothers in our bunk beds, underneath a big National Geographic poster of the moon. But there was no program I could enroll in, no manual I could read, no one even to ask. There was only one option, I decided. I had to imagine what an astronaut might do if he were 9 years old, then do exactly the same thing. I could get started immediately. Would an astronaut eat his vegetables or have potato chips instead? Sleep in late or get up early to read a book?”

I think Chris’s book is beautifully honest and reminds me that are very few things in this world that we cannot achieve if we want to.

Have you let the seemingly impossible stand in your way?

Until next time,

Mr. K