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Humility, Three Lessons, and a Birthday

Published by 138 Comments

There are few things more awkward than sitting in a bookstore by yourself with a row of empty chairs in front of you. As people approach, you hope they're coming to say hi ... until they head to the Gardening section. Other people walk by with bags that look like they might contain cupcakes, and your heart lifts for a brief moment ...


Accomplishing Everything

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How do you accomplish everything?

People often ask me this question. For a while, it puzzled me. Do I really accomplish more than other people? I keep in touch with a lot of active, busy people all doing fun things, so I'm not sure I'm the exception.


Always Get Back Up: Lessons from
Muhammad Ali

Published by 55 Comments

Tomorrow is the beginning of Black History Month in the U.S., where we celebrate the achievements of African Americans and honor our country's culture of diversity. Last year I wrote about Malcolm X, one of my personal heroes and a great example of non-conformity in the face of relentless pressure to back down. This time, I wanted to look at the life of Muhammad Ali, born as Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky.


Business Goals for the Travel Hacking Cartel

Published by Leave your thoughts

I was all set to go on national TV Friday morning to discuss travel hacking, but then I got a frantic message from the producer: “Have you been to Egypt?” Why yes, I said, I have—not checking the news, since I was thinking ahead to the segment for which they were interviewing me. The next message came three minutes later, saying they were dropping travel hacking in favor of Egyptian riots. Since bringing democracy to a country that has lived with a dictator for three decades is probably more important than earning a free plane ticket, I decided that decision was fair. I went back inside and changed into a t-shirt ...


Book Tour Gratitude, 63 Cities Later

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Thanks so much to everyone out there who was a part of the 63-city Unconventional Book Tour, which just wrapped up in beautiful Vancouver last weekend. We're working on a bigger project to document the whole experience for everyone, but for now I just wanted to express my gratefulness.


How To Get What You Really Want

Published by 39 Comments

Last week I hosted a fun contest to give away my Frequent Flyer Miles to one reader. I expected a few hundred comments, and I got a few thousand. In this post I'll share the winner's name and story (it was a very tough choice for my biased judges and cat), but I also want to look at a broader issue ...


Free Trip to Anywhere

Published by 830 Comments

Next week we're finally going to launch the preboarding phase of my first major business project in nearly a year, the Travel Hacking Cartel. On Monday I'll tell you more about it, and on Tuesday we'll offer a $1, 14-day trial to the first 1,000 people who manage to sign up. (After the preboarding phase, it will be available on a referral basis from existing members.)

But first! Let's have some fun and give away a free trip.


The Bravest Thing

Published by 178 Comments

What's the bravest thing you've ever done? I asked this question last week and was flooded with hundreds of great responses. Here are many of them, with links to the people who were brave enough to share. (All of these comments were shared publicly, and there are also 80+ responses on our Facebook page ...


How To Be Yourself

Published by 81 Comments

It's a good idea to be yourself, not only because everybody else is taken, but because trying to be anything else doesn't usually get you very far.

But how do you do it?

First, you have to understand what you have unlearned about yourself. This process can be disheartening, as you remember past decisions where you had the chance to be yourself but instead chose to be something different.

Since trying to be anyone other than yourself is usually ineffective, why not begin by deciding to do only what is true to your own inner compass? If you did it for just one day, what would that day look like?


When You Travel, You Find Yourself Alone

Published by 53 Comments

Greetings from St. John's, Newfoundland—the "east east" coast of North America, and the first stop of my book tour to every province in Canada. I'll be on the road for the next two weeks. Articles will continue to be posted as always, but email and the rest of my work may be delayed as I explore the frozen north. For my trip eastward and your life wherever you are, here's a poem from John O'Donohue that I especially liked ...