I was fortunate to be featured in a nice profile in this month's issue of Psychology Today. You can view the PDF of the article here, or read an online version here. My thanks to Carlin Flora and the whole Psychology Today team for putting this together. I never know what's going to happen when a magazine wants to do a feature, so I try to provide good info in the interviews (in this case, two hours' worth), and hope for the best.
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OK, that didn’t last long. We launched the new $100 Business Forum at 10am EST yesterday, and by 1130am EST we had filled up all the spots in the inaugural group. The second group filled up shortly afterwards ...
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Sorry I was rude to you the other day, someone said. I've just been so busy.
Guess what: we're all busy!
Every one of us. It's not a very exclusive club. And here's another reality check: because we're all busy, no one really cares about how busy someone else is. One way or another, we all make time for what's important to us.
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Greetings, friends and readers. Today I have a personal interview with one of our group who reads AONC from the Sudan. Christine (not her real name) is from the U.S. and works in the international development field for a charity that operates throughout Sudan. She has spent more than a year in the country thus far, and recently signed on for another commitment of indefinite length.
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From January to September 2009, 21,833 people died in my home state of Oregon. Just like that, each one of them left the world—here one day and gone the next. Several weeks ago, three hikers also died on our nearby Mount Hood in a tragic accident. After their deaths, there was the usual pontification about what they could have done differently. Despite the fact that they were all experienced climbers, and despite leaving for the hike when weather conditions were good, some people blamed their “risky behavior” and suggested various reforms that wouldn’t have made any difference in their case.
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Greetings from Auckland, New Zealand, where I'm in transit to the South Pacific island of Samoa – via Vancouver on one side and Nuku'alofa, Tonga on the other. (If you're coming from North America, it takes a while to get settled in this part of the world.) I've been to New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Hawaii before, but this is effectively my first trip to the inner South Pacific. On the way home next week I hope to visit Fiji as well.
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Dear friends, This photo from Ivan reminds me yet again what it’s all about. Thanks for an amazing 2009. I can’t wait to hear your stories of awesomeness in 2010. I know you’re up for it, and everyone will be watching. Happy New Year’s, Chris ###
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Happiness is either free or priceless – I guess it depends on your perspective. But if you'd like to learn about a great writer's year-long quest to discover what really makes her happy, your cost is a mere $14.03. Or you can win a copy paid for by me. In case you haven't heard, Gretchen Rubin's new book, The Happiness Project, is out today. It's currently #40 on Amazon.com and killing it ... well, as much as a book on happiness can kill something.
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If you're involved in any kind of creative work, you and inertia are probably well acquainted. I wish I were an exception, but no—inertia and I are mortal enemies. Every day I get up and fight a battle against that beast. Sometimes I win; sometimes I lose. Sometimes we get “stuck” in something and have a hard time figuring out what to do next. If you're feeling stuck, try one or more of these ideas ...
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This week I finally got around to seeing Up in the Air, a movie everyone’s been asking me about recently. Aside from movies on airplanes themselves, of which I usually watch the first 20 minutes before doing something else, this was only my second movie of the year. Up in the Air, if you’re not familiar with it, is about a guy who loves travel so much that he essentially lives on planes and in Hilton suites throughout the U.S.As he says in the movie, “Last year I spent 322 days on the road, which means that I had to spend 43 miserable days at home.”
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Dear Friends,
Here’s wishing you well on the morning of December 24th.
For those who celebrate (I do), I hope you’re all having a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas. Everyone else, I hope the holiday month is also treating you well.
Things are great over here. I’m in Portland with my family, taking a few days off before getting a head start on what looks to be an intense 2010.
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After beginning in early 2008, 2009 was the first full year of AONC articles. It’s also been a pretty full year in general! This wrap-up post includes every article that was published during the year, in chronological order.
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As part of my annual review series, I’m looking back at everywhere I went in 2009. It’s a long list! Let’s kick it off with an observation that’s either interesting, awesome, or troubling (I can’t decide which): when I started writing this post, I had trouble remembering all the places I went this year. I had to go back to old calendars, itineraries, boarding passes, and even my much-loved passport to figure it out.
Read MoreAs part of my Annual Review series, I’m looking back at the development of AONC and the related business during 2009. I hope you’re having a great December, wherever you are. *** The business side of AONC happened quite organically in the beginning. The only real business goal I had when starting the site was…
Read MoreGreetings, friends and readers. I still have three posts remaining in the Annual Review series—this week we’ll look at Business Lessons and a 20+ country Travel Roundup… but first! A word of gratitude from our sponsors, or me to be precise ...
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