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Greetings from the open road. I'm in what I call real Africa all week, having fun exploring two new countries.
Condé Nast Traveler publishes a feature called “The Perfect Trip Every Time.” It's a good headline, but I wonder about the subtext: is it really possible to have a perfect trip where nothing goes wrong? I take at least twelve overseas trips a year, and none of them are ever perfect ...
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If you're trying to figure out how you'll leave your imprint on the world, start by thinking about what bothers you.
What do you not like about the world? What is irritating? What is unfair?
Keep calm and carry on was the message for people in Britain during World War II. I like get excited and change things better.
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Alix from the Netherlands writes in with a great question:
While goals are good to work towards, do you not feel like constantly pursuing things makes you run all the time and not 'enjoy the moment'? What if, for example, while you're standing in one country, and think 'Hmm, I would really like to stay here longer..' -- I mean a real feeling, not a whim? Read More
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Beginning this month in North America and many other places around the world, students will be finishing their education and moving on. High school, secondary school, college, university, grad school -- whatever form it takes, this is a time of transition for many.
So much lies ahead! So many possibilities! And sometimes, so much uncertainty. My sister is one of this year's graduates. Congratulations, Mary! You lasted much longer in high school than I did, but you still managed to escape early. Well done.
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When people ask for advice about something, I've learned to be careful about being too honest. Sometimes I'll say first:
“Before I answer, do you want to hear 'that sounds great!' Or do you want to hear what I really think?”
This is because when we ask for advice, sometimes we're really looking for affirmation. We want to hear, Yes! I love it! Proceed! Because we're already married to the idea we want advice on, we'd be disappointed to hear anything less than an enthusiastic endorsement.
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Yesterday I rode my bike down to Laughing Planet on Belmont Avenue for a $4.85 burrito. The sun was out and all was well. On the ride down I replayed the classic “time/money/no object” game in my head. You know, the one where you ask: “If time and money were no object, what would I do today?” This is a fun game to play, and it's even better when you realize that you wouldn't change much about your plan. In my case, I had about $60 in my wallet—but the only thing I wanted to eat for lunch was the $4.85 burrito. I could have had a million dollars in my laptop bag, and I still would have taken my $35 "Craigslist special" bike down to the burrito place.
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From time to time, it's good to have a conversation with yourself—maybe even an interview. This is how you do it.
First, sit yourself down wherever you like to sit. Get coffee or your drink of choice. Turn off the distractions and take it seriously. (Wouldn't you take another interview seriously?)
Then you open the conversation like this:
Dear self, you are x years old. What do you have to show for it? Are you living the dream?Read More
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That's right, AONC turns two years old today! Wow. They grow up so fast ... Sometimes people ask why I accept donations for our charity project but not for myself like other popular blogs do. I do have a store, but 95% of people read for free without buying anything ... for which I am thrilled.
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Coming home from a recent trip, I thought about bringing flowers. Wouldn’t that be nice, I thought. I imagined the flower buying, the flower delivery, the credit in the relationship account produced by my thoughtful action. When I finally made it off the last flight and the train ride to the transit center, I was tired. I remembered the flowers, but then decided: I’ll do that another time. Then the other day, I thought about something I had promised to do for someone else a while back. Several times I had thought about doing it; my intentions were good. But yet, nothing happened.
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In 2004 I went to Liberia for the first of five visits. It was a pretty crazy place at the time, having just ended an 14-year series of civil wars a few months before I arrived with a small assessment team. The streets were patrolled by U.N. tanks, the only electricity was provided by private generators, and the non-functioning lampposts were covered in bullet holes ...
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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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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 ###
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 ...
Read MoreThis is part of my end-of-year series while I’m away on vacation. Future posts will cover business lessons learned, a travel roundup, a list of every post from 2009, and the shape of things to come. Happy December! 2009 has been a truly amazing year for me personally and for AONC. It’s no exaggeration to say that my entire life has shifted dramatically from the place where it was a year ago ...
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This is the first in a series of five articles about my Annual Review. Every year since 2005 I've set aside an entire week in December to look back on the previous year and set goals for the next year. This time I'm taking two weeks (it was an intense year!), but I'm also editing my book and outlining a couple of projects for January at the same time.
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