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Learning From Children

As many of you know I’ve taken up teaching in Thailand.  I had nearly ten months of pure vacation and wanted to give back something more to the community.  Also, after multiple visa fiascos, some soul searching, and deciding that I want to stay on in this country, I’ve found it most useful to have a work permit.

The short of it is that if you decide to work in a country, you can set up and be more productive.  My hope was that by committing to a schedule, I would actually get More work done.

Could it be true?

After four months, I would say Absolutely!  The high-schools here require you to teach about four hours a day.  Because I am now on a routine schedule (after a year of lazing about), I am getting up and getting shit done.

I love the interaction with the kids, have learned far more about the culture, and find myself continually learning from children.

Travel Anywhere…

For their midterm assignment, I decided to give them a trip.  They could go anywhere in the world, bring any amount of money, stay as long as they liked, and study anything while they were there.  The response was amazing. I actually got kids to write paragraphs that had barely been constructing sentences.  But, there were also some ways they used the language that made me laugh or brought tears to my eyes.  It also gave me a whole new appreciation for travel, and I hope these snippets will encourage you too.  I haven’t corrected the English or grammar intentionally, so enjoy!

When given the assignment, Where will you go, How much money will you bring, What will you do, What will you learn… there were some very interesting responses…

I will learn about staying alive.

I will need a lot of money.  I will drink beer every day.

I will enjoy the funny land.

I will learn about culture and experiences that I can’t find in the class.

From the travel, I will have been taught about How do I stay Exciting.

I will go to New Zeland.  I would like to stay with nature and meet sheep.

Oversea can make me have grown up and live in the world with myself.

I will need somewhere for my relaxation.  I would like to touch the wave sound.

The weather will be rainy in July but for me no problem.  This is life.

In The New Year…

Chinese New Year is this weekend.  We put together a wishing tree, full of their wishes, and I wanted to let you know… wherever you are in the world, that YOU are a part of these kid’s wishes.  Here are some below:

I wish that everyone in the world have good health and a perfect life.

I wish everybody good and hope they can have fun.

and from me… I wish that everyone can be HAPPY!

Since it is the New Year, What are Your Travel Plans?  Where will you go?  What will you do?  What do you hope to learn?

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Interview with Robin Esrock: Travel Journalist, Blogger & TV Star of Word Travels

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a professional globe-trotter and getting paid to see the world, read on.  I’m really excited to share Robin Esrock’s story and how he went from traveling and blogging to getting published and then hosting a major travel show on television.  I’m sure you’ll find this success story as inspirational as I have…

You have a very exciting story about turning a seemingly unfortunate event into something positive.  Please share with the readers what got you started on your adventures traveling around the world.

I became a travel writer by accident, literally.  A car ran an intersection and piled into my bike, breaking my kneecap. I got $20,000 from insurance, looked around, and thought, what the hell am I doing with my life?   So I quit my job, packed things in storage, and bought a round-the-world ticket to visit every country I’d ever dreamed of seeing.

I started a blog called Modern Gonzo, in tribute to one of my favorite writers Hunter S Thompson, and set off to see, and share, the world.   This led to a column for the local newspaper, and 12 months and 24 countries later, I returned home to find I’d somehow become a popular travel writer.   Assignments and other newspapers followed – the Chicago Tribune, South China Morning Post, Sydney Morning Herald.  All the while, I’m jet-setting around the world, but sleeping on couches because hardly anyone makes a living solely as a travel writer.

I thought this would be a neat idea for a TV show, and brought in fellow travel writer Julia Dimon.   Stars aligned, Word Travels (wordtravels.tv) got picked up by a production company, then a network in Canada, then National Geographic worldwide.  Five years since that accident, I’ve been to nearly 50 countries (about 90 in total from previous travels), am seen on four continents on TV, and write for millions of readers.   It has been, I admit it, quite the trip.

How were you able to go from blogging to becoming a travel journalist?

Can you share some tips with other bloggers on how to get their writing published?

People ask me all the time – how do I become a travel writer?  It’s really quite simple.   Travel.  And then, write. You’d be amazed at how many people don’t travel and want to be a travel writer, or don’t write and want to be a travel writer.   If you keep a journal, diary or blog, you’re a travel writer, pure and simple.  Getting published and making a living – well, that’s another story.

Word Travels has taken me to some of the most incredible landscapes (Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ethiopia) to do some of the most incredible things (heli-yoga, cat-boarding, the world’s highest bungy jump!), but it’s been hard work, and at the end of the day, we all wanted to make an intelligent, inspiring travel series that would stand out amongst the glut of yuck on TV, and we worked damn hard to make it so.   We wanted to be fair to each country, its people and culture, and time would always be a challenge.  I’d love to return to every place I’ve been with more time and more money, but than again, I could say the same for life in general.  There’s no wrong or right way to travel. Just the opportunities we get to see the world, and what we make of them.

Thanks, Robin, for a fantastic interview!!

Connect with Robin

www.moderngonzo.com – Robin’s pioneering travel blog, with stories, video, photos and tips from over 50 countries.

www.wordtravels.tv – the OLN/CityTV/Nat Geo Adventure series that follows the lives of two working travel writers.

www.youtube.com/moderngonzo – hilarious self-edited clips from Robin’s adventures

www.twitter.com/robinesrock – Follow Robin’s adventures on Twitter

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The Medicine Man That Lives in a Cave

One day, I was riding on the back of my friend’s motorbike, weaving through the tall green mountains in the south of Thailand.  Unexpectedly, the bike sputtered, slowed, and stopped.  We had run out of gas.  Looking around, there wasn’t a gas station in sight, so my friend pushed the bike down the road as I walked behind him.  The limestone mountains are full of magic, but this day, we were in for a special surprise.

There was a small man living inside the mountain.  He called out to us from the cave and motioned for us to come inside.  I was hesitant at first, having no experience with cave dwellers, the scene was a bit foreboding and comedic at the same time.  This man was dressed only in a sarong, tied tightly around him, and there was smoke coming from the fire inside his cave.  He smiled a toothless grin and happily waved us inside.

The smirk of travel surprise was glued to my face in a kind of “Oh, shit… what is going to happen to me now” sort of way.  I’m walking into the cave, thoroughly amused.  This is the whole reason why I travel.  Our new friend speaks only Thai, and a couple words of English, but manages to pantomime quite well.  He motions for us to sit.  We are trying to explain that we are out of gas, and he just stands, nodding enthusiastically and points to a small table-like area to sit down.  We do as we are told.

I watch as the small old man makes his way over to a kettle, fills it with water, and puts it directly onto the fire.  He smiles and nods.  I secretly love him, and I have no idea who he is. He must be somewhere between 80 and a 200 years old.  He is not even five feet tall, bent over and ambling around the cave barefoot, doing his very best to ensure our comfort.

He sits with us and gives us coffee.  He rolls cigarettes in dried palm leaves and we sit smiling, drinking coffee, and smoking cigarettes.  I am giddy.  Eventually, he sticks out his hand and introduces himself as “Doctor”, which I find funny considering he is nearly naked, mostly toothless, and smoking cigarettes…. but I fully believe him. We tell him our names and sit smiling some more.  I ask him, “You live here?” and point around.  He nods enthusiastically and tells us his wife lives in another town.  Most of the communication is a lot of pointing and waving of the arms.  I’m wishing I had my camera and trying to absorb every detail of the situation because it seems so paranormal.

Next, the doctor, or medicine man, breaks out a bunch of astrological charts and begins to read my palm.  He reads my friend’s, as well, and declares that we are both “Dee Mak Mak”, which in English means “Very, very good”.  I’m happy to hear this because I don’t know what I would do if he said mine was bad.  He goes through the charts and asks us our birthday.  We are a bit confused as to if he wants the date, or the year, but quickly, he is at work , using a giant magnifying glass to see (he doesn’t have glasses).  He moves around ancient looking papers with strange markings and weird pictures.  He cross-references his books, he is deep in thought and research.  I am so wishing I spoke fluent Thai so I could figure out what he knows, because I’m figuring if anyone knows anything, it’s going to be him. We start drinking beer.  After the research is done, he concludes that we are both good, and good things will happen.  Again, I’m relieved.  He is trying to tell me more and motioning dramatically but speaking only in Thai.  The meaning is lost in translation, but I’m OK with not knowing.

I flip through a book of his that has the Chinese characters in it and pictures of animals.  We spend the next while pointing at photos of animals, saying them in Thai and English and imitating the noises and movements they make .  “Chicken, GAI, LUCKLUCKLUCK” and then we act like the animal and fall over laughing like we are five.  It is fantastic.

It is starting to get dark and the cave is getting darker.  We motion towards the motorbike and show him that we are out of gas.  He scurries around his cave gathering supplies in a caveman fashion and then pulls his motorbike up to ours.  He siphons ALL of HIS GAS BY HIS MOUTH into our gas tank.  Somehow, even with a mouthful of diesel, this man is still willing and able to smile at me.  I have tears creeping into my eyes.  I don’t even have a friend or family member I know that would be willing to do such a caring act.  I give him a piece of candy to take away the taste.  He is so excited that he does a little hop.

So now, we are set, have our fortunes read, animals memorized, and gas in the tank.  We try to give him money which he absolutely refuses.  We try to give him beer.  He refuses this too.  He is shaking his hands, and waving them around.

“Mai Chai, Mai Chai.  Choke Dee.  Choke Dee.”

Which I understand.  He is telling us No, No, it is good luck.  Good luck.  I remember that here, in Thailand, the Buddhist teachings are such that if you come across someone in need, you help them for nothing in return.  To be of service when someone is in need is good luck, because it means that when you need help, it will be there for you, too. We hugged him and went on our way, speechless from the whole experience.  I have yet to experience any act of giving that was so completely kind and generous from someone that expected absolutely nothing in return.  Here is a man that has nothing, and is giving us everything he has, happily.  I was completely blown away.

The strange part about this story is that I pass this cave on a regular basis.  I have never seen this man since the experience. The cave that had all of his belongings, the fire, and the tables is empty.  It is completely vacant, and devoid of any traces of him with the exception of some black on the ceiling, marking the memory of fire.  I have no idea where my small toothless medicine man has gone, but I will forever remember the experience of giving unconditionally.

My point of sharing this story with you is to get you to think about how you give.  I have never experienced giving like I have here.

Can you give without expecting something in return?

Are you able to give unconditionally?

Have you experienced unconditional giving?

Where can you give more in your life?

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Interview with Mark Eckenrode, Eaten by Tigers

As part of the inspiring force to help you ‘take the leap of faith’, we will be conducting mini interviews featuring global entrepreneurs who have become “Business Backpackers”.  Because we are all busy traveling, working, and having loads of fun, it is a short list of questions that will hopefully give you a quick glimpse of others “Living the Life”.

This month’s  mini-view comes from Mark Eckenrode, marketing expert, writer, and author of the blog site Eaten By Tigers.   Mark has a knack for telling it like it is, and sharing his thoughts from around the world.  He is a great example of someone living an unconventional life with a business that will travel.  Mark is making money while he travels… read on to find out how you can too….

How long have you been working remotely?

I’ve been working abroad for a little over a month now which is something I kick myself for. See, I’ve had the capacity to work abroad for several years now but for some knuckle-headed reason have only acted on the opportunity recently.

Please break down where your percentage of income is coming from…

I used to do a lot more one on one consulting, but when I knew I was going abroad, I shifted more towards special products and focusing on the membership site.

10% one on one clients via Skype

50% special projects – writing copy and helping clients with one time projects

40% membership site – offering more information for Do It Yourself types that want to learn more

*Mark shared with me that he runs his membership site through WordPress with a plug in through WishList.  His members gain access to additional informative pages.  They pay through Paypal which interacts directly with Wishlist.  I found this site that has many tutorials on how to set this up for your own blog:  http://member.wishlistproducts.com/.  If you are looking at enhancing your site and adding a revenue boost to your online business… this looks like a great way to go.  I will be adding this feature for a low monthly rate, as well and hopefully can answer some of your questions once it is done!*

Where do you spend the bulk of your time?

As I’m traveling, the bulk of my time is spent editing other writers that contribute to my membership site. Working the membership site is far easier than sitting down on a client project so I’m looking to shift things more in this direction.  I’m still not sure yet what the ideal worktime-to-income ratio is just yet for traveling. This needs more research which means… more traveling

What challenges or difficulties have you had while working abroad?

Definitely the internet speed and reliability.  What is considered hi-speed in Thailand is molassas compared to the States.  Also, just after I got here, my notebook’s hard drive corrupted.  I had to decide if I was going to get another one, or just work remotely from cafés.

I opted to go the cafe route which has it’s own issues. Many times the cafe internet is down, computers are full, viruses are on them, a slow network, etc.

The great thing about being a digital nomad is that all you really need is a PC and the internet. Problem is, relying on just two things to run your business can really put you in a crippling spot if one fails you.

What tips would you share with others about becoming a Business Backpacker and taking their career on the road?

Before I left, I was well trained to ‘want what I was told I should want’.  It took me awhile to realize that all the things I thought I had to stay for, I didn’t need to stay for.  In the long run, none of those things really even mattered.

Now, by being a Business Backpacker, the things I value most in life dictate how I work rather than the other way around.

So, advice-wise, I simply invite folks to examine whether or not the path their currently on is in line with fulfilling their personal priorities and sense of fulfillment.

What has been your favorite country to work in / live in so far?

For reliability, the U.S. Technology is simply more dependable there.

To work AND live… in Thailand, of course. Since being in Thailand, I’ve reevaluated what it means to work and questioned how I want to work. Life experiences such as this are far more important than whether or not I get to work on time, send that email, or am “connected”.

It’s funny. Since the tech in the U.S. is so dependable and always there, it also acts as a trap. Folks, or at least I did, fell into the
trap of “If I have a connection, I should be working.” That’s complete garbage but such an easy thing to get caught in.

Being location independent helps you fulfill your purpose by being free of the trappings… such as an always-on internet connection.

Please share some encouraging words to the readers

Coming here was a gift to myself.  For the longest time, I thought I didn’t deserve it. If I wasn’t meeting some bullshit baseline for success then I’d say to myself, “You’re not where you should be with your numbers/goals. Work harder and then maybe then you will earn the chance to go.” And then the harder I worked, the loftier my goals got.  It was a horrible catch-22 where I never felt like I deserved to get up and go. I didn’t think I was worth it or merited it.

I think what I would share with the readers is to live your life, and do your dream. Your life is worth more than any stupid report, a management defined goal, or any other ball and chain that says it’s more important than getting out there and interacting with the world.  You are absolutely worth it!!

Thanks, Mark, for sharing and I look forward to hearing more from you as you go!  Be in touch with Mark…

http://eatenbytigers.com/

http://twitter.com/ChaoticMark

To check out his membership and business sites, link to it here http://www.retechsource.com and http://www.homestomper.com

**and… if you’d like to see the video interview Mark did while he was visiting me in Thailand, you can view it here: Words of Wisdom From The Business Backpacker

Leave your questions or comments for us B E L O W….

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The Importance of a Great Coach

If you’ve been following along with some of my updates on Facebook, you’ll know I’ve been getting my butt kicked severely by my friend Kris.  After spending ten weeks eating and partying too much in Bangkok, I realized I really needed to Get In Shape Girl!

As luck (or the Universe) would have it, the second I got back down here and announced my new goal, Kris piped up with, “That’s what I went to school for, I’m a certified Personal Trainer.”  My heart leapt.  Part for sheer JOY of How Quickly the Universe Responds, and part ‘cause I was scared shitless.

You see, I’ve been living in a world class climbing destination.  I have climbed on and off for about nine years.  Two years ago I threw my back out.  This led me to telling myself this story:

Climbing is like crack to me.  I’m a huge addict and don’t know when to stop.  I’m not competitive in sports with other people, but I’m hugely competitive with myself.  If you’ve read my post, How to Slow Down and Take Smaller Steps, it became very apparent to me that I needed to change my expectations about what climbing would be like after an injury.  Going slow is really hard for me, and sucking at something I used to be good at is even harder. So, before, when I would go to the climbing gym, I would push it.  I would push too hard and hurt myself again.  I was STUCK in this never-ending cycle of going too hard, injuring myself, taking too long to recover, and then going right back at it.

Something needed to change!!  I pretty much gave up climbing and focused primarily on activities I knew I could do:  hiking, biking, swimming, thai chi, and chi gung.  While all of these activities are good, they aren’t climbing.  I like the feeling of ascension.  I crave it.  I’m a little bit crazy and sometimes climbing walls is the only thing that calms me down.

So now, I’m done with my Old Story, and ready to Make Friends With Pain.  With a little help from my friends, I’ve come to understand that incredible stuff happens when you work with a coach.  While I’ve heard some of this stuff from my clients before, I had yet to really experience it for myself.  I recommend that all of you find out where you are holding yourself back, declare a new goal, and get some help from an expert. I’m excited to share with you some big transformations that have already taken place from this process and help to answer the question:  What happens when I work with a Coach??

Guidance

– Like me, you may want to achieve more than you currently have, but you don’t know how.  You feel stuck, frustrated, and like you are in some kind of holding tank.  You want to do more.  You are tired of Doing It All By Yourself.

Technique

– Sometimes all it takes is to modify what you are already doing and make small adjustments.  There were exercises that I had COMPLETELY Ruled Out because of my injuries.  Kris has shown me how to do proper technique so I don’t hurt myself.  He’s helping me build opposing muscles so I can handle more weight.

Personalized Program

– I used to train with a group when I did Rowing in college.  I loved the comradery, but I never felt like I was learning specific individual skills.  I didn’t know how to best use my strength, train my body type, or give myself rest days.  Working with an individual coach speeds up progress.

Accountability

– Sometimes the best thing is that someone else is showing up.  I know I have a time slot going and someone else is going to be there.  My friend is working out with me.  I need to be accountable.

Commitment

– I’m not going to lie, some days I just don’t want to do it.  I’m tired, my body hurts, I’m exhausted.  But, just the sheer fact that Someone Else Is Committed to ME keeps me going.  I’ve done more just because I knew someone else believes in me.

Motivation

– We do more when we are motivated.  When someone else is giving us help, a stern look, or a ‘come on, you can do it!’ we rise to the challenge.  We dig down and pull from somewhere we didn’t know existed.

Changing the Idea of What You Thought Was Possible

– When someone else is encouraging us to reach new heights, they are changing our ideas of what we even thought was possible.  Suddenly the Impossible seems Possible.  We get stronger.  The old possibilities seem small by comparison and we learn to think bigger, press onward, and challenge ourselves more.

Excuses

– All of these skills help us to overcome our Old Stories, or excuses we used to tell.  When I would hear myself telling my Old Story, I hated it.  Even as it came out of my mouth, it seemed like such a weak excuse.  I didn’t like talking about “my injury” or identifying with something that felt weak.  When we no longer need to justify our Old Story, it opens us up for a total change of thinking.

Change in Mindset

– One interesting thing that happens working with a coach is that you can eventually hear their voice in your own head.  I’ll be doing curls on my own and hear “Relax your shoulders.  Keep your abs in.”  That voice wasn’t there before!!  When you begin to hear their voice as your own, something very special has happened.  You have changed your entire outlook about the topic.  You have reached a level where you can begin to coach yourself!!

What are the areas in YOUR LIFE that you would like to improve?

What Old Stories have you been telling yourself to Stay Stuck?

How could you benefit by getting a Coach?

What would it FEEL LIKE to move past your Old Stories and realize a WHOLE NEW YOU??!!

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Be Happy, Damn it!

Recently, I posted Overcoming Suffering and Achieving Lasting Happiness… Words from the Dalai Lama.  Today, I want to follow up with a quick list of things that will get you back on track to being happy…. damn it!  Hope this helps, and please add something that helps you in the comment area!

1. Take Responsibility for Yourself…without resentment.
2. Look at what you Already Have. Let go of the addiction to “What’s Next”.
3. Count Your Blessings. Make mental lists of how lucky or fortunate you already are.  Keep a gratitude journal.  When you are in a funk, find things you like… “I like that tree.  I like that flower.  That dog looks nice.”
4. Surround yourself with Positive People. If you find you are amidst others where the conversation is headed south, turn it around.  Make pacts with people to “stay up” and keep eachother going.
5. Know yourself and your grumpy times and Practice your Positive Attitude then! I’m super grumpy in the morning.  I have to do all I can to redirect my thoughts and stay positive.  After lunchtime, I’m fine, but my best practice takes place in the morning when I’m being Seniorita Grumpy Pants.
6. Look for what people ARE DOING instead of what they are NOT DOING. It’s easy to get off track by taking the good stuff for granted.  I did this in my last relationship…and, well, it’s over now.  Realize everyone else is going through their own struggle of trying to avoid suffering and achieve happiness and let’s all give eachother a break.
7. Learn when to Do Something… or Let it Go. Shantideva says, if we face a difficulty, “we should examine the nature of the problem itself.  If we find that there exists the possibility we could solve it… there is no need for anxiety.  If, on the other hand, we find that the nature of the problem admits to no solution, there is no point in worrying about it.  If nothing can change the situation, worrying only makes it worse.”  I’m pretty sure if I can master this one, I can rule the world… or something.
8. Realize when we are putting Our Expectations on other people or situations and STOP DOING IT. Bad Dog.  Go lie down.
9. Plan something fun. Maybe you’re sweating the small stuff because you are bored.  The brain likes to be active and sometimes it works against us.  Get crazy and plan an adventure.  Get excited about something and move back towards anticipation and enthusiasm.
10. Get outside your head and Help Others. It’s good to remember other people have problems, too.  Many have problems much worse than ours.  Get to giving and find a feel-good project that brings you and others joy.  Sometimes just moving about and interacting with others is enough to change your perspective.

Remember, Practice makes Perfect, so if you find yourself slipping into a Negative Nancy, just try to snap back as soon as possible to Positive Patty!  It’s your job in this lifetime to enjoy living your life as much as possible, so Reclaim Your Happiness Today !

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Interview with Cath Duncan, Mine Your Resources

As part of the inspiring force to help you ‘take the leap of faith’, we will be conducting mini interviews featuring global entrepreneurs who have become “Business Backpackers”.  Because we are all busy traveling, working, and having loads of fun, it is a short list of questions that will hopefully give you a quick glimpse of others “Living the Life”.

This month’s  mini-view comes from Cath Duncan, life coach, writer, and author of the blog site Mine Your Resources.   Her site is one of my favorites, and I land there often, whenever I need a ‘Pick Me Up’ or some inspiration for life.  Cath is a great example of someone living an unconventional life with a business that will travel.  She also has a wonderful charity project her and her husband are working on, learn more by reading Extreme African Adventures and How to Create More Meaning in Your Life.

What is your passion and how are you sharing it with the world?

I’m most passionate about Agile Living and helping people to develop the mind and life management skills that’ll enable them learn and change easily, so they can thrive in a high-change world and create the life they want.

The main thing that gets in the way of us learning and changing easily and being who we want to be is fear, so I love helping people to develop a positive, resourceful relationship with their fears. Fear is an incredibly resourceful emotion and it only expands when we try to ignore or fight it, so I teach people how to mine the resources in their fears, so they can create the life they want.

One of my main projects is the Bottom-line Bookclub, where I help people to accelerate, deepen and apply their personal development learning by providing learning programs that give them the Bottom-line on the highest-leverage ideas and the most effective change tools in the best personal development books.

I also coach people one-on-one through major changes they’re making or wanting to make, and I share a lot about how to learn and change more easily on my blog, Mine Your Resources and in the monthly free expert teleseminars that I host.

Where in the world are you now and how did you end up there?

I’m living with my husband, Andy, in Cape Town, South Africa for a few months and we’ll head off again in the new year. We’re still deciding our next location. We’re keen to live somewhere we haven’t lived before – there’s still so much of the world we want to see.

I work online, because that’s the most agile small business model I’ve found and it allows me to easily change my location and other big parts of my life and keep doing the work I love doing, without having to start all over again with building my business.

What would you say was the most challenging part of getting to where you are now?

I found it really hard to uncover what sort of work I wanted to do. Creating and working has always been very important to me – even as a child, I was unusually “productive” and created little projects for myself.

We’re taught to look at the different categories of jobs that already exist in the world, choose one to do for the rest of your life, and then go and follow the linear, pre-determined path into that job by doing the “right” training, starting in the “right” junior jobs to get the “right” experience, and then working your way up, making a life-long career out of it. I guess this process suits some people, but it didn’t work for me, and I think it’s rapidly becoming outdated in our high-change world. At some point I realized that I didn’t want to try to fit myself into a job because I couldn’t find one that I felt I could fit well enough into, and I realized that I needed to invent my own work and workstyle around the values that were important to me and the activities I loved doing.

That sounds simple and straightforward, but getting clear on my values and what I loved doing, and then creating a platform and the necessary scaffolding to make it possible to get paid to do it has been way tougher and has taken a lot longer than I’d thought it would. I didn’t realize that it was going to take so much soul-searching and I didn’t expect all the existential and identity crises that it triggered. And when it comes to setting up the systems and scaffolding to make a successful business out of the stuff I love doing, it’s been a relentless and steep curve of continuous personal and professional learning. It’s probably a good thing that I was so naive, or else I might never have taken the leap!

Inspiring words and advice for others interested in going global & putting lifestyle first…

1.) Live lean.

You don’t need all the “things” that the media says you need, in order to be happy, and that stuff just creates the pressure for you to work harder and longer so you can earn more money and buy that stuff you think you need. You can create a lot of financial freedom by dropping the desire for “building a fort” and collecting stuff.

2.) Realize that the quality of your life is all about the quality of your thinking.

The only way you can experience the world or decide what to create in the world is through your own thoughts, so your greatest resource is your own ability to think. Developing your ability to use your whole mind is the most important investment you can make. Don’t skimp on developing your thinking, and be willing to review and renew your thinking by questioning your assumptions often.

3.) Prioritize action over planning.

You can do all the research and reading in the world, but most of the things that’ll make the biggest difference in your happiness and success in life can’t be controlled or planned, and at the end of the day knowledge is worthless unless you use it and take action.

Connect With Cath:

http://www.mineyourresources.com/
http://twitter.com/cathduncan
http://twitter.com/bottomlinebkclb

and… Don’t forget to check out her Bottom-line Bookclub!  Cath is running a special till December 18th for a 2 for 1 six month gift subscription! Click below for details!!
Two-for-one 6-month Gift Subscription Special

Questions?  Comments?  Leave ‘em below!

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Overcoming Suffering and Achieving Lasting Happiness… Words from the Dalai Lama

It happens to all of us…we find ourselves caught up in the woes of life.  We have a bad day, bad experience, someone says something mean to us, or we make a stupid decision.  We begin to experience suffering, and realize the fragility of our own circumstance.

If you are anything like me, when these moments set in, you begin to question life… question existence… and attempt to answer the age old question…

“Why am I here?”

I wish for all of our sakes that I could figure this one out.  In fact, I spend a lot of time trying to get to the root of questions like this on a regular basis.  With so much suffering in the world, why is it that we keep going?  Why do we still want to move towards happiness, and away from pain?  Is this journey just about overcoming suffering, and finding lasting happiness?  Isn’t that what we all really want?

Suffering

The Dalai Lama states:

“Suffering and pain are inalienable facts of life.”

In order to better understand lasting happiness, we must first explore the depths of suffering.  In the Dalai Lama’s book, Ethics for the New Millennium, he describes two forms of suffering: avoidable forms, and unavoidable forms.

1. Avoidable Forms – Cause and effect scenarios that are avoidable such as: war, fighting, our economic situation, mental and emotional states, level of education, health, and how we take care of ourselves.
2. Unavoidable Forms – Situations or conditions that we do not influence or create such as: natural disasters, aging, death, and general uncertainty of life.

In our lives, we tend to react equally to both.  Either form comes up in our lives and seems surprising to us.  Even the events that we brought on ourselves seem shocking. Our job is to realize when we are doing this, and to change our behavior.  We may not be able to avoid all suffering, but at least we can stop the cycles that are coming from avoidable forms of suffering.

Our Struggle with Suffering

Because we cannot predict when we will be met with adversity, we feel confused.  We are further confounded by thinking the following ways:

If I was doing this “right”, I would not be suffering.

If I am being a good person, being virtuous, and helping others, I should not suffer.

Additionally, we think that if we do the right things, we will experience contentment.  However, “…undermining everything we do, there is the suffering lack of contentment which arises even when we achieve all that we have striven for.”

Maybe you have experienced this in your life?

“And if this were not enough… the very experiences which ordinarily [should bring us pleasure] turn out themselves to be a source of suffering.”

So, my conclusion… No matter how hard we try, or what we do, there will always be some form of unavoidable suffering that will surface.  We cannot actually Do Anything to stop suffering, but, “the degree to which suffering affects us is largely up to us.”

Changing Your Mindset Around Happiness

Just as there are two kinds of suffering, I believe that there are two kinds of happiness:  conditional happiness, and unconditional happiness.  Much like the two forms of suffering, we set up rules and structures about how we feel based on What Happens To Us.  Read about the two types of happiness, and see what rules you are playing by.

Conditional Happiness

Conditional happiness is based on false hopes, imaginary expectations and situations or people outside of our control.  Here is the mindset, or recurring thought process…

I can be happy when…

• I’ve got it all figured out
• I buy this next…
• I have my new…
• I accomplish…

I would be happy if…

• my relationship was…
• my boss was…
• my family acted…
• people would treat me…

I can feel safe and secure when…

• I have X money in the bank
• I make X dollars a month
• my retirement fund is X
• My mortgage is paid down to X

Unconditional Happiness

Unconditional happiness is based on accepting reality, realizing and appreciating where we are, focusing on controlling our behaviors, emotions, and life experience that we create.

We can achieve this by practicing the following steps…

STEP 1:  Realize happiness is a choice, NOT a circumstance.

You cannot create a world insulated from suffering but you can create an attitude devoid of suffering.

STEP 2:  Realize when you are creating suffering that IS AVOIDABLE, and Stop It!

Try to catch yourself and change your behaviors when you are…Participating in Negative Thoughts, Creating Drama and Gossip, Being Emotionally Reactive, Creating Conflict, or Choosing behaviors with a Negative Consequence to your Health and Well Being.

STEP 3:  Understand the conditional happiness rules you have set up and how limiting those constraints are for ourselves and others.

If you can only be happy when…and if someone acts…and if you have…  You are going to spend the majority of your life VERY unhappy!!

STEP 4:  Work every day on being happy No Matter What.

No matter what comes at you, what breaks, what people say or do (or Don’t say or Do)… focus on being happy.  Try to build yourself to the point of Unshakable Happiness.

STEP 5:  Repeat steps 1 – 4 until you die.

This is something that we must work on Every Day.  It is a challenge to build unconditional happiness, but in order to be happy, we must do it!  Do it for yourself, do it for others, but everyday, get up and just do it.

If we can train ourselves to be happy…not Because of what is happening, but rather, DESPITE what is happening, we have truly achieved greatness.

*all quotes taken from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s book, Ethics for the New Millennium

*photo source: http://www.writespirit.net/authors/dalai_lama/pictures

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Changing Yourself, or Changing the World?

Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, “If you want to change the world, who do you begin with, yourself or others?”

I believe if we we begin with ourselves and do the things that we need to do and become the best person we can be, we have a much better chance of changing the world for the better.

Arianna Huffington

Inner desire to Change

When we aren’t in balance, we sense an inner desire to change.  Where it comes from, I don’t know.  Maybe it is our internal compass.  Regardless, we begin to feel uncomfortable doing the same things that once brought us joy, happiness, and contentment.  We are dissatisfied with the things or people around us and we don’t know what it is.  Even before you begin identify what it is, you know:  Something’s GOT To Change!

Desire to help others

Sometimes we get distracted and put our focus on helping those around us.  Helping others feels good, and if we are making a difference, we should feel better, right?  My answer to this might seem confusing.  I would say that sometimes by helping others, we are actually just distracting ourselves from helping ourselves.

How many people do you know that seem to take care of everyone around them, but they neglect themselves? This can show up by weight gain, negative attitudes, illness, stress or just general fatigue.  Some people turn to vices such as drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.  One example I’m sure you have all seen is a doctor or nurse outside of their work smoking.  How does this even make sense?

Where our efforts are best served…

Until we learn to take care of ourselves, our efforts are all for naught. I had heard this many times before but didn’t really understand what it meant.  One day, I was listening to an inspirational CD and this question was posed:

If your energy was suddenly converted to money, you would have a certain amount in the bank.  Let’s call this your Emotional Bank Account.  Every time someone comes by and needs you, you give away a portion.  Eventually, there is Nothing Left!  How are you filling your emotional bank account?

The point was twofold. One is that we can’t just give away all that we’ve got.  Two is that we need to sort out how to fill that account back up, or we aren’t any use to anyone around us!

Helping Ourselves

When we choose to help ourselves, we really are helping others. When we fill our life with activities that energize and motivate us, we fill up our emotional bank account. We actually Have More to Give!

• Take a moment to think of what activities bring you joy.
• When do you feel your happiest?
• What activities give you more energy?
• What moments bring you peace?

Your level of commitment to these activities Will Change Your Entire Life.

If you put these as your number one priority, you win.  You will feel better, look better, and radiate joy.  In essence, if you prioritize yourself, you become a better person on the planet.

Living as an example

The best thing you can do with your life is to live as an example of your own joy.  Doing activities that bring you joy will keep you inspired.  This shows, and soon other people around you will begin to see your enthusiasm.  If they see someone inspired, it will catch on.  You are changing the world by doing what you love and leading by example.

Letting others come to us

When I first started my business, I didn’t do this at all.  I was taught to go running around and find people.  I went all over for networking events.  I became a public speaker.  I just about made myself crazy trying to be everywhere all at once.  What a nightmare!

When I decided that the best thing I could do was to take my own advice and live as an example, everything changed. I became more balanced.  I set better boundaries with my time.  I refused to participate in the drama.  I could work on myself and my business and let people come to me.

I’ve now taken this approach with friendships, relationships, and opportunities.  Rather than running all over the place, invite people to show up.  Literally and figuratively, we can put out an intention and let it arrive.

Conclusion

By Living a inspirational lifestyle, you are saving the world.  Your focus, friendships, and relationships will improve.  You will have more energy to put towards your cause.  You will be taking care of yourself and inspiring the world around you to do the same.  Take a look through your list of activities that bring you joy and figure out where to put them in your schedule.  Don’t forget to schedule these activities FIRST, because by helping yourself, you really are saving the world!!  By building up your emotional bank account and living as an example, you will find that you actually have more to give back to everyone around you (what better example can you think of for changing the world?!?)

“Even vast sweeping social change has to start inside the mind and heart of one person at a time.”

–Lee Carrol, Indigo Children

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Interview with Andy Hayes, Inspirational Travel Blogger

My main passion is travel.  I find exploring foreign cultures and having unique travel experiences is what really gets me out of bed in the morning.  From sunrise at Stonehenge to sunset on the Hong Kong skyline, I’ve seen and done so many amazing things and I hope to be able to inspire and help others get off their armchairs and have their own unique experiences.  I have been doing this with my ever-expanding blog, Sharing Travel Experiences, where I am sharing an open conversation about great travel experiences, photos, and recommendations.  It has become pretty popular and I am loving it.

A side project has developed from this – I know and have met in the course of my travels many small businesses working in the travel industry – many of them just one or a handful of people – who have seen the popularity of my blog and others and want to know how to duplicate this success in their own business.  So, I am launching a separate community for those small businesses who want to learn, share information, and benefit from this ever-expanding world of the Internet.

Although I travel a lot (but not as much as some of my fellow travelers), I am based in cozy Edinburgh, Scotland.  It’s somewhat more cosmopolitan than some imagine, going well beyond the stereotypes of castles, ghosts, and men in skirts!  I love it so much I ended up writing a book about it – the Historic Walking Guide Edinburgh.  Before I lived here I was in sunny Amsterdam where I lived for many years.  Amsterdam is another place that defies its reputation; the sex, drugs, and rock and roll are confined to only small areas of the city, whereas you’ll find bohemian cafes, restaurants, and great atmosphere in the rest of town.  Walking along those gorgeous canals and hanging out in quirky cafes, I learned a lot about myself and about my passions in the world.  It was where I truly found the path that I find myself on today.

Breaking down those misconceptions that my ideas and my plans would never work was very challenging.  I had a huge mental block that said “things are the way they are and it will never change” but after getting some help and perspective, I realized that the only thing standing between me and my dreams was: me.  After that, it all came together very quickly – in some cases a little too quickly.  While I still have a very long path ahead on my journey and some days are better than others, I certainly feel like getting the ball rolling is one realllllly big push that you really have to prepare your energy for.  It is easy to be scared about what will happen next – because if you push, something will happen – but overcoming the fear and starting that inertia was difficult for me.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.  I wouldn’t be where I was today without a great support network so find people who will be supportive and who have knowledge that can help.  You might need a coach to help you get your feet off the ground, or a marketing or business coach to work out the finer points of your business model – Alex Fayle was instrumental in helping me with getting things going.  But really, you don’t know what you’re missing.  Come on in – the water’s warm…

Links:

My Book About Edinburgh – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0955928133?ie=UTF8&tag=sharinexperi-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0955928133

and newest additions…

http://www.travelonlinepartners.com – a new resource for small businesses in travel and tourism to get the help they need with online technology
http://www.sharingtravelexperiences.com – a relaunch of  his previous travel site.  Same great recommendations and experiences but now with hand-picked travel specials and a exclusive travel concierge

Alex Fayle’s website is http://www.somedaysyndrome.com

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