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Digital Nomad Blog Carnival

Hello Readers!  I’m happy to host this month’s edition of the Digital Nomad Blog Carnival.  The traveling online carnival that’s hosted at a new blog each month for readers interested in the live-anywhere, work-anywhere lifestyle.

Read the carnival posts, and then check out some more Location – Lifestyle – Nomadic posts below.  These are posts that I really enjoyed this month, and that others liked too.  Make sure you submit your posts for next month’s carnival by clicking here.  Read on, and enjoy your life, business, and travels!

Blog Carnival Submissions:

Simplicity is All About Abundance – Meditations on an Ugli Fruit

Carmen Bolanos from NuNomad explores the theory of abundance in our lives.  Are we missing what’s right in front of us because we are looking for something else?  Read this for insights on seeing the abundance that is in your life.

An Encounter With Cross-Country Vagabond Sean Robinson

Sometimes we happen upon people just when we need to.  Emily Gerson from Maiden Voyage had the opportunity to interview Sean Robinson who’s living the life of his dreams in a totally different way.  Check out her account of his adventures in this interview.

Introducing: State Lines for iPhone

Traveling across the country?  Cherie Ve Ard presents an app that you might find helpful.  Follow their adventures at Tales from Technomadia.

My Favorite Reads This Month:

Should We Really Strive for a 4 Hour Workweek?

Eric from My 4 Hour Workweek explores the concept of aiming for a reduced workweek.  Is this what we really want?  Is this what we should really be working towards?  Read more to find out…

Thoughts on Art-Making & Creating The Life You Want

Brought to us by Cath Duncun from Mine Your Resources.  This is maybe one of the coolest videos I’ve ever seen, paired with an inspirational blog that really gets you to think about putting your creative self out there.

High Points, Low Points, and The Perfect Trip

Chris Guillebeau from The Art of Nonconformity highlights some of the roller-coaster experiences of travel.  Is there such a thing as ‘the perfect trip’?  Read his opinion here.

13 Quotes to Inspire Nomadic & Location Independent Lifestyle

Need some inspiration?  Let’s face it, running a business remotely can be difficult.  Rasheed from Present Day Nomads offers some great thoughts of encouragement.

One Last Thought from a Beach Pillow I was Relaxing On…

Hope you have found these posts as fantastic as I have.  Thoughts?  Comments??  Leave ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!

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The Stages of Depression and the Steps to Enlightenment… are they the same?

Most stories of enlightenment start out the same.  Someone, somewhere is seeking the truth.  They leave home, become detached from society, give up worldly pleasures, family and friends, contemplate life and death, and end up accepting, embracing, and warranting a slower, more meaningful representation of life.

One thing I’ve noticed is that many of the initial signs of this process are identical to the symptoms of depression.  When one is going through this process, it is easy to feel left out, alone, and confused.  I mean, let’s face it, not everyone is on a journey of truth, and sometimes it is worth questioning,

Does discontent lead to enlightenment?

Stages of Depression	Steps to Enlightenment
Low moods	Complacency, detachment
Inability to experience pleasure	Withdrawing from addiction based behavior
Poor concentration	Letting go
Melancholy	Complacency
Withdrawal from social situations and activities	Removing oneself from regular social functions, retreating
Reduced sex drive	Limiting sex or becoming abstinent
Thoughts of death	Examining the meaning of life, coming to terms with death
Problematic sleep	Vivid dreaming
Noticeable slowing of movements	Slowing down

One thing to notice is that the outcomes of depression and enlightenment are separate, even though the stages look nearly the same.

At the end of the depression cycle, we see people feeling helpless, separate, and faithless.

At the end of the enlightenment process, people feel contented, at peace, and fulfilled as they are.

One thing to consider though, is this:  If we are feeling isolated, lonely, or withdrawn– maybe this is a call to change!  Maybe we are feeling different because we ARE DIFFERENT.  Maybe it is because we Want SOMETHING DIFFERENT.  And maybe, that isn’t such a bad thing.

You Can Go Your Own Way

Many people that I have met on my travels have confided in me that before they left home, they were suffering from depression.  A lot of these folks were on medication for it.  Since following their dream, getting away from a reality they didn’t buy into, and taking daily steps towards a meaningful life, they’ve made the transition towards the path of the happy. The friends that I know have gotten off the meds, and on with their life.

My purpose in writing this article is to encourage you to take notice of your emotional state.  It could be that if you are experiencing depression, you need to make some major changes in your life.

If you are on a spiritual path, know that there are times that you will feel isolated, lonely, and confused. While this has been the happiest time of my life, I’ve also broken down in tears and sobbed more times than ever! Part of this process is breaking down and falling apart, so recognize it for what it is… transformational change.

Facing yourself is hard!  It’s uncomfortable, and it’s an emotional roller coaster.  But, if you stay determined to stick through the uncomfortable-ness of it all, you will come out on the other side.

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Thank You, Readers and… I’m Doing Something More!!

I believe that we are a product of those that we surround ourselves with.  In the past few months I have been BLOWN AWAY by you all.  I wanted to take a moment to thank you so very much for your support and feedback.  I feel, for the first time in my life like I am building a strong community of thought leaders, and connecting with new friends just like me.  The most exciting part of my day is waking up and seeing what comments came in overnight from the blog and reading your emails!!

In the past, I’ve struggled with other people’s opinions (mostly because I’m always breaking the rules). I’ve also lived a very unconventional life, challenged by the concepts of fitting in with society, doing the work that I love, and feeling like I was contributing or changing the world in some way.  I want to let you all know that for the first time EVER, I feel like all of that has changed.

From getting feedback from you all, I realized there are many others out there, feeling alone and confused wondering why they don’t fit into conventional society. We wonder why the nine to five  feels like prison and why we can’t just make it happen and Keep up with the Jonses like everybody else.  I think the best gift in creating this blog has been hearing your comments.  I love connecting with you all and learning the trials and tribulations you are working through while you try to build a lifestyle and business that works for you.

I feel so fortunate to have a sense of understanding from you and realize something very important:  I’m not the only one.

My hope is by reading this site and hearing other people’s stories, you will realize that you are not the only one. Just because you roll a little bit differently from the rest doesn’t mean there is anything wrong.  In fact, what I’ve learned is this ability to be different and do something about it is one of the most empowering things in the world!

Doing Something MORE

With the economy changing, business is  happening a bit differently than before.  After I got over my initial self serving pity party, I realized that this is actually just an opportunity in disguise.  The truth is, people need support in their life and business NOW more than ever!!  The only problem has been that even though people want help, they simply can’t afford it.

I have had some time to think outside of the box and look at some more ways of reaching out and giving back more.  Here is the thing:  I LOVE what I do, and I want to do more of it. I am most happy when I am connecting with likeminded individuals and inspiring them to take action on their goals in life and business. I want to reach out more, and be available in more ways to you all.  I want to be like one of those great restaurants that is PACKED full of happy customers because the service is great, the food is fantastic, and the price is right.  So after a lot of soul searching, here is what I’ve come up with to be more available to YOU:

1. As many of you know, I respond to ALL blog comments.  I want to encourage you to comment or send me a direct email.  I’m always excited to hear from readers, what you are up to, and how I can help.  I WANT to be involved :0)
2. I’m writing guest blog posts on other sites like Digital Nomads to help spread the word of working remotely.
   
3. I am starting a new newsletter!!  Sign up for my Newsletter.  You will get specific success tips related to building the lifestyle of your dreams, business tips, and resources for going global.
4. In the Newsletter, I am going to offer free downloads and previews to upcoming product releases, as well as FREE COACHING CALLS. I’m going to offer free group coaching calls with all of my new Product Releases.  I realize that most people get stuck in life because they need more information.  In addition, they need someone to Guide Them Through the information!!  I was trying to figure out how to help everyone more, and I figured out I could reduce the overall cost by offering affordable Products with FREE Coaching Calls.  I’ll be releasing Monthly topics such as Lifestyle Design, Building a Budget, Overcoming Self-Limiting Behaviors, Finding Your Personal Mission, Going Global… and more.
5. I’m creating an affiliate program that rocks.  You can help the world and make money.  Get on the newsletter list to hear more.

I’m going to release my New Book, Return on Life—with a Free Six Week Coaching Class on October 1st.

As an incentive to put your name in a box and get more cool stuff, I will send you my Free eBook Spiritually Rich, right now :0).

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Free Call! How to Run your Business Remotely and Find more Freedom

Grow your Business and Earn More Money!

Sign Up Below for the Next Success Strategies Call!

Hosted by Entrepreneur Success Coach Rick Cooper

Are you ready to learn how to substantially improve your success? Join me for the monthly Success Strategies Call. You’re going to learn tips, hints and strategies to increase your sales and marketing results. Sign up now. It’s FREE!

Here are some of the ways you’ll benefit:
*Learn tried and true marketing techniques to generate more leads
*Learn how to leverage social media tools to network and build relationships
*Develop a success mindset and increase your confidence
*Get insider secrets from experts in sales, marketing and publicity
*Learn sales secrets to book more appointments and close more sales

Who Should Attend? Coaches, Entrepreneurs, Sales Professionals, Solopreneurs, and Professionals of all walks of life who want to generate prosperity and success in their business.

In this teleseminar you will learn:

About Brooke Ferguson:

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Join us for the next “Success Strategies Call” – July 21st at 6pm Pacific
Sign up Now for FREE! (Please Complete All Fields)

Name
Email
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We will never sell or rent your email address

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How to Find Utopia

One day, as I was walking around Ao Nang, I found Utopia—well, the book, anyway. I was intrigued by the name and picked it up in a used bookstore for 140 Baht. I must say that this has been the best purchase that I have made in Thailand and is one of the most amazing reads I’ve come across in YEARS.

Thomas More published this book in 1516. Remarkably, he has produced such a timeless piece of work that we can learn even today from the society that he describes in Utopia (or, no-place). Because his ideas are outside of the box and very much in alignment with many factors I agree with wholeheartedly, I am going to describe briefly my favorite parts of Utopia….

Utopia

More’s story begins when he and his friend Peter come across the most interesting worldly character: Raphael Nonsenso. After engaging in pleasantries, Raphael begins to go into a long account about his travels and experiences all around the world. Naturally, he had seen many cultures and could assimilate what worked in various societies and what did not. Many societies were based on money, power, and greed and because of this he saw a huge dichotomy between the rich and the poor. Countries focused on growing and taking over land and vast territories by force creating wars, death and economic hardship. These societies had many faults—all of them but one: Utopia.

Raphael had spent years in Utopia after discovering it. It was, in fact, the only sustainable culture and community he had ever seen. Not only were the people well educated and advanced, but they loved learning and seemed to be the happiest people he had ever encountered. How could a society be so fulfilled and the people so incredibly happy? Here are some of their secrets:

• Utopia functions as a whole—all goods and services are made and distributed freely to families as needed.
• Their society and GDP was not compromised by having a fashion or entertainment industries.
• Land is equally distributed & maintained. There is no ‘cost’ for property, it is evenly distributed in small villages or compounds.
• Money is unnecessary because the town’s labor all goes towards the common good of providing ONLY what is necessary.
• Because less consumables are needed, there is less work that the overall population must do. (Much of this labor is cut out because they do not need to mass produce clothing, electronics, or such things.)

“They never force people to work unnecessarily, for the main purpose of their whole economy is to give each person as much time free from physical drudgery as the needs of the community will allow, so that he can cultivate his mind—which they regard as the secret of a happy life” (p. 59).

• The people are taught detachment when it comes to material goods and signs of wealth. In fact, it is instead a sign of something dreadful or even childish to display such garishness. Toilets are made of solid gold and those that have broken the law and become slaves wear huge chains of gold and gold jewelry. Sometimes children will wear gemstones but as they grow older they realize these are childish and give them away to the ‘babies’.
• Utopians believe in taking care of oneself and creating your own happiness. They consider it their right to enjoy life and seek out pleasure (as long as it does not hurt them or anyone else).

  Since their basic needs are taken care of (food, shelter, water, community) one can focus more on serving others.

“Nobody owns anything, but everyone is rich—for what greater wealth can there be than cheerfulness, peace of mind, and freedom from anxiety?” (p. 110).

The location of Utopia is unknown, or else I would surely try to find it. But, if you decide to take on some of the timeless lessons displayed in this book, such as: not putting money towards fashion or entertainment, letting go of some of your personal property, working towards the common good of society, reducing your spending thereby reducing your work, detaching from material goods and signs of wealth, cultivating joy, pleasure and happiness, and serving others—my guess is that you may find yourself in Utopia when you are not even looking for it.

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Funny, Funny Thailand

 

 

 

 

 

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Welcome to BizBackpacker!

Welcome to BusinessBackpacker.com!!  If you are excited about travel, business, and setting up your life to work anywhere in the world – this site is for you!  Looking forward to your comments, questions, and travel stories…

… Brooke & Cody

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