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Adventure, Imagination, Travel

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32 Tips I’ve Almost Learned from 32 Years

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Alas, I am 32, and like most birthdays, I feel the same. However, I have noticed myself feeling more anxious over the last couple of years. It took me some time to figure it out but eventually I realized what the problem is. As a pretty ambitious person, I felt perfect in my early 20’s. After all, failures and set-backs didn’t mean much. I had loads of time left. Now they do mean something, at least to me. One failure feels like 100.

So, in learning to deal with that and to celebrate 32 years of learning about life, I thought I’d write out a list of 32 things I’ve “almost learned” over the last 32 years. I say “almost learned” because I certainly haven’t mastered all of them. I have simply learned them and will continuously try to implement and improve on them throughout life. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

I hope this list inspires you in some way. Feel free to share more tips that you’ve learned in the comment section below!

32 Tips from 32 Years

In no particular order… [Read more…] about 32 Tips I’ve Almost Learned from 32 Years

Exploring Dhamma | My 10-Day Vipassana Experience

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(This 3000-word article is a brief summary of my 10-day Vipassanā experience. An experience like this is hard to put into words but I hope it gives you an idea what it’s about and inspires you to consider trying it yourself)

Ever since I heard about Vipassanā meditation from Tim Ferriss (I think he mentioned it in his book or on his blog) I knew I had to try it out. Ten days of silence seemed like such a massive personal challenge, not to mention the fact that I’d also be giving up writing, reading, and all electronics. Plus, I’d be meditating for more than 10-hours per day!

Extreme? yup. Count me in.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any Vipassanā centres close to me and even though I had spent 6-8 months each year traveling through many countries that had them, the last thing I wanted to with limited time in an exotic country was spend 10 days in confinement.

Luckily, a centre opened up just a 3-hour’s drive from my home city of Calgary, Alberta. This helped me finally take the plunge. On June 30th, 2016, I drove to Youngstown, Alberta and started my path to enlightenment.

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My 2015 Annual Review and Roadmap for 2016

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I’m not usually one for making new year resolutions. I find it silly to wait until the end of the year to promise positive change when it can be started at any moment. However, after reading about Chris Guillebeau and his annual review, I began to look at it differently.

An annual review is not the same as new year resolutions. For me, it’s a chance to reflect over the last year and be grateful for all the beautiful things that happened. It’s a chance to remember all the amazing experiences but also a chance to reflect on what didn’t go as planned. After the reflection, you can do a brief plan for the year ahead. I like to leave a lot of room for spontaneity so my plans only serve as a direction for the upcoming months.

Regardless of whether you like to plan ahead or not, it’s always a good idea to reflect on the past year. I’m often surprised at how much I actually accomplished and the pros usually outweigh the cons, which is always nice to see.

So here it is…

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Say YES More! (And How I Went to Japan for Free)

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One of the top questions I get asked when telling people about my story is how I became so adventurous. For those that don’t know, I didn’t grow up an adventurous person. I don’t remember ever dreaming of traveling the world until my early twenties and even then it wasn’t a top priority. But from my late teens and into my early twenties, I did crave change. I wanted to try more things and explore life’s possibilities. In essence, I wanted to live limitless.

So I did. I started trying new things. I said YES more often. If something piqued my interest, I said YES! When I noticed a poster at school advertising salsa dance lessons I said YES! When I noticed an ad for Olympic speed skating try-outs, I said YES! If someone mentioned something exciting, I said YES!

And ultimately, saying YES is what has changed my life.

Whether I said YES to my ideas or thoughts or to a friend’s proposal, everything changed. Suddenly I was trying new things and meeting new people. Suddenly I was becoming more confident and becoming more willing to say YES. Suddenly, nothing seemed impossible. As long as I said YES, I could try anything. Who knows what might happen or who I might meet. Life became one huge possibility.

Life became so exciting and fresh!

I looked around at others still living a life of NO. A life of stifled creativity. A life of fear. They followed the traditional path that was laid out for them by family, teachers, government or media without ever thinking of other possibilities. They stuck to the same old patterns passed down to them and didn’t question anything. It all seemed so boring to me. It’s not like our life is a practice round for the next one. This is it. Make it happen. Live life to the fullest.

Say YES!

How Saying YES lead to a FREE trip to Japan

Back in 2009, I was lying in my bed reading articles on the Four Hour Work Week Blog when a new post by Tim Ferriss really got me excited. He was releasing his updated version of the Four Hour Work Week book. I already owned the original version but loved it so much that I knew I needed the new one. Tim’s plan for reaching the New York Times Bestseller list involved asking readers to buy hundreds of copies, which came with unique gifts. As I scanned through the options, one really stood out. If I bought 100 copies of the Four Hour Work Week ($1500 USD) I would get a ticket to have dinner with Tim and attend a private party on a warship in San Francisco. The possibilities began swarming around my head. This was my idol in the business world. Even though I had $1500, I didn’t really want to be stuck with 100 copies of the same book. With the option being available to only 20 people, I questioned it for only one hour before reaching a decision.

I said yes. I clicked on the buy now button and a few weeks later had 10 huge Amazon boxes show up at my door. It looked so strange that I had to take a picture. A few months later, I was in San Francisco partying with Tim Ferriss and 20 others who bought all the books as well as Noah Kagen, Kevin Rose and Paula Abdul.

Four Hour Work Week

Tim Ferriss San Francisco

After the party, I had to try selling the books. I began searching Meetup groups trying to find business-minded people who might be interested and ended up stumbling upon a group called Junior Chamber International (JCI). I sent them an email and they invited me to come make a proposal at the their next meeting. When I showed up, I gave them a quick speech about the books and then sold a few copies. Then one of the guys made me an offer. He told me that a student membership was $50 per year (I was a student at the time) and that he would buy four copies if I joined the group. Since everyone was young and inspired, I said YES.

Next thing you know, I’m taking free public speaking courses, attending meetings and eventually taking a free trip to Japan. I didn’t realize  how big JCI was on the international level but when the world congress was announced in Osaka, Japan, I knew I had to go. Since JCI Calgary is a non-profit organization who does work in the community in exchange for funding, my trip was fully paid for. 10,000 people from all over the world attended this event.

One YES turned into:

  • Meeting my idol Tim Ferriss
  • Partying on a warship in San Francisco with mega-entrepreneurs
  • Joining JCI and improving my public speaking skills
  • A free two-week trip to Japan

Since saying YES, my life has changed dramatically and for the better. So many things have happened and I’ve experienced more than most people do in a lifetime. It doesn’t stop with the Japan trip either.

Since saying YES!, I have:

I could go on but I’d rather just give you some advice – SAY YES!

The next time you have an idea for an adventure or a business – SAY YES!

The next time you see an advertisement for something that interests you, whether it be salsa dancing or public speaking lessons – SAY YES!

The next time you feel like it’s time to do something new, SAY YES!

The next time you feel like you should ask someone out, SAY YES!

The next time you feel like losing fat and building muscle, SAY YES!

Say YES to Life. As cheesy as that sounds, it’s very powerful. Say YES and watch the opportunities unfold before you.

or Say NO and continue living exactly as you have without ever opening yourself up to a new world of possibilities.

Everything is a choice and the choice is yours.

I hope you make the right one.

***

I’d like to hear from you. Has saying YES changed your life? Is there something you’re going to say YES to after reading this post. Share in the comments below!

If you haven’t signed up for the VIP list, I highly recommend making that happen. You’ll get resources for traveling more and spending less while building an incredible life. You’ll also get exclusive content and deals. Sign up BELOW! Say YES!

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Stop Making Excuses in the New Year

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If there’s one thing that really gets to me, it’s hearing people make excuses for everything in their life. They complain about this and that and how other people are simply lucky. Sometimes I give them possible solutions and they brush them of with yet another excuse. It’s exhausting.

I’ve fallen into this category more than a couple of times in my own life and I can certainly tell you that it gets you nowhere. If anything, it just makes things worse.

If you’re unhappy with your situation but keep doing the same thing, you’re going to be exactly where you are one year from now and ten years from now and twenty years from now. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.

Don’t be insane!

You can’t complain that you don’t have enough money to travel the world or that you don’t have any time to learn new things or that you don’t have enough income and then turn around and watch the next episode of American Idol. You can’t sleep in late every day, stare at your Facebook feed for hours and sit on the couch if you expect to make changes in your life.

It doesn’t work like that.

We all have enough time to learn something new and try new things. If your time isn’t prioritized however, it will go to waste.

I have friends who make more than $100K per year but have no savings…

I know some people who say year after year that they want to travel or pay off debt but literally don’t make one step in either direction…

Some complain about not being able to find a job yet they’ve only applied for five or six…

Others want to start a side project or learn a new skill or start a business but spend all their free time partying or watching movies…

Every one of them has an excuse.

I don’t have the time. No one will hire me. I can’t do that. I don’t have enough money, etc, etc, etc.

It actually irritates me to see people throw away possibilities in life. I find it quite sad because it’s all bullshit.

Everything is a choice.

Stop Making Excuses in the New Year

If you don’t have enough money, chances are that you’re not spending it right. You need to re-prioritize where the money is going and make a change. Your accommodation, eating habits, drinking habits and shopping habits are all choices you make. No one is forcing you to do anything.

If no one is hiring you, you’re doing something wrong. Maybe your resume sucks. Maybe it has spelling mistakes. Maybe you’re not applying for enough positions or maybe you’re applying for the wrong jobs. How about moving to a new city? Maybe you need to start for free or do something creative to get attention.

If you want to travel but never do, you haven’t made it a priority. It’s extremely rare for someone in a developed country to not be able to afford traveling somewhere exotic for a long period of time. What’s common however is that people either tell themselves lies such as traveling is too expensive or they are simply spending their money on other things instead. Others expect too much and have conned themselves into thinking they need 5-star hotels to change their life abroad. Ugh.

The point is. You have chosen where you are. Yes, we all have different circumstances and some of us have it a little harder but for the most part, you are where you are because you’ve put yourself there. Unless you’re living in North Korea where you’re literally imprisoned, you are free to make a different choice. It might takes months or years but if you want it bad enough, YOU CAN make it happen.

Unfortunately (or fortunately in my opinion), it requires effort. Government programs don’t pay citizens to travel and do what they want. You can’t lose weight by eating junk food. Great jobs are not bought at a vending machine and are rarely found in a job database.

Make a choice and stop making excuses. If you’re too lazy to make a change, you should still stop making excuses and just accept where you are and where you’re going. Contentment is the key to happiness after all.

If you do want to make a change and are ready for some small sacrifices, get started right away. Though you should never wait for the New Year, it’s here anyways! All you need is you and the desire to be somewhere different in life.

How to Stop Making Excuses in Life

Want to travel?

Make it a priority. Stop doing other things that cost you a lot of money. Stop buying new clothes. Stop buying alcohol at bars. Stop eating out at restaurants. Move to a cheaper apartment or a cheaper house. Figure out why you actually want to travel and know that you don’t have to be rich to travel the world. Create a plan and get started. You can also sign up for a free copy of the Limitless Travel eBook or Canadian Free Flyers travel hacking program.

Want to lose weight?

Stop eating junk food. Eat less carbs. Stop drinking soda. Stop drinking alcohol. Commit to a 12-week program and get a gym membership. Work out every morning. Start sweating. Eat clean and drink lots of water. Take a before picture and cry yourself with happiness when you take your after-picture 12-weeks later. It really is this simple. The hardest part is perseverance.

Want to learn something new?

Maybe you want to learn how to create a business on the side or learn how to salsa dance or learn how to code computer programs. Did you know most of these things can be learned online for little or no money? Stop watching TV, take shorter showers and stop using social media so you can spend that time studying what you wish to learn. Make it a commitment. Do it everyday. Get out of the house and meet new people who want to learn with you. Try meetup.com. That’s just one option.

You may know right away that this is you. Maybe you know others who should read this. Awesome! Share this with them. It’s free. Some of you will probably shake your heads in agreement and some of you will shake your heads in disagreement and start surfing the Facebook newsfeed for pictures of celebrities and their pets.

What I hope is that at least ONE PERSON will read this and be inspired to change themselves and move in the direction they wish to go in. You don’t need to know the destination – you just need to begin moving forward. The path will change as you move forward but at least you won’t be lost in the forest of life.

What do you want to change? Where do you want to go?

Share below and I’ll get back to each and every one of you.

***

For those wondering my plans for change in 2015, a lot of it is extensions of what I’ve already been doing. I plan on visiting about 10 countries. I plan on doing another fitness program when I’m back in Canada for the summer. I plan on being more happy, grateful and content. Most of all, I plan to focus more on business, even though it’s going to be VERY HARD with all the adventures planned.

I plan to LIVE LIMITLESS in 2015 because I’ve learned that 2016 is not guaranteed.

Annual Life Review and 2015 Plans

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Annual reviews are not normal for me. Unlike those who methodically go over each year of their life and meticulously plan for the future, I like to kind of go with the flow and say yes a lot. For some this can be disastrous but for me, I enjoy it. For the most part, my energy and enthusiasm for life and travel and creating things keeps me growing. At the same time, I can see how going over the past year can be a grounding experience and one that can either make you grateful for everything you did or give you a kick in the ass to really change things for the year ahead. As far as planning, I can also see the benefits of at-least creating a rough roadmap for the following year as a way of guiding your thoughts and activity and gaining some focus.

For me, my passion is actually what gets in the way of business. If it wasn’t for traveling 6-8 months each year, I would probably be raking in the money. I’d have much more time to focus on more income streams and much more time to focus on marketing. But hey, we only live once and I know that atleast the way I travel (off the beaton path, months at a time, etc) will slow down once I have a family.

Anyways, as I sit here in Mexico City with just over a week left before flying to Costa Rica, I think it’s a good time to reflect on the past 12 months and make a rough plan for 2015. By writing this publicly, I hope to hold myself much more accountable and I also hope to inspire those who read it to possibly do their own plan, change things up or rejoice in how amazing your life really is.

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