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four hour work week

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

by Matt 3 Comments

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:

  • Traveled solo to Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia for six months.
  • Sky-dived from 15,000 feet in New Zealand and Portland, Oregon.
  • Bungy-Jumped off of the Auckland Bridge with a dip into the sea.
  • Organized 20+ people to bungy-jump off a bridge in Washington.
  • Scuba dived many of the worlds best diving locations up close with many sharks, turtles, whales, seals and countless schools of tropical fish.
  • Spent more than a month in over 20 countries.
  • Started an online business that helps Canadians travel around the world for almost free.
  • Started a blog (actually, many blogs) that have introduced me to hundreds of inspiring people around the world, expanded my options in life and given me thousands of dollars of free travel activities.
  • Met my wife (who is from Mexico) during one semester at university and after two years of painfully making it work through Skype, we are now married and travel the world together.
  • Had a feature role in an independent comedy movie.
  • Hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, the jungle trail to the Lost City of Colombia, the peak of mount kinabalu and through many villages in Myanmar.
  • Finished my last semester of university on an exchange in Malaysia.
  • Been featured in countless major media including the Toronto Star, Calgary Metro and MoneySense magazine.
  • Lost 27 pounds of fat, gained 7 pounds of muscle and dropped my body fat % from 22% to 10% in just 12 weeks.

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!

If you enjoyed reading this, you may also like:

  • Death Makes Life Worth Living
  • Stop Making Excuses

 

A Very Merry Christmas!

by Matt 7 Comments

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your all having a wonderful day with family and friends and if your at work (like my brother), know that your family is thinking of you and can’t wait to see you when your off. I hope you have been to some wonderful Christmas markets. Originally I was going to write about reflection on the year past and goal setting for the year ahead but I’ll leave that until next week. Since it’s Christmas I’d like to reflect on some of the great organizations and cool people I came across in 2010 and would like to say thanks to for all the inspiration you have given me throughout the year.

Earlier this year I bought 100 copies of the “Four Hour Work Week” so that I would have the opportunity to go down to San Francisco and meet Tim Ferriss and other cool people in the online world. It was a cool experience to have dinner next to Tim and 20 other participants from around the world followed by a party on a warship at the San Francisco harbor. Aside from quick introductions with Ramit Sethi, Kevin Rose, and Paula Abdul, I managed to briefly meet Noah Kagen of AppSumo who I asked to be my “voice” that yells at me to keep me motivated towards my dreams of location independence and online entrepreneurship. Noah was surprised I would come all that way just to network with people doing what I want to do and agreed. Thanks Noah!

Me and Tim Ferriss

I then read a book called “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” which I wrote about in an earlier post. This is the story of John Wood; a former high-level executive for Microsoft who chose to quit and start a non-profit organization called Room to Read. Room to Read helps build schools and libraries for children in less fortunate countries as well as supply them with books (in both English and their language) and grant scholarships to girls so that they can become educated and pass that on to their family. The organization is one of the best and the book brought tears to my eyes. [Read more…] about A Very Merry Christmas!

The Wise Mexican Fisherman – One of my favorite stories

by Matt 1 Comment

An american businessman took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village on doctor’s orders. Unable to sleep after an urgent phone call from the office the first morning, he walked out to the pier to clear his head. A small boat with just one fisherman had docked, and inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The american complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” the american asked.

“Only a little while,” the Mexican replied in surprisingly good english.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The american then asked.

“I have enough to support my family and give a few to friends,” the Mexican said as he unloaded them into a basket.

“But…What do you do with the rest of your time?”
[Read more…] about The Wise Mexican Fisherman – One of my favorite stories

Slow Dance – Poem by David L. Weatherford

by Matt 1 Comment

Have you ever watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain

Slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down

Don’t dance so fast. [Read more…] about Slow Dance – Poem by David L. Weatherford

Joining the New Rich

by Matt 1 Comment

Nothing made more sense to me than the concept of the New Rich when I read about it in “The 4-Hour Work Week”. Although I had always had this mindset, reading it from Tim’s book clarified that I wasn’t alone. I always had thoughts creep up in my mind that this thinking was stupid and I should get into the work force and work until retirement like most people. After reading the book though, I realized that these thoughts were wrong and it wasn’t just me thinking of a different way of living life. People are already living this lifestyle and I love everything about it. [Read more…] about Joining the New Rich

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