World of Inspiration

Don’t Look For Paradise – Look For People

Not just people – friends, relationships, and connections.

Robin Esrock, a travel writer (to say the least) inspired me recently in a talk he gave at TED. It resonated with me so much because I knew exactly what he was talking about.

Paradise is people.

In the last three years, I have traveled all over the world. I’ve experienced road trips throughout 13 U.S. states, spent three months in Mexico City, enjoyed five months in Australia and backpacked across New Zealand, Japan, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Borneo, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Burma.

Some of these places had “paradise” written all over them. The kind of paradise we think of when we see a picture with blue skies and turquoise waters. Places like the Perhentian Islands of Malaysia, almost every island in the Phillies, most of Indonesia, and beautiful southern Thailand.

But as beautiful as these places were (and I strongly recommend visiting “paradise” now and then,) they don’t compete with the beauty of friendship and connection I made on these trips.

I partied with Mexicans in Malaysia, joined a group of travellers in Flores, Indonesia and crashed a traditional Indonesian wedding that was powered by generators, and met a really cool eclectic group of Europeans who teamed up with us to hike into minority villages in Myanmar.

Those were the times I enjoyed and learned the most from.

Connecting.

Paradise is beautiful; sure, it makes your heart sing.

But you hit a higher note when you share the experience with good people.

On your next travels (or maybe even at home), focus less on seeing everything or finding the next beautiful spot and more on meeting the next awesome person.

Strike up conversations with locals. You’d be amazed how friendly the world is. You can learn so much by talking with people from different walks of life. This is what life-changing travel is all about. It’s what every trip should consist of. Travel is one of the best forms of education and inspiration available today.

Find good people and you’ll find paradise.

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A Day at the Singapore Zoo

by Matt 1 Comment

We can honestly say that zoos had never really appealed to us before. We love seeing animals in their natural habitat but just wasn’t as comfortable seeing them in a zoo with hordes of other tourists beside us. But since the Singapore Zoo is among the world’s best, we had to check it out when we visited the bustling Southeast Asian city.

Situated in the beautiful Singapore nature reserve, the zoo provides a beautiful backdrop for both visitors and animals alike. We instantly felt like we were entering a magnificent zoo before making it to the entrance. It’s perfect for adults alone or if you are visiting Singapore with kids. After walking through the turnstiles, we was greeted by a nice wooden bridge taking us over a swamp filled with False Ghavials (something like a alligator) which enhanced the rainforest mood.

After checking out the rare proboscis monkey getting frisky on it’s neighbor, we made way to the famous free ranging orangutan exhibit where their daily feeding was about to take place. The cute little “men of the jungle” were climbing their way down tree vines to reach the platform where their keeper would stuff their mouths full of food and drink. This is also where they would stay for people to have pictures with them. One of the orangutans actually fell off the platform and although it looked and sounded painful, he quickly climbed back up and acted like nothing happened. Next, we looked at the mystical white tiger who paced back and forth protecting his other half. Interestingly, all white tigers have the same ancestor, a white tiger named Mohan who was captured in India many years ago.

And as if that’s not enough, the zoo also had Malaysian tigers, lions, cougars, and jaguars for us to gawk at. We managed to catch the jaguar feeding as well which was pretty entertaining. Being good divers, their enclosure has a little pond for them to swim in. As the food was tossed into the den, some would fall into the water. The male jaguar was not interested in getting wet so he remained on land while the less-lazy female dove right in and ate everything she could. She must have been hungrier. Other great feeding sessions we managed to see were the Komodo Dragon, the King Cobra, the Chimpanzees, and the Giraffes.

The Komodo dragon fiercely tackled a giant steak while the cobra lunged at his prepared ball of mice and snake. The chimps on the other hand were waving their hands as if to tell their keepers to throw the food to them while the giraffes used their goofy tongue to catch their daily feed of fruit and vegetables.

All of the exhibits were beautifully laid out, letting you feel closer to the animals while still keeping you safe. The animals were much more lively than at any other zoo I have been to and the feeding sessions were a great way to see some action. Different monkeys would “play” with us from their dens by tilting their heads at us and following us as we walked by. Pygmy hippos would swim along fish and turtles while the orchard garden provide a beautiful respite for those looking to take a break.

The shows are not to be missed either. The elephant show showcases some amazing talent both for shear power and gentle creativeness. The elephants were so graceful and fun to watch as they acted out plays and moved trees with their powerful legs. The splash safari featured a very special sea lion who not only enjoyed splashing his guests but also catching flying discs thrown by yours truly. That’s right, I had waived my hand to go on stage and once there, was given a flying disc that they made me toss from more than a hundred feet away. Thanks to my mad skills :), I made it on the first attempt and didn’t have to embarrass myself by throwing again. Karla luckily had an IPhone to capture the quick video.

Not all the creatures at the zoo were big either. We didn’t even know that Naked Mole Rats existed before the visit but watching the little pink sharp-toothed mice pile on top of each other was almost as interesting as the Lions den. And although they are tiny, we wouldn’t want to put our fingers in as the little critters are capable of chewing through concrete.

Besides melting away under the hot Singapore sun, the visit was highly entertaining and enjoyable. It’s definitely something we highly recommend one do on a visit to Singapore. Young or old, the Singapore Zoo is sure to satisfy your desire to see an amazing array of wildlife from all over the world.

At just $20 SGD, it’s a tremendous value for what you get and something you’ll always remember. And if you dig the zoo, we can also recommend the Night Safari which is located right next door. If you spend an entire day at the zoo however, you might want to choose a seperate night for the Night Safari as the sun can really drain the energy quickly during the day.

For more information on the Singapore Zoo, check out their fabulous website here.

A Morning in Batad

by Matt Leave a Comment

Roosters crowing, birds chirping, and little pigs rushing about to get first dibs on their pot of grub were all part of the daily ritual upon waking up to a beautiful morning in Batad.

Batad is a small village situated in the northern cordillera region of the Philippines as part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Ifugao rice terraces. To get here, one must take a 10-hour bus north from Manila, a 1-hour jeepney from Banaue to the saddle, and then a 1-hour hike before reaching the beautiful little village.

The travel grind of buses, jeeps, planes, ferries, and tricycles were getting to me at this point but Batad provided the perfect relax for my tired soul. We stayed 3 nights in a charming guesthouse called Rita’s. By day, we had jaw-dropping views of the Batad rice terraces and the mystical mountains that surrounded them. By night, we had soothing jungle sounds as well as multiple insects paying a visit as we sat around Rita’s deck. Baby scorpions, praying mantas, humungous butterflies, and other strange creatures would land all around us, attracted by our headlamps glowing into the darkness. In our bedroom, we were lucky to have a firefly squeeze in and circle the room like Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell, magically creating a LED effect across the ceiling.

Apart from the various insects, the village also provided an amazing 3-hour hike. The popular trail brings you across the rice terraces and up to a viewpoint for a completely different look at the masterpiece below. It then links itself to another trail that brings you down to an absolutely gorgeous waterfall called Tappiya. At roughly 43m in height, it’s dazzling to look at and bone-chilling to enter. Just don’t go to close to the fall as it has claimed victims in the past. Besides meeting good people, going on marvelous treks, and taking in the great views with coffee in hand, I simply fell in love with the charm of the village guesthouse atmosphere.

Rather than waking to loud motorcycles and horns, I woke to roosters, dogs, and singing birds. I would get up, look off the deck and see hens walking by with chicks in tow, or dogs looking for mates to play with. I would walk over to see Rita’s traditional hut and see pigs and piglets running around waiting for their morning feed. Little Filipino kids would say hello and run around playing games with their siblings. It all added to the charm of the village and made us feel welcome.

The 3 days were magical and provided the much needed mental relaxation I needed after 3 weeks of constant movement. And although it was hard to say bye to this mountain paradise, something tells me I just might be back.

Every UNESCO World Heritage Site in the World!

by Matt 6 Comments

A few months back, I was livin’ the life with my fiancée in Mexico City. Blessed with some of the world’s best food, drinks, colonial towns, and a large number of UNESCO sites, Mexico was a great place to be.

After visiting UNESCO sites such as Teotihuacan, as well as many other sites throughout Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States, I began to remember how inspiring, interesting, and just plain awesome these sites were.

Then, I bought a book about all the UNESCO sites in the world and dived right into it. Places like the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Chichen Itza, the Great Barrier Reef, and Angkor Wat gleemed the pages. There were so many that it blew me away. Some were in places I have always wanted to visit while others were completely new to me.

Each sight is different. Some are absolutely stunning to look at while other’s are more interesting for their history and cultural impact.

But one thing is for sure; Each had to earn their spot on the UNESCO list, a prestigious award for those fortunate enough to be considered.

I have so many travel plans over the next few years that I began to consider how cool it would be to have some kind of an awesome, mind-blowing “roadmap” to follow.

Then it dawned on me…

I am going to visit every UNESCO site in the world!

Yup, all 936 of em’. It’s one hell of a challenge but I’m quite convinced I can make it work. I’ve already visited 33 (which is barely a dent in that list) of them and loved everyone of them in different ways. Some were just really rich in history while others were totally mesmerizing to look at. Others were exciting while some were simply educational.

angkor wat — reflecting back on Angkor Wat

Some of my favorite UNESCO sites I have been to include the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru National Park, Fraser Island, Angkor, Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Gros Morne National Park, Hiroshima Peace Park, Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco, Historic Centre of Puebla, Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan, Historic town of Guanajuato, Xochicalco, Tongariro National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, and Yosemite National Park.

I don’t intend on limiting myself to just countries with UNESCO sites or focusing solely on that when in each country. I intend to just use the UNESCO sites as a roadmap and then dive into any other adventures I come by. My biggest passion while travelling is finding amazing sites like those of UNESCO, and adventure activities like hiking, scuba diving, sky diving, or anything else that get’s the heart pumping and the sweat glands working.

I’m going to start creating a page now with all the UNESCO sites I need to visit as well as those I have been to. This is going to be a long, fun, and amazing journey. I think all of us have been to atleast one UNESCO World Heritage site before and most likely, were inspired in some shape or form.

What’s your favorite UNESCO site you’ve been to?

If you want to see the whopping 936 site list, go here.

Finding Your Unique Genius | An Interview with Aaron Ross

by Matt 2 Comments

Meet Aaron Ross, the founder of PebbleStorm, which is helping 100 million people “make money through enjoyment” by combining happiness and money. Aaron’s Unique Genius work shows people how to discover their purpose & passions and turn them into a successful business.

Aaron is also the author of “CEOFlow: Turn Your Employees Into Mini-CEOs“, and “Predictable Revenue” which is coming soon.

I’m excited to interview Aaron and surprised I haven’t done this yet. I took the Unique Genius course last September when it first opened. I was just starting A World of Inspiration and his free videos resonated with me so much that I had to give it a try. It was great. It helped me learn some interesting things about myself, introduced me to a community of awesome people that were really helpful (I actually had lunch with two of them while visiting Japan), and made me throw my first rock of creating an ebook. Aaron’s been super supportive along the way with everything I’ve done and I’m honored to introduce him to you.

Welcome Aaron.

What is the Unique Genius Superhero Program?

It’s a group mentoring and educational program, in which people learn how to start a fulfilling business that is based on values such as integrity, purpose, authenticity and making money in ways that are fun and feel good. I want people to be able to make money through enjoyment, meeting other like-minded people and making lots of money at work they love!

What brought you down the path to creating Unique Genius?

I’d been successful in Silicon Valley: I’d been an Internet CEO, built a sales team at Salesforce.com that helped them add $100 million in revenue, and had a job at a venture capital firm where I was getting paid to figure out what company I wanted to start. It was at that point I realized that I felt unfulfilled, that my work didn’t really matter.

Who needs another sales or marketing process app? Was some internet or software app really going to change the world or lives? I knew I was meant for more and that I wanted to make a big difference…and that I didn’t feel like I was going to do it in that world.

This led me to my purpose – to help 100 million people “make money through enjoyment,” combining the best of capitalism (money) and buddhism (happiness). Unique Genius are the methods and principles I discovered to help people do this, do what I did.

What did it feel like when you found your Unique Genius and what happened after?

It felt INSPIRING at first, and then SCARY second – it brought up all kinds of hidden fears and questions like, “Can I do this? Who am I to do this? Will people reject it?” and others. (I’ve since seen this same thing happen with every single student).

Also, I think there’s some misconception that people find their life purpose, or Unique Genius, in some single big flash of light. Really, it comes from a series of breakthroughs and realizations, all of which build on each other, step by step. Also, finding your purpose is one thing…learning how to live it every day, to express yourself fully, is a whole ‘nother ballgame! The Unique Genius work helps with both steps.

In the program, you talk a lot about taking baby steps and throwing rocks. What do you mean and how important are these things?

First of all, baby steps are just so amazingly powerful. I’ll bet you come up with big ideas all the time that you don’t do anything with…they can feel so overwhelming. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you discover what you are meant to do, your unique talents, and turn them into a fulfilling business that can’t fail? One baby step at a time.

Where does all this impatience in our lives come from? Everyone wants INSTANT results, whether it’s with weight, money or love. It’s insane. Impatience to me is a form of unhappiness, as in “what I have isn’t good enough right in the moment, I need something different NOW.”

Look, you can make money very quickly: get a for-profit job. You can find fulfilling work very quickly: get a not-for-profit job. But combining the two in spending the time to discover your passions and purpose, then turn them into a fulfilling business that makes you plenty of money, takes time.

There are probably online courses that promise you a college degree in 30 days. Good luck with that! After founding half a dozen companies and mentoring hundreds of people, I’m here to say there are no shortcuts…so you might as well start now, and you might as well have fun and enjoy the process!

Have your past students had success/breakthroughs with Unique Genius?

Some examples:

1) Jessica Ross, who, as a single mom with no time or money, founded Bond Girl Bootcamp, where she takes women out to be badasses for a day in shooting guns, jumping out of airplanes and learning self-defense.

2) Rich Walker, CEO of a software company, published an amazing book and has started a second fulfilling business as a coach (video of Rich).

3) My mom took the course last year and, at age 67, has started Wheels Up Adventures with a friend of hers.

Marylou Tyler was a client who was so gung-ho and fun to work with that we ended up partnering and created a new business together that she is CEO of. She and I founded Predictable Revenue, Inc., a company that helps businesses multiply sales.

How does it feel to help people find their unique strengths and superpowers?

Incredibly fulfilling. Even better is when clients find them, and then come up with ways to partner with me and stay in the community, like Marylou. And many alumni of the program come back as mentors to new students, which is fun, fulfilling and a great way to build their own skills and businesses.

I think a lot of people think that they don’t have any special skills or strengths and therefore feel they have nothing special/unique enough to form a business with. What would you say to those people?

None of those things are true, and they should watch the videos on www.UniqueGenius.com. EVERYONE is unique, and has a special gift to share with the world. Few take the baby steps and have the commitment to find it and express it in a way that they live every day (and can make money from).

Thanks Aaron for doing the interview. Anything else you would like to add?

Yes – that there are many lies people believe about what it takes to start a business. For example: you might believe that you need money, time, a brand, a great idea, a college degree, to raise money…etc etc. None of that is true. I’ve started and gotten all my current businesses to profitability with less than $100 each. All you need is commitment and a decision, baby steps and patience…and the rest can follow. Unique Genius video #2 is titled “Start A Business That Can’t Fail,” which I highly recommend watching if anyone feels this way.

Registration for this year’s Unique Genius course is July 30th. Note: I am a past student of the Unique Genius program and I am affiliated with it. If you decide to buy the course through one of my links, I will also include 4 hours Unique Genius coaching with myself. As a past student, I will be able to help you through some of the modules and explain anything you don’t understand. We can also talk about cheesecake.

What do you think? Have you found your Unique Genius?

Why you’ve already won the lottery (plus $100 for 10 comments)

by Matt 42 Comments

If you’re reading this post, you’ve already won the lottery.

It’s called the lottery of life.

If you have been born into a country like Canada, the United States, or any other developed country, you’ve won the birth lottery. You’ve won the lottery of being able to grow up in a country of freedom, education, and considerable wealth.

It’s sad that the birth lottery exists. Not everyone is so lucky.

If you lost the lottery, you won’t get the fortune of freedom and education. You won’t have the same opportunity to read or write and you won’t have access to clean water. You’ll probably be guaranteed a life of poverty because you don’t have the basic needs available to you or the education needed. You definitely won’t be able to participate in world discussions since you won’t have a computer or an Internet connection. You’ll be lucky to have a roof over your head and enough food to stay alive.

However, if you win the lottery, you will have the opportunity to read and write. You will have access to clean water and the opportunity of wealth. You will be able to learn about the planet and participate in discussions made possible because of a wide array of products such as computers, the Internet, iPads, iPhones, and many other electronic gadgets. You will have access to health care, healthy food, and sanitary waste disposal. You will also have access to all the basic needs as well as the opportunity to travel and think about deeper things in life.

It’s amazing what the simple chance of birth can do to how your life turns out. I think about how amazing the difference can be when born into one family compared to another.

For example, [Read more…] about Why you’ve already won the lottery (plus $100 for 10 comments)

Don’t Look For Paradise – Look For People

A Day at the Singapore Zoo

A Morning in Batad

Every UNESCO World Heritage Site in the World!

Finding Your Unique Genius | An Interview with Aaron Ross

Why you’ve already won the lottery (plus $100 for 10 comments)

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Travel Tips

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