On Friday night, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my “blogger heroes.” I spent the evening with a crowd of non-conformists and Chris Guillebeau. Chris, the author of The Art of Non-Conformity blog, was here on his Art of Non-Conformity Unconventional Book Tour.
(My copy of the book signed by Chris)
As stop number #39 on the tour, Chris had his spiel down pat. He was able to share his adventures on the road and his thoughts on living the lives we want. For Chris, that is a life of self employment, travel, and adventure. I like his style.
I finished reading the book last week, and I have to say that it blew me away. I put it on a short list of books that have the power to truly change someone’s life. It gives you a paradigm shifting view on how you can live your life if you are willing to work at it. I recommend it to anyone who likes to think outside the box. You can buy it from any major bookstore.
(Me and Chris talking about my blogs)
He gave some great advice on a wide range of life topics. He has seen and done so much and he has wisdom far beyond his years. I admire his dedication to not only travel, but to help people around the world. He gave us the lowdown on a favorite charity project, called charity:water. That organization is committed to bringing clean water to African communities. Illness from water is a leading cause of death in the developing world, and it is something that we have the power to solve. There is no reason for children to die from drinking dirty water.
Luckily, I was invited along for a small get together with Chris, Denver organizer Cynthia, Boulder based photographer Sharon Wharton, and my friend Rick after the book tour event. Having a chance to sit down with Chris and talk about what he does and how he got there was a treat. While reading his blog makes him look like a super hero, Chris is just an average, humble guy who has done extraordinary things. There is no reason you can’t do extraordinary things too.
So, like me, you can start with a life list. You can engage in “life experiments,” like one person Chris profiled in his book, and go out and explore your city and the world. You can work on a career change. You can go somewhere you have never been before. You can change your life for the better. Whatever you have always been thinking about doing, go do that.
After all, what is the point of life? Is it to work in an office? Is to work for the stuff you want to own? Or is it to do something amazing and change the world? As Chris would say, go grab the banana. (Read chapter one of the book for an explanation)
[Photos by the awesome Sharon Wharton]