If you have not heard of Chris Guillebeau, allow me to introduce you to a modern-day renaissance man. Chris is an entrepreneur, world traveler, speaker and best-selling author. His first two books were The Art of Non-Conformity and The $100 Startup. Chris is the host of the World Domination Summit, an international gathering of creative people. Chris blogs about his travel adventures and other topics at Chris Guillebeau.com.
Chris’s new book, The Happiness of Pursuit is an inspirational read that will inspire you to make your life more meaningful. The book is about finding the quest that will bring purpose to your life. It’s about pursuing a big dream and being willing to risk it all.
So what is so unique about Chris Guillebeau? He set out on a quest to visit every country in the world before age 35, and he did it. Then he wrote a book about it.The Happiness of Pursuit is not just a travel memoir. During his travels, Chris met other remarkable people working toward unique goals. Chris shares his process for fulfilling his quest and the stories of others who have done the same. His goal is to encourage individual quests while also “giving back.”
A few of the remarkable people you will meet in the book include a woman knitting 10,000 hats to give away, a man fulfilling every goal on his late wife’s bucket list, and a woman cooking an entire meal from a different country everyday in her kitchen.
So what is a quest?
- A quest has a clear goals and a specific end point.
- A quest presents a clear challenge.
- A quest requires sacrifice of some kind.
- A quest is often driven by a calling or sense of mission.
- A quest requires a series of small steps and incremental progress toward the goal.
I met Chris at a book signing recently. Chris gave a talk about how the book evolved and shared a little about himself. I especially liked hearing that he was a shy introvert, a list maker, and a planner just like me.
- It took 10 years to complete the quest to visit every country in the world.
- It cost $30,000 to visit the first 100 countries.
- South Africa, Bhutan, Lau, Lithuania, Macedonia and Australia are some his most memorable destinations.
- The quest gave him confidence and a bigger vision for his life.
Chris’s advice for the world changers and risk takers who want to plan their quest involves key steps.
- Believe in your dream.
- Find others who believe in your dream.
- Get beyond rejection.
- Don’t fear failure.
- Get comfortable with risk.
- Create structure. Keep a timeline.
- Connect your skills and interest with a challenge.
- Know the cost.
- Don’t wait.
- Just begin.
- Track your journey.
After reading The Happiness of Pursuit, I thought about my goals and vision for my future. My personal quest involves blogging. My quest meets all of the criteria. My goal is to use my words to inspire and encourage others. I plan to share travel guides from every state and as many countries as I can visit. I will also share my tips and advice on topics I feel are relevant.
Will You Join Me?
Question of the Day:
What quest have you been dreaming of lately? Please share your quests in the comment section.
