Our World

My vision for Our World is to connect people throughout the world who dream big and are constantly striving to improve themselves and the society they live in. That is why I will be bringing you profiles of awesome people throughout the world and sharing their story with you. Kicking off the series today is the man who has had the biggest influence in my move into cyberspace; a man who does not just think outside the box, he lives outside it; and a man who despite the tens of thousands of followers, still manages to make the time to respond to each and every person who contacts him. Today’s awesome person is Chris Guillebeau.

Chris Guillebeau is the author of the Art of Non-Conformity project which he describes as “unconventional strategies for life, work, and travel.” His articles deal with aspects of lifestyle design, personal development, entrepreneurship, and international travel. His work is definitely worth checking out, he constantly produces amazing content that will make you think, and it will often light a spark within you to follow your own dreams. Chris was kind enough to answer several questions I posed to him over email, all dealing with aspects which has contributed to his awesomeness.

1. What inspired you to embark on your journey?

I felt like I had been fortunate to have a wide variety of different experiences, from being self-employed for a decade to working in post-conflict West Africa to visiting about 50 countries, but I didn’t have a good convergence point for all of them. I wanted to go from helping a few people to helping a lot of people. Thus I began the journey and the writing career simultaneously, in February 2008.

2. What does being awesome mean to you?

Showing up, doing what you say, setting big goals, and living an unconventional, remarkable life that combines a personal quest with a focus on empowering those around us.

3. What sets you apart from ‘normal’ people?

Let’s put it this way: “What sets remarkable people apart from average people?” And to that I’d say the first and most important thing is to start by questioning assumptions and looking for core motivations. Why do we do what we do? What do we really want? How are our lives connected with others? Most people don’t spend much time thinking about those things, but I’d propose they are very important.

4. If you could change one thing in this world to improve the lives of millions of people, what would it be and why?

I think that clean water is the most important global concern, practically speaking. In the rich parts of the world that you and I live in, I’d like to see more people thinking for themselves and pursuing meaningful adventures.

5. I believe that constant personal growth is the key to living a meaningful life, what are you doing to take you life to the next level?

I agree. But growth always involves change, which can be frightening. So in my case, I’m learning to be more open about my life and expand the circle of influence that I’m fortunate to have. A practical example would be the upcoming Unconventional Book Tour where I visit every state and province in North America to meet readers. I’m introverted by nature, so 63 back-to-back meetups will definitely involve some personal growth.

Before I draw out the key principles that I take from Chris’ comments, I want to focus on his commitment to providing clean water to those in need. Chris is not someone who knows what needs to be done and sits back and waits for someone to do it. He has had a long involvement in the African continent and has recently made a commitment to provide clean water to two communities in Ethiopia. You can read about his commitment here, and about the Ethiopian project here. Chris is taking direct, concrete steps to make this world a better place – it is something that we all should be doing. I plan to write more about our ability to change the world as this project develops, the point I want to make now is that we all have our part to play.

The Principles

These are the key lessons that I draw from Chris’ responses:

1: Being awesome is a state of mind – it is about making a commitment and following through with that. As Thomas Edison wrote: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.” Success comes to those who are patient and hang on for longer than everyone else.

2: Learn to think independently and critically. Most importantly, learn to think for yourself and do not let ideology blind you. New ideas do not come from thinking what everyone else is thinking – they come from de-constructing what others are thinking and re-formulating with your own independent thoughts.

3: Personal growth can be frightening – it forces you outside of your comfort zone. The only approach is to feel the fear and do it anyway. For as Ambrose Redmoon writes: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.”

Chris’ book, ‘The Art of Non Conformity’ is expected to hit the bookshelves in the Northern Autumn of 2010. In the meantime, you can check out his writings and unconventional guides providing practical resources for world domination at www.chrisguillebeau.com