Ever Wanted to Write (& Publish) a Book?

Yup, my all-time favourite writer did it again.  Chris Guillebeau offers a (huge) Guide on how to get published.

Well, it’s wrong of me to place all credit on Chris.  Actually, his agent, it’s Chris’ agent, David Fugate who wrote the guide.

Who is David Fugate?

David Fugate founded the LaunchBooks Literary Agency, and has personally represented over 1000 books himself as agent to around 40 publishers (Wiley, Random House, McGraw-Hill, and Perigee are some of the biggest).  Books he represented include Kevin Mitnick’s Art of Deception and Art of Intrusion, two books I read after meeting Mitnick while working for HP.

As Chris tells the story, he asked his agent David Fugate to share some tips on how to get published.  Instead, David poured his over-experienced heart out to make this 45,000-word book.

If you are one of those people who ever wanted to get published, this guide can save you tons of effort and money by leveraging David’s experience.

Surest Way (But Not Easiest) to Success

The easiest way is to do nothing.  Kinda like I’ve been doing.  I have wanted to write a book for as long as I can remember, …but haven’t started.  ”That’d be cool.” but I don’t start.

Chris shared this guide with me to review and I find it absolutely incredibly helpful, obviously a product of many years’ experience.

If I’m serious about getting published, there’s no excuse except my own fear of failing.  And with this guide, I don’t believe anyone can fail.

Check it out here:

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“Oh Fac” rhymes with “Oh Tack”  That’s how you pronounce the acronym OFAC, or the Office of Foreign Asset Control.

OFAC is the US Treasury Department’s special branch to answer “Who’s Your (Terrorist) Daddy?”  The OFAC has just published their most recent list of terrorists.  (Sorry, suspected terrorists; it’s easy to get caught up in the Salem-esque witch hunt fervour.)  In their 522-page report (yes, over five hundred pages, in very small print), they list the names, aliases and other associated infobits like passport numbers or birthplaces.

Take Mr. Khalfan here.  He’s got about a dozen aliases, birthdays and even the cutest nickname I’ve seen in a long time, Foopie.  Now, while Foopie was born in the same place as rock legend Freddie Mercury — Zanzibar, Tanzania, that’s all that Foopie and Freddie share in common.

NOTE: Don’t go searching to find your name – it’s not here.  It’s not on this list.  With proper emphasis, it’s not on this list.

No, this is the list of foreign terrorists (hence the “F” in OFAC), not suspected Americans.  Let me know if you find the list with a “Parker” or “Smith” in it.

What do you think of all this?

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“Occupy Wall Street” – Still To Happen

What started a few weeks ago on Wall Street was revolutionary.  People gathered in frustration to protest the growing, long-standing inequality of the rich (“the 1%”) and the rest of us (“the 99%”).

In my opinion, what will be more revolutionary is the response.

Could I ask you a favour?  Take under 10 minutes to watch a video.  Done by Corey Ogilvie, a talented, young, independent Canadian director, here is “I Am Not Moving”

The Best and Worst is Yet to Come.

Today, just 3 weeks since Occupy Wall Street started, there are now tens of thousands of people organizing in 120 cities across the US.  In fact, a global “Occupy” is mounting, scheduled for October 15th.

I fear one of two outcomes.  Either (1) the people will lose steam or (2) police will launch a breath-taking crackdown to quell it.  It’s a waiting game until one of the two happens.

What are your thoughts?  

Where do you see this going?  

Are you joining, in whatever city you’re in?

Update: A Run On The Bank

This might sound just like what happened in 1929, leading to the Great Depression.  There’s a mass of people going to the banks, wanting to close out their accounts.  And, like in 1929, the banks are turning people away, denying them their savings.   This comes with banks continuing to report Billions in profits per quarter.

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Reason 4: Patriotism

I hear you…”Wait, Jeff, patriotism?  Seriously?  How can you call someone wanting to leave…a patriot?”

To answer, I remind you that around 250 years ago, when families were so frustrated by their country’s tyranny (England), whose ancestors had fled, they chose to struggle in a new country (United States)?  They desired a free life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Today, we call those people our founding fathers, our country’s first and original patriots.  (Happy 4th of July today, in fact!)

Yes, I do consider someone who believes strongly in personal freedoms as a patriot.

It’s Not Your Fault if You’re Blindly Patriotic

Don’t take it personally, but if you believe the United States is strong or “going well,” that’s not patriotism.  Blind belief in the government does not make one a patriot.  It never has.  A patriot thinks for his or herself.  A patriot questions authority.  Patriotism is not blind faith in a government.

No worries, it’s not your fault.  It’s just a matter of timing.  Not so long ago, the US encouraged freedoms and liberty -even proudly founded herself upon them.  Today, however, we have the Patriot Act (wiki and critique) which goes way beyond discouraging liberty.

Benjamin Franklin, a Domestic Terrorist?

Before you start whistling the Star Spangled Banner, be careful.  The patriot of yesteryear is now a potential bad guy for the US government today.

In fact, if Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin were around and talking today, they would be jailed as domestic terrorists.

The Department of Homeland Security labels someone a domestic terrorist when they …:

• make “expressions of libertarian philosophies.”
• express “fears of Big Brother or big government.”
• “declare Constitutional rights and civil liberties.”
• exercise self-sufficiency (stockpiling food, ammo, hand tools, medical supplies)
• homeschool (if you teach your kids outside the Dept of Education’s curriculum)
• buy certain books (in fact, these two by name: One Second After and Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse

(source for these here)

Question: if I publish the above, should I fear any consequences?  Sure, I don’t picket in front of the white house, but here I am, suggesting you abandon the US for reasons above.  Does that alone make me a target?  Take the case of Susan Lindauer, a well-connected, productive and intelligent woman who voiced her concerns too loudly against the US govt.  Her world got spun around so fast it made me sick to my stomach.

Okay, So How Do I Protest As a “Patriot”?

1. Leave.

Leave now.  Cash out your chips like you’re leaving the casino.  Sell your home, your securities (funds, stocks, options) and cash out your pensions.  Take the money and run.  Run like the wind.

2. Reinvest.

Decide on a new place that more suits you and your patriotic needs.  When you (and your cash) land in a safer, freer, more stable country, then the patriotic thing to do is reinvest in that country, for yourself.  Purchase property and/or a business there.  A new life requires new equity and new income.

3. Protect Yourself (at tax time).

US citizens must file a tax return every year.  And that goes for US citizens living abroad, too.

Yes, when living abroad, working abroad, even if earning zero US income, you must still file a US tax return every year, plus a couple extra forms just for expats (more on those below).  Yeah, I think it’s bullshit, too.

BS or not, US citizens are required to report their worldwide income, regardless of residency. You know what?  To my knowledge, the United States is the only country that requires this of its citizens.  Write me if you believe otherwise and we’ll talk.

p.s. Two Extra Forms at Tax Time (for US citizen expats)

I’ve written about tax time before, but these 2 forms are too important to ignore: the 2555 and the FBAR.  Filing out those extra forms isn’t optional.

Yes, the Internal Revenue Service tries hard to persuade any US citizen against living abroad.  Well, as a patriot, you don’t care what the IRS is against.  Right Benjamin?

The 2555 is the “Foreign Earned Income” form, which basically says you can earn up to $92,000 tax free (for 2010).  (Remember: Even if you earn under $92,000, you must still fill out this form to say you did.  In short, you must file, even if you simply didn’t earn anything or owe anything – that’s the IRS for you.

The other extra tax form for expats is the FBAR (Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts).  You can thank the Department of Treasury (not IRS) for this one.

The FBAR requires you to list your foreign bank accounts (and report the highest balance you had over the year).  I have filled out the FBAR for many years and I’ll never stop, because I’ll always have foreign bank accounts.  Thankfully, the FBAR is actually relatively easy. The last good reason is, over the past few years, the Dept of Treasury has gone crazy in prosecuting non-complying expats.  (Remember the idea of hiding money in a Swiss bank account?  Not any more)

If you’ve never heard of the FBAR and you’re considering filing it, read this article here.

The tax filing deadline for US citizens living abroad is June 15th (postmarked as mailed out).  For the FBAR form, the deadline is June 30th (must be received by).

Anyway, I’ve been sitting on this post for a while and I’ve got to publish it.  I wish you all a Happy 4th of July, wherever you are.
If you’re in the US, celebrate your home’s independence.  If you’re outside the US, celebrate your own independence!

If you’re looking for other popular reasons people leave the US, read up on Frustration, Adventure and Seeking an Improved Life.

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Reason 3: Seeking Improved Life

We already covered two reasons for leaving the USA already: Frustration and Seeking Adventure.  Now, we talk about those of us just wanting a better life.  And that about covers everyone.

“Hey, Jeff, that’s vague, what exactly is “a better life’?“  How about a better standard of living.

Does that mean better healthcare?  More personal liberties?  Lower cost of living? YES, all the above.

So, I mean health, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Problem to Fix: Healthcare

I’ll make this short.  Healthcare will not improve in the US for your or your kids’ lifetime.  Sorry it’s a short, sad conclusion.  If this is important to you, move.

Okay, I’ll give my disclaimer.  I don’t know the future, but I do know it would take a revolution to undo the death grip on the healthcare system by the private healthcare industry.  They won’t let go for as long as there’s money to be made (and shared with legislators and lobbyists).  Doctors understand this, but they have no say in how it’s run.  And as baby boomers come of old age, health care providers are providing less health and more bills.  Prepare to pay more, or move.

Need an example?  Look no further than the notorious Johnny B Truant.  Johnny’s a Type 1 diabetic and has blogged about it several times, how he overcomes it with great health (though it hindered his 30-day no-carb diet trial).  Healthy lifestyle or not, his insurance premium keeps skyrocketing.  Well, that changed – Johnny quit his health insurance! Johnny said, and I quote, “Fuck this. I’m jumping over the walls to get that carrot.” (you have to read his cute story to get the carrot bit)  I applaud the guy – he broke the rule of “Everyone NEEDS insurance.” and is now saving himself a grand a month.  Nice work JBT.

Problem to Fix: Personal Liberties

Are you a Ron Paul fan?  Keep up with the (ever fun but educational) blog of the Lugwig von Mises Institute?  If so, label yourself a Libertarian.  But you knew that already.

Why do I bring up Ron Paul?  I was at a meetup just last Wednesday.  The organizer casually gave his view on government: “I believe we need only two laws: Protect our own property and protect our liberties.”  I smiled and asked if he’s a Ron Paul fan.  He smiled back.  The organizer echoed the classic tenets that define libertarianism.

Are people leaving the US because of eroding personal liberties?  I doubt it’s the sole or even their main reason.  But I do agree that personal liberties as a whole are eroding away at a faster clip than ever before.  And that pushes more people to think about leaving.

[Here is where my wife steps in and says "Well, don't just mope about it - do something!"]

If you ‘re upset (too), sign this petition to create (actual) change.

If you’re pessimistic (too) that things will change, then leave the US for a country which provides stronger liberties to its population (foreign or native).  As for the US changing for the better, I am hopeful, but it’s going to take a revolution.

The top countries are:

1. Sweden (why am I not surprised?)
2. Finland
3. Denmark
4. New Zealand
5. Norway
6. Netherlands
7. Switzerland
8. Canada
9. Ireland
10. Australia

The US came in between the UK and Estonia.  Here is my source table.  For my list, I used their scoring, plus a bit of my own bias to reformat as a numbered list.

Some last words about personal or civil liberties.  Some liberties may be more important than others.  For you, it may your right to practice a religion, women’s rights, or racial equality.  For me, I focus more on personal privacy of information.  I don’t mind someone looking up my phone number, but I do mind when someone (without my consent) listens to a phone conversation or predetermines my chance for a disease. But that’s me… how do you feel about it?  Leave a comment.

Problem to Fix: Cost of Living

Relying on a pension isn’t what it used to be.  And today, does anyone stay with a company long enough to earn a pension?

Thankfully, a mediocre pension cheque in the United States isn’t so mediocre in many other countries.  Same goes for that meagre social security if you’re a senior, or the humble rent profit if you’re a landlord, or the dividends if you’re an investor, or even a passive income from some online business.  In all cases, the amount goes farther if you spend it in a country that costs less.  (The better case is if you’re earning in that country, rather than exchanging from the declining dollar, but that’s another story.)

Thinking of leaving the country because of your taxable portfolio?  Well, leave now while the going’s good, because there’s likely to be legislation that may follow you abroad.

Next Up: Patriotism

Stay tuned for the next (#4 – “Patriotism”) reason why people leave the United States.  There are over 5 million of us abroad – why not you?

Until then, I ask you just one favour.  If you like this post or the others, hit the Facebook Like button below and share it with your friends.

Thanks,

-Jeff

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In case you missed it, this is Part 2 of a series of why people are leaving (as they run the f*** away from) the US.  Part I is here.

Reason 2: Adventure

When I say “adventure” you might picture backpackers. Or maybe the young, single crowd, no-responsibilities type.  No.  At least, that’s not how I label me and my wife.

How about sleepwalkers?  That’s how I label us.  I and my wife are classic sleepwalkers through life.  Or at least we’re prone to be if we’re not careful about it.  And I believe if you’re reading this blog, you might be too.

Who’s a Life Sleepwalker?

Like I just said above, we are.  We all are.  Is it human nature?  We get more settled, more stuff, more routine.  Cruise control sets in and we sleepwalk through life.

A few weeks ago, a new friend, Vernon wrote in to me.  He asked about our reasons for travel.  I mentioned we once lived in Korea (mid 90′s) but then moved to the States.  He asked “Why did you leave the States after having spent time in Korea?”  I’m guessing Vernon half-expected we left because we were frustrated with the US.

Nope, not frustrated, except with ourselves.  We longed for adventure.  My then girlfriend and I came from Korea and decided to live together and find work in beautiful New Hampshire.  After a few years, we got married.  Then we got a house.  Then we had a baby.  Slowly, over about 10 years, we went from Korea to absolutely rooted.  We were lulled to sweet slumber.

Bored or Sleepwalking?

Are you bored or sleepwalking?  There’s a difference.

Bored is when you’re lacking stimulation.  You need a hobby or passion.  Note: careful not to confuse boredom with procrastination.  That’s self-inflicted resistance against what’s important and is only posing as boredom.  (When I blow 2 hours on Digg, I realize I’m procrastinating)

Sleepwalking is when you’re lacking uncertainty or adventure.  You need to take a step (or tw0) out of your comfort zone.
Sleepwalkers aren’t just in their comfort zone, they’re spinning around in there like a toy top.

When life seems like it’s moving “fast enough for us,” — then you might be sleepwalking.

When you feel busy, yet your to-do list is all urgent but not important — then you might be sleepwalking.

If in 5 years you won’t remember what you did today, last week or last year — you’re probably sleepwalking.

Trust me – the months/years will drop away like you wouldn’t believe.  Do something that spooks you awake.

Problems to Fix: Boredom and “Sleepwalking”

Bored?  Swallow the frog!

If only bored, fine, seek out a hobby.  Or tackle your to-do list with fervour. See “Swallow the frog”

Sleepwalking?  Three Questions

If you suspect you’re sleepwalking, ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. Is my life “comfortable” but not giving me comfort or peace of mind?

• If you answer ‘yes’ – you just might be sleepwalking

2. Do I find that the days (weeks, months) seem to be the same?

• If so, you may be sleepwalking (or actually sleeping in a coma)

3. Do you have a vision of how life will be better in 5 years from now?

• If not sleepwalking, life can be better when taking aim at something.

Like I said above, we had it all: the house, the careers, a solid network of great friends, and the infant (and even a cat).  We were so “set” we felt we were almost sleepwalking.  That thought made us miserable (okay, maybe that’s dramatic, but you get the idea).

How did we fix it? We spun the globe, picked 3 cities.  Three cities we hadn’t seen before but were curious about:  Auckland, Barcelona and Prague.  I sent out CVs to recruiters in each.  We sold the house, quit our jobs and put all our crap in storage.
In 3 months, we were living in Prague.

Would we do it again?  We did.  Fast forward 4 years.  We find ourselves owning another house (our flat in downtown Prague) and we popped another child.  (What can we say?  Our house-warming parties are super fertile!)

Then, come summer 2010  - we’re here in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Adventure is the primary reason my wife and I had left the U.S. for Prague in 2006, and we are NOT your stereotypical backpackers.  In short, adventure drives people of all ages, all kinds, and all sizes, to make what seems to others some rash decisions.  And when you’re sick of the status quo, you do whatever needs to be done.

Want to do a final test?  ”Pinch yourself.”

That’s how we wake ourselves when sleeping, right?  Then “pinch yourself” awake from sleepwalking by stepping well outside your comfort zone.  Take a Leap of Faith and Scare Yourself Silly.

Some Ideas How to Pinch Yourself Awake:

• At work, organize and present a topic completely unrelated to work. (think Toastmasters)
• Try a new sport – take up running, skateboarding, swimming.  Less experience, the better
• Get a major adrenaline rush – do a bungee jump, skydive, tell a Baptist to go to hell (testing if you’re still with me)
• Contribute to the community – volunteer as a pollster, in a food kitchen, read books at a daycare
• Take up an instrument – you’re not getting any younger….go ahead, dust off the guitar
• Move abroad.  (oh, you knew I had to add this one, right?)

Hope this has been helpful.  If you have any comments or thoughts for me – leave a comment below.  I look forward to hearing from you.

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Frustration leads people to make uncomfortable decisions, such as “abandoning their own country” for another.  Ah, there’s the popular debate of whether I’m being patriotic.  But I’ll leave that for another post in this series.

For now, I ask this question: is it better to stick around in a bad situation, or to make the tough decisions to do what you know is best for you, for your quality of life?  Wait for the next post.

Are you Frustrated?  Becoming an expat yourself gives you Encouragement

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Christine Gilbert of Almostfearless.com published a guide book and I got the privilege to review it. Consider yourself lucky, too, since by getting to hear about it from me, you can make a more informed decision to buy it.

Too little time to read all below?  Read my 20 word review:

“The Visa Book” is a great reference for the traveler on the go.  Simple, single-purpose structure.  Comprehensive coverage.  Worth the $10.

A Full Review of “The Visa Book”

Here is Christine’s skinny on her newest book:

And My Feedback:

• pages are well laid out; 1 page = 1 country/territory
• a single-purpose, no frills structure
• little of Christine’s fun personality – the “Visa Book” is all business
• can’t imagine a place in the world that’s not covered here
• greatest value: for tourists en-route wanting to quickly compare, offline

Who the Visa Book is Not For

I believe the newbie American tourist traveling to their first country in their life would simply google for needed information on the US State Department.

That said, most anyone would at least verify what “The Visa Book” says, but Christine makes that ultra easy with direct links to do so.

Also, the book isn’t for people looking to answer “How do I work in XYZ country?”  This is for tourist visas, not work permits or residency visas.

Where the Visa Book Shines

Where this book really shines is as a quick, comparative reference that’s already handily on the traveler’s laptop, smartphone or any e-reader for PDFs.

For travellers already on the go, perhaps in between destinations, this book provides fast “how about XYZ country?” answers.  It’s a sweet no-frills reference book that way.

I randomly picked a few countries for the tourist visa information.  I picked Canada, Chile and Croatia.  Sure enough, Christine lays out the essential information, then provides easy links to verify it.

Not only could I read up on these 3 countries on their respective, dedicated full info page, but in an earlier section “The Quick Country-by-Country Guide”, I see and compare my trifecta and all other countries together.  It’s beautiful.

All told, this guide is handy.  At $10, it’s also cheaply priced.  Granted, there’s not a lot of information per country, but that’s not its purpose. This guide answers only a few questions (for every country in the world):

1. Do I need a visa?
2. How many days am I allowed to stay?
3. Any cost to visiting?

Yeah, the guide is well, well worth it.  Even if you don’t travel, if you want a fast PDF-portal to every country’s visa information, pick this guide up at Christine’s site. (book will be released April 5th 2011, but sign up for an alert)

Note: Christine offers other bloggers an “affiliate” commission for reviewing and linking to this book.  However, I turned it down, since she so clearly deserves the entire but meagre $10 sale.

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I’m hoping the novel “The Fountainhead” is about you, how you’re like Howard Roark.

Unfortunately, odds are good it’s not.

So what’s “The Fountainhead” about?  It’s about individualism.

Who is Howard Roark?

Howard Roark is the main character in Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead.”  He’s an unwavering, uncompromising individual.

Roark stands for integrity, truth to one’s self, serving no one but himself.  He stands against mainstream thought and conforming to the whims of others.

Roark is an architect, but the farthest from a normal architect.  If you had to label him, you’d call him a “modern architect” because his designs run free of mainstream architecture, with no hint of borrowed qualities of classical work.  I originally wrote that his architecture was opposite of mainstream, but that’s not right.  He’s free from the influence of mainstream, not purposely opposite.

In short, Roark is his own man, and Roark’s work is his own work.  He fights this principle with zero compromise, despite almost certain obscurity and poverty.  (Spoiler: don’t worry, he wins)

The “Second-Handers”

The second-handers are the people around Howard.  While Howard strives to be an individual, it’s the second-handers that give him shit about it.  And each second-hander does so in their own way.

Second-Hander Gail Wynand

Gail Wynand appears to be a power-hungry newspaper boss, but secretly is a Roark-wannabe.  Wynand is the full individual minus the courage and integrity.  He’s “successful” much like some might consider Dick Cheney (a successful dick).  Wynand is tested to his ultimate edge, and almost wins.

Second-Hander Dominique Francon

Beautiful potential, but meek.  It’s harsh for me to call Dominique a second-hander, because she’s so close to great, but too scared to go for it.  Dominique reminds me of the famous Henry David Thoreau quote: “Most people lead lives of quiet desperation.”  Dominique quietly admires Roark, but rarely takes a stand.  Only until she’s built up courage from years around him does she ‘win.’

Other Second-Handers

Wynand and Dominique are the two figures most in Roark’s life, but there are others.  One is Roark’s old school chum, a soulless parasite, a borrower of ideas seeking the fast-track.  Another is a behind-the-scenes evil bastard who seeks to squelch independent thought.  There are more, but these two shine as second-handers.

Our Own Second-Handers

See the connection?  All these second-handers are our own.  Naysayers, quiet admirers, and the power-hungry who’d rather you stay subservient.

How do you react to your second-handers?

• Do you try to apologize for your beliefs? (Roark wouldn’t)
• Do you conform to just the most important ones in your life?  (Roark wouldn’t)
• Do you lead a life of quiet desperation? (Roark wouldn’t, nor would Thoreau)

The way you stand for your own beliefs (and strive to your own successes) is what defines you as a Roark, a Wynand or a Dominique.

What About You?  Are You an Individual?

Odds are good you see yourself as an individual.  We all do.  That’s what makes it easy to fantasize about living abroad.

Odds are better you’re more conformist than the ideal Howard Roark.  We all naturally conform to some degree.  That’s what makes culture shock what it is: difficult.

But to be a successful and happy expat, you must have a little “Howard Roark” in you.  You have be comfortable in your own skin, comfortable not having to be like everyone else, both at home and in your host country.  You must be an individual.

To find out, I’d recommend reading “The Fountainhead.”  Who do you sympathize with?  Are you closer to the ideal Roark or are you another second-hander?  Knowing this ahead of time will help you with living abroad.

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So, I went out drinking last night.  Normally not a big deal, but I’ll admit that since becoming a stay-at-home dad, my energy level lacks luster by 8pm instead of holding out until midnight or more.  But last night was special.  Last night I was out until past 11pm.  {oooooh!}

Last night I got to share a few beers with Chris Guillebeau, an online hero of mine.

Chris Guillebeau In Town

Yesterday Chris was here in Halifax on his cross-continent book tour.   At a local Chapters bookstore, he spoke to 20-25 of us for a half hour, then opened it up for “questions and attempted answers.”  Then the group mingled amongst ourselves for more sharing and chat.

Chris briefly gave his history, then highlighted about being unconventional and finding answers to the 2 all important questions (see the manifesto to learn those 2 questions).  He spoke of “selfish generosity,” meaning we find ways to contribute to the betterment of others, while we in turn benefit ourselves, a natural win-win.  He also touched on how privileged we all are to be able to choose our path, make choices such as volunteer work, blogging, creative outlets or the conventional 9-5 desk job.  I think that point is especially important, considering just how fortunate a person is with one opportunity.  Beyond the millions of people without clean water or sanitation, there are millions more that have no choice but to exist and die – their lot in life.  And then there is all of us, folks with so many choices, we’re easily blinded by overwhelm.  So, we all know having choices but not considering them is more sad than not really having a choice at all.

Beer Therapy

So, of the 25 or so people, about 12 continued out for a beer.  That’s where the real clarity happened.  It was like a group therapy meeting for the dissatisfied and life-hungry minority.  Over just a few beers, we all talked and helped each other a lot.  Having the face-t0-face time was truly awesome.  There was a passionate interest and immediate feedback that’s not possible over e-mail, twitter or skype.  It was real rewarding to me and I can say that the brief couple hours shared with Chris and the others will help this blog (and you!) for a long time to come.  I look forward to making changes (big and small) over the weeks ahead.

Note: to anyone having a beer with Chris in the future, he chose our local Garrison Red, saying he enjoys the reds.

Unconventional Thinking and Pursuit

Chris’ book is not for everyone.  Like the back cover says, “If you’ve ever thought, ‘There must be more to life than this,’ The Art of Non-Conformity is for you.”

If you haven’t thought that, then don’t waste your or the book’s time (refer to the blue pill).  Pass the book onto someone else if gifted.

There are 4 prerequisite assumptions before you can confidently say the book is for you (as stated in the book):

• You must be open to new ideas.
• You must be dissatisfied with the status quo.
• You must be willing to take personal responsibility.
• You must be willing to work hard.

Of course, these are well expanded on, but you get the message.  In short, life’s happiness is not for the lazy or the timid.

Well, that’s it for me today.  I’ve got some work to do.

For now, if you want a further and immediate look at what Chris offers, check out his online, downloadable stuff – much of it for free.

Yours,

-Jeff

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