Your 85 Year Old Smile Lines: A Memoiresque Piece

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To my fellow Mad Ones who are living each day like they’ve got a reason to be here, this is a bit more of a letter from me to you. I try to be as real and as true to myself as I can be in my life. I’m happy to be on this ride with you wild, crazy people.

If you look into the archives of The Mad To Live you’ll see that I haven’t written a column in some time, and if I have it’s been quite sporadic. For the past three months things have been off for me. But today I’ve decided that I’m done having off days.  So, I thought I’d tell you a little bit about it.

Telling My Untold Story: Aspirations and Hiding Behind the Curtain

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With all this talk about living our lives so that it’s a story worth telling, I’ve been thinking lately…”Am I really telling my story?”

If we want to be great, authentic, world-shifting human beings and writers there are two simple steps we must take in order to be that: 1.) Write Our Stories, and 2.) Tell Our Stories.

And so we ask ourselves… What story am I telling with my life? What’s the story that brought me to where I am today? What about my story sets me apart? Am I telling my story in my writing? Is my story real and am I being real? What’s going to happen next in my story? Is my story even worthwhile?

These questions are all thought-provoking. I mean, don’t get me wrong, stories are great. I love to tell them. I love to hear them. I love to cry and reflect at sad ones, and laugh and slap my knees at funny ones. Who doesn’t like a good, well-told, well-acted story?

Identity Crisis: The Traveler Who Isn’t Traveling

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Sure, I guess you could say we’re always traveling in life. I guess you could say each day is new and offers new places and people and experiences be it in a foreign land or in your own backyard. I guess you could say everyday is an adventure whether you’re inside sitting at your desk or standing outside staring at the hope-and-opportunity-filled horizon.

As I said…I guess you could say that…
But to be honest with you, the life and times of a traveler who isn’t traveling is much easier said than done. I’m smack dab in the middle of that life and those times that lack the luster of travel, and I guess you could say that while I have been keeping the adventure alive, I do feel like a piece is missing.
I guess you could say that for a traveler who isn’t traveling, you have to put a lot more into your life and times to create that luster and adventure that used to come so naturally when you were stepping on uncharted soil every day back when you were off exploring.

ANNOUNCING: A Mad To Live Project – A 50 Mile Walk For Tomorrow’s World Changers

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Note From Laur: Hey guys. I’m writing today about a project I’m working on that I am deeply passionate about and truly believe in. I’d like to introduce to you my way of being the change: A 50 Mile Walk: For Tomorrow’s World Changers.

I’ve created a way to take one of my greatest passions – travel and exploring the world, greatest cares – making sure the kids of today believe in themselves to improve tomorrow greatest beliefs – that anyone can take their talents and interests and and turn them into a way to change the world for the better.

I’m going to walk 50 Miles in 2 Days between May 25th & 26th along Florida’s Atlantic coastline in support of DonorsChoose.org, an amazing nonprofit that let’s you and I fulfill teacher’s requests to fund specific classroom projects at schools in need, be it a set of To Kill a Mockingbird books for a class of sophomores in LA or a computer to start a school newspaper for a classroom in the Bronx.

You know how there’s those kids out there whose schools just don’t have the kind of funding they need to really teach kids to be all they can be? Their classrooms don’t have books or libraries, they don’t have the materials to start programs like a leadership group, they don’t have basic instruments to have an orchestra, they don’t have a computer in the classroom to type their essays (or blog posts!).

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I WANT TO CREATE CHANGE.

So, I thought of a way to help.

A 50 Mile Walk: FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD CHANGERS

My goal is to raise at least $1,000 not only to fund these classroom projects but also to show these kids -tomorrow’s world changers- that simply with passion and big thinking, they can do whatever they set their mind to.

To help me reach that goal, I’m asking for your help: simply choose whatever amount is within your means and sponsor a certain amount per mile walked.

I’m starting off with $200 of my own. I am confident that we’ll go over $1,000–because our Mad to Live community is so awesome! Whether you want to sponsor $1.00 per mile for a total of $50.00, or $0.10 a mile for a total of $5.00 – every bit helps!

These kids are going to be the ones that will be changing the world for us tomorrow. They’ll be the ones making sure it’s a better and better place. Let’s give them the tools, resources, and inspiration they need to realize that they can do that.

YOUR SUPPORT WON’T GO UNNOTICED

After the funds are raised between today and the completion of the walk on the May 25th I’ll be donating 100% to specific projects on DonorsChoose. I encourage you to check out their site and see just how it works. We’ll know exactly which teacher, which kids, which class, which school, which project our efforts will go to.

Not only will these classrooms get what they need, but the teachers and their kids will know it’s coming from us. Once DonorsChoose.org sends the classrooms the materials that our donations will have funded, the teachers will send us photos and hand-written thank you notes from the students.

They’ll know that these things came from us, and that carries even more weight…it shows these kids not only that people care, but that they themselves can create a project, reach out to those that share their passions, get support, and help someone in need. Let’s Lead By Example. It’s a chance to show them that no matter who they are or where they’re from, they can inspire others to make the world a better place, and be the person they’re meant to be.

IT’S UP TO US NOW:

And so here I am, staying true to the very things I speak about on this blog on living a wild, crazy, meaningful life. Here I am, calling on you guys, the people in this world that are doing the same thing in so many amazing ways, and inviting you to join me on this passion project.

Let’s really make something happen for these kids. Let’s be leaders so they can be leaders. Let’s make the world a better place.

THANK YOU.

I thank you – those of you living an inspired and inspiring life – for reading, sharing, and helping.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:

• CONTRIBUTE: Remember, every little bit counts! Let’s show these kids we believe in them by giving them the classroom experience they deserve. Simply use the PayPal button below.
• SHARE THIS POST: Please share this with your friends and family as well as social circle by tweeting this out, sharing it on FB, Stumbling it, etc.
• SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the Mad To Live to stay updated on the event… I  have a few surprises coming, and some big plans for events day of.
• YOUR OWN WAY: A big thanks to Mars Dorian for creating the custom graphic for this event, GoodSigns.org for their support and helping to put together a kick-off charity dinner, and those of you featuring this event on your blogs! If there’s a way you can use your own passion and talent to help, get in touch, and let’s keep the cycle going!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT TOMORROW’S WORLD CHANGERS!

And remember, every bit helps! Whether it’s $5, $10, $25 or beyond, it means the world!

RUNNING TALLY OF FUNDS RAISED

• Lauren Rains
• Carole R
• Andrew Caldwell: (@Andrew_C)
• Laura Armstrong
• Dave Ursillo: (DaveUrsillo.com)
• Matt Kimberley (matthewkimberley.com)
• Jen Fromal (TheSmashedPlanet)
• Liu Bin
• Thrive Industries
• Shannyn Allan (FrugalBeautiful.com)
• Laurie Sutton  (WatersEdgeCreative.com)
• David Cottington
• Mark Powers  (powerspercussion.com)
• Nancy Kantor
• Brian Kennedy
• Jossie Mcmanus
• Lisa Forst
• Mars Dorian  (MarsDorian.com)
• Ginny Whitaker
• Nora Kennedy
• Kyle Russel
  
• Jamie Wallace (SuddenlyMarketing.com)

…. THANK YOU!

TOTAL: $1150 SO FAR!!!!!!

The Only Book You’ll Ever Need to start a Passionately Curious and Successful Business

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First up, I’m excited to tell you that in this post you’ll be getting Chapter 1 FREE of Renaissance Business, perfect for all you mad to live and do people out there with a knack for entrepreneurship. You’ll also find a video interview on here with the author of it, who is one of the most inspiring and creative bloggers and entrepreneurs out there in my professional opinion!

What if I told you that you could only pick ONE INTEREST? If wild life photography is your thing, then forget about also being an activist for saving the Honey Bees, forget about that side blog you write about all your DIY projects, forget about all your other skills, curiosities, passions, expertise, and potential this and that. YOU CAN ONLY DO ONE THING!!

Well that would be the biggest crock of BS wouldn’t it? Being able to do that is as unlikely as George Kastanza ever growing his hair back! Or Larry David.

THE QUESTION IS: How do we combine all of our interests, passions, and talents – old, new, and ones we don’t even know are coming our way – and turn them into a business that allows us to explore even more interests, passions, and talents.

Well my friends, I am ridiculously happy to tell you that the wonderful, badass, passionately curious chick who writes Puttylike.com, Emilie Wapnick, has found THE CURE!

Yesterday she launched her first eBook package called Renaisance Business, and I must say that as someone who is currently rocking their own Renaissance Biz, this girl knows EXACTLY, and I mean exactly, what she’s talking about.

FIRST – She’s giving away CHAPTER ONE FREE to the Mad to Live community! Download Chapter 1 here!

Below you will find my video-esque interview with her. I got a bit inspired by all her talk on finding unique was to intertwine passions and curiosities so I decided to take her up on some of her lessons in the spirit of things.

I wanted to

a.)    Start doing more interviews with good people doing BIG and amazing things.

b.)    Learn to use Camtasia – a video editing, screen casting, audio editing program for the interviews.

c.)     Learn to use Prezi – which is basically like Power Point but hopped up on peyote

By learning B and C I was able to make this interview more than just audio, but something fun to watch. I’ll be able to use Camtasia for upcoming video projects and for creating screen casts of web design tutorials to help bloggers and online entrepreneurs. Prezi is just awesome and you should check it out.

In the 11 minute interview Emilie gives us a special sneak peak at the process she goes through with her multipod students by telling us:
a.) Why picking 1 Niche is a blatant lie told by all the not-so passionately curious web “gurus”
b.) What a multipotentialite is and why being one is perfect for starting a business
c.) The fundamental process of starting with a scattered list of passions and then finding the over-arching theme that will be your business.
d.) How a Renaissance Business works: CONTENT & FORM
e.) The purpose of starting a Renaissance Business and why it can be one of the greatest adventures and successful endeavors you could embark on

So, if all this sounds up your alley… you know… the whole do the things that make you MAD TO LIVE and then find a way to get paid to do them by being a creative self starter, then you may want to check it Emilie’s book and her blog!

Here’s the link to her book: Renaissance Business

(Note – that’s an affiliate link, which will be going to my motorcycle ride across America / volunteer in Africa come February (more on this soon I hope!!!).

Lastly, let me tell you that starting a Renaissance is much easier than you think! Sometimes the fear of taking the leap to do it or just getting overwhelmed with all the this and that can make it seem like such a far away goal. IT IS NOT.

Last year when I started my renaissance business I didn’t have Emilie’s blog or this new book to guide me through it, but I wish I had. (I spent way too much time in the “Who the F*ck Am I” state… she goes over how to get over that drama!) I’ve seen a lot of success and some failure along the way of the process of doing this. But if there is one thing I do know it’s that it truly is possible to get your passionately curious, want-to-do-it-all, entrepreneurial, passion project, and exploration addict self to create a successful business doing what you love and working with people you love.

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY CREATING YOUR Renaissance Business to travel the world, live out your passion, and do all the things that make you a MAD ONE!

LIFE EQUATIONS: The Only Answer You’ll Ever Need to Life’s Wild Questions

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Let’s be serious here… people who think they know it all are especially annoying to those of us who do… ;-P As I normally do during both my spare time and any form of transportation while traveling, I begin to ponder all sorts of bits and pieces of the meaning of life. (Something tells me you enjoy a similar routine!)

This past weekend as I road-tripped up to the beautiful and surprisingly quite progressive city of Savannah, Georgia from my little beach town in St. Augustine FL, I began thinking about that little thing we call “the answers to life’s questions.” There are a lot of people out there that think they have the answers to everything. And just like all the noise out there in the blogosphere can get a little confusing and daunting, so can all these answers that are so-called RIGHT! Check it out…

Your Life Pursuits: A Quest-like Adventure or a Bloody Uphill Battle?

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You see that crazy chick in the picture over there? …Pretty sweet right? That would be me, kickin’ ass and takin’ names and looking sexy while I’m at it. It’s a lot more fun and uplifting to view the ups and downs of life’s adventures as a fearless leader than as the other dude in the picture that’s all tangled up in the monster’s claws and about to be eaten alive. (Good thing I’m about to safe his ass!)

The Adventure Choice

I made a decision a few months back to never ever look at my life as a trial, tribulation, or uphill battle again. Playing the victim roll is LAME, and I’m more interested in being a badass chick that lives my life like I have a reason to live it.