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A Life of Freedom and Nonconformity
"Don't think you're on the right road just because it's a well-beaten path." ~Author Unknown
The garden outside of Jose Sancho's home in Escazu, Costa Rica, is filled with sculptures he carefully chiseled, most of which depict women and nature. He claims that he's never taken a sculpture class; he taught himself. Yet his sculptures grace the lawn of the Art Museum of the Americas (part of the OAS) in Washington, DC, they've been auctioned off at Christie's--the famous auction house in New York--, and his work has been commissioned by people and organizations from all over the world.
Jose Sancho started out as an economist. Then, at the age of 40, he had an epiphany: he was born to be a sculptor. Once he realized this, much to the shock and astonishment of those who knew him, he dropped everything to pursue his passion. Today he's in his seventies and he's never looked back. (The image at the top of this post depicts Jose at work; I found the image here. As an aside, I grew up in Costa Rica and my mother is friends with Jose and she has a beautiful, black marble sculpture of a penguin and his chick created by Jose in her living room, which is titled "Paternity").
In Jose's own words: "I was born to be a carpenter, but the tools of the trade did not fall readily from the sky; it emerged from the struggle between a vocation imposed by an alienating culture, and the demands of a latent inclination that constantly fought to express itself. From that struggle came the redeeming action which shook my world to its roots. I had already lived through four decades of frustrating obligations for which I was not destined . . . sculpture opened up new horizons . . . " (From the book, "Jose Sancho, 1975 - 1997").
People have been abandoning their conventional lives for centuries, in the hopes of pursuing their true life calling and living a life of freedom and nonconformity. In the past couple of years, unconventional living has practically become a movement.
Below you'll find a list of sites and blogs that cater to those who long to become who they were meant to be, create their dream business, travel the world, and live the life they've always dreamed of. For those of you dreaming of escape, I hope these sites help you to begin drafting your escape plan.
The garden outside of Jose Sancho's home in Escazu, Costa Rica, is filled with sculptures he carefully chiseled, most of which depict women and nature. He claims that he's never taken a sculpture class; he taught himself. Yet his sculptures grace the lawn of the Art Museum of the Americas (part of the OAS) in Washington, DC, they've been auctioned off at Christie's--the famous auction house in New York--, and his work has been commissioned by people and organizations from all over the world.
Jose Sancho started out as an economist. Then, at the age of 40, he had an epiphany: he was born to be a sculptor. Once he realized this, much to the shock and astonishment of those who knew him, he dropped everything to pursue his passion. Today he's in his seventies and he's never looked back. (The image at the top of this post depicts Jose at work; I found the image here. As an aside, I grew up in Costa Rica and my mother is friends with Jose and she has a beautiful, black marble sculpture of a penguin and his chick created by Jose in her living room, which is titled "Paternity").
In Jose's own words: "I was born to be a carpenter, but the tools of the trade did not fall readily from the sky; it emerged from the struggle between a vocation imposed by an alienating culture, and the demands of a latent inclination that constantly fought to express itself. From that struggle came the redeeming action which shook my world to its roots. I had already lived through four decades of frustrating obligations for which I was not destined . . . sculpture opened up new horizons . . . " (From the book, "Jose Sancho, 1975 - 1997").
People have been abandoning their conventional lives for centuries, in the hopes of pursuing their true life calling and living a life of freedom and nonconformity. In the past couple of years, unconventional living has practically become a movement.
Below you'll find a list of sites and blogs that cater to those who long to become who they were meant to be, create their dream business, travel the world, and live the life they've always dreamed of. For those of you dreaming of escape, I hope these sites help you to begin drafting your escape plan.
Gauguin
A second example of someone who left conventional living behind in order to pursue his true passion is Gauguin. Eugene-Henri-Paul Gauguin, renown today for his colorful paintings depicting an idyllic island paradise, was a middle-aged Paris stockbroker who suddenly realized his life's passion was painting; he turned his back on his old life and fled to Tahiti.
"What if you could find a way to make a living from doing what you love?"
Jonathan Fields - Career Renegade
Jonathan Fields is a popular blogger who blogs over at "Awake at the Wheel" and who constantly asks people the following question: "What if you could make a living doing what you love?"He started out in life as a lawyer, first at the S.E.C. and then at a prestigious, mega-sized New York law firm. Then he realized that life as a lawyer was sucking out his soul, as well as destroying his health, and he made a radical change and became a $12-an-hour fitness trainer. He then went on to bigger things within the health industry, as well as embarking on other successful ventures, and he recently published a book aptly titled "Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love"
.When Jonathan left his law firm job he had three goals:
- To make a great living.
- To love what he did.
- To be around the people he loved.
Visit Jonathan's site if these words ring true for you:
- Corporate treadmill.
- Office politics and endless posturing.
- Your mind, body and spirit are slowly being sucked dry.
- Personal fulfillment has taken a backseat to making money.
Here's a quote from the book "Career Renegade":
"The simple truth is you can turn nearly any passion into a big, fat heap of money. However, it often requires mining aspects of those passions you never knew existed or bringing them to life in markets and ways that defy the mainstream."
Jonathan doesn't believe in the conventional wisdom that says that if you do what you love the money will follow. He explains that this applies only if your passion happens to lie in a field with a clear path to great income, such as the law, plastic surgery, and so on. But if you love teaching, playing video games, painting, knitting, playing music, and so on, it's doubtful that you'll be able to make a great living simply by doing what you love.
This doesn't mean that you give up on the idea of making a living by pursuing what truly makes you come alive, it simply means that you have to find an unconventional, renegade path to both passion and prosperity. That is, you have to find a different way of doing what you love that will allow you to generate enough income to live comfortably.
"Career Renegade" is packed with hundreds of strategies, case studies, links and resources that will help you to do just that. Not only does the book help you to develop the proper mindset for becoming a career renegade, it gives you a step-by-step approach to actually make things happen. You can download the book's introduction, for free, here.
(Image of Jonathan Fields taken from here.)
Career Renegade
Career Renegade
Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love
Amazon Price: $10.56 (as of 01/02/2010)
The aim of the first part of this book is to help you to discover your secret passion. The book also contains sections on determining the exact work path to follow, via research on the Internet, and on developing a business plan.
There are plenty of interviews with renewed careerists.
Part 3 zeroes in on creating an authority figure, via such social networks and through blogging.
Reviews of "Career Renegade"
- Lifehacker Review
- A career renegade is someone who takes charge of his or her career and makes it work to fulfill their own passions. That may mean starting your own business, as Jonathan has done several times - but it doesn't have to mean that. It could mean switching careers and going to work for a different company, or it could mean reshaping your attitude towards the job you already have - whatever it takes to transform your work life into a meaningful career - one that won't eat you up from the inside out.
- Leo Babauta From Zenhabits Interviews Jonathan Fields About "Career Renegade"
- "If your passion happens to lie in some field with a clear path to a great income, like law, plastic surgery or programming, you may be one of the lucky few who can make a great living doing what you love by simply following the mainstream path.
But, what if you love teaching, painting, making music, writing, knitting, playing video games or just plain hanging out and having great conversations? Then what? Will the money really just automatically follow if you try to turn those into your living? Doubtful, no matter how good a gamer, knitter or talker you are.
Career Renegade is all about breaking the binds of conventional wisdom, doing what you love, then "making" the money follow." - Life Optimizer Review
- Career Renegade is a powerful book on having a meaningful career. It covers every parts of the equation from finding your passion, finding the gap to make money, building your expertise, building your authority, cultivating the right mindset, and making the transition.
- Get Rich Slowly Review
- This book is for those who want to be entrepreneurs--and that's not everyone--and for would-be entrepreneurs whose business idea will require an online presence.
- Productivity 501 Review
- Turn what you love into income.
- Wisebread Review
- Career Renegade is a guide that will give you the tools you need to make money from your passion. Jonathan wanted to provide an "insanely useful" book for anyone who wanted to try this path, and he truly succeeded. Not only does he help you discover (sometimes rediscover) your passion, but the tips, strategies, and ideas are relevant and applicable. Apply them to your passion and there is no doubt you'll be able to create a successful busines.
From the book:
"The simple truth is you can turn nearly any passion into a big, fat heap of money. However, it often requires mining aspects of those passions you never knew existed or bringing them to life in markets and ways that defy the mainstream."
Here Are The Last Five Posts From My Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byTim Ferriss
After the overwhelming success of his book The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, Tim Ferriss started a blog in which he shares more tips for living a life filled with Tango dancing, travel, snorkeling in Panama, eating sushi in San Francisco, and so on.
Tim Ferriss - The 4-Hour Workweek
The 4-Hour Workweek on Wikipedia
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (2007) is a semi-autobiographical self-help book promoted by Stewart Friedman written by Timothy Ferriss, an American writer, educational activist, and entrepreneur. In the book's dedication, Ferriss announced that he would be donating "10% of all author royalties" to educational charities such as Donorschoose.org.Ferriss, Timothy The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich Crown (2007) pg 'dedication...
The 4-Hour Workweek on Twitter
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- marnikdhoore
- is het boek " the 4 hour workweek" van Tim Ferris aan het lezen.
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- gerhardvelde
- @Klipje pas in maart weer tijd. Ik raad aan "the 4 hour workweek" te lezen :) maar ik kom graag langs, kun je een datum aangeven? groet!
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- cdnpennystock
- Inspirational stories here: RT @tferriss: New - 15 Real-World 4-Hour Workweek Case Studies [short videos]: http://ping.fm/kBUE3
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- lucechandon
- Sneak Peak | New and Expanded 4-Hour Workweek | http://bit.ly/7TStqn
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- silvermountain
- 15 Amazing Videos: Pure inspiration thanks to Tom Ferriss and "The 4-Hour Workweek" http://owrhzd.xrt.me
automatically generated by Twitter
The 4-Hour Workweek
The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
Amazon Price: $11.00 (as of 01/02/2010)
The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byEscape From Cubicle Nation - From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur
Pamela Slim, the voice behind the blog "Escape From Cubicle Nation", has the following to say about entrepreneurship:"Entrepreneurship at its heart is aligning your purpose for being on earth with a business idea so compelling that you simply must do it, despite the fears that hold you back."
When she left the corporate world she started a company which she named "Ganas"--which in Spanish means having an intense desire to do something, inner motivation, exuberance, and drive--since that's what she feels every day as she approaches her work and what she wants her clients to feel as well.
Think the "safe" thing to do is to stay at your corporate job, even if you hate it? Think again. Slim starts off her book, Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur
(yes, her book and her blog have the same name), with an anecdote about the morning in which almost everyone in her father's office was suddenly laid off. She goes on as follows: "One woman had worked her entire career at the company, as had her father and grandfather until retirement. She came into work at 8:00 a.m., was given a cardboard box to pack her belongings, and was escorted to the exit door by 8:20."Pamela explains that by being clear on what your ideal life looks like you can craft an entrepreneurial vision that will help you pursue your goals. She cites the "sweet spot" described by Jim Collins, which is the place in which the following three sets of skills overlap:
- What people will pay you to do
- That for which you have great passion
- That which you are "genetically encoded" to do
In "Escape From Cubicle Nation" (the book), Pamela covers it all: coming up with a good business idea, recruiting help and support, defining your brand, getting your finances in order, creating a business plan, and actually starting a business. Click here to download the introduction to Pamela's book for free.
(I found the image of Pamela Slim here.)
Escape From Cubicle Nation
Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur
Amazon Price: $17.13 (as of 01/02/2010)
The Escape From Cubicle Nation Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byEscape From Cubicle Nation on Twitter
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- jorgebarba
- The game changer: a client-centered, natural business model | Escape From Cubicle Nation http://ff.im/-dFPdS
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- blumaya
- The game changer: a client-centered, natural business model | Escape From Cubicle Nation http://bit.ly/8eQJZ8
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- RSSirteubal
- Escape From Cubicle Nation http://ow.ly/16fBOY
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- EconomyHeroes
- The game changer: a client-centered, natural business model | Escape From Cubicle Nation http://ow.ly/RIcN
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- keenmindspost
- [uniknotions.com] Escape From Cubicle Nation: The fabulous and inspiring London crew of the Escape from Cubicle Nat... http://bit.ly/7vm49K
automatically generated by Twitter
Five More Blogs for Nonconformists
- "The Art of Noncomformity" - Chris Guillebeau
- In his blog "The Art of Noncomformity" Chris Guillebeau writes about personal development and life design, entrepreneurship and unconventional work, and international travel (by the end of 2012 he plans to have visited every country in the world). His life philosophy is basically that you should live life according to your own terms, and that you can help yourself and help others at the same time.
- Location Independent
- The blog "Location Independent" was created by Lea and Jonathan Woodward. They explain that being location independent--working and living from any part of the world they choose--is a concept, a lifestyle and a mindset.
- Illuminated Mind
- Jonathan Mead from "Illuminated Mind" is intent on finding a way to be paid to exist. So far he seems to be doing pretty well.He encourages everyone to join "The Liberation Revolution"
- Escape 101 - Sabbaticals, Career Breaks, and Lifestyle Designs
- If you're planning a sabbatical or career break, or just want some great ideas on making sustainable lifestyle changes, you should subscribe.
- Thrilling Heroics
- Cody McKibben is passionate to help people break free from conventional, comfortable living-liberating themselves from traditional work, creating their own entrepreneurial ventures, living remarkable lives, and doing good for others.
Escape 101
Escape 101: The Four Secrets to Taking a Sabbatical or Career Break Without Losing Your Money or Your Mind
Amazon Price: $17.05 (as of 01/02/2010)
Personal Travel Websites
- 12 Personal Travel Websites That Will Make You Quit Your Day Job
- The travel blog "Brave New Traveler" has a great list of "12 Personal Travel Websites That Will Make You Quit Your Day Job". One example is "Down the Road":
"We are Tim and Cindie Travis, an ordinary American couple who decided to live out our dreams. We saved our money, quit our jobs, sold our possessions, and set off to travel around the world by bicycle. We left our home in Arizona, USA on March 31, 2002 and have been on the road ever since. Our plan is to continue to bicycle tour and travel for the next several years."
World Travelers
Taking a year off.
Forty-year-old Canadian couple set off on a year of travel around the world.
Travel Sites
- Perpetual Nomads You Should Read
- This group of people made living free and being nomads their dream. They are great examples to follow for inspiration.
Follow Me on Twitter
- aka Twitter
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- @WpBlogHost Hi John: Yes, the beach. :-) I had a great time, thank you. Happy New Year!
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- @_sudo May you have a fabulous 2010 as well! :-)
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- @SonyaVanSickle Happy New Year Sonya! :-)
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- Happy New Year everyone! I'm off to the beach for a day or two. Have a wonderful 2010!
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- Sneezing Baby Panda (16 sec. video) http://digg.com/u1J0Gf
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- FarAwayJoe FarAwayJoe Jul 13, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
- Thank you for this fine lens. I am a more or less frequent lurker at some of the blogs you mention in your lens and may take a look on those which are new to me.
Fabulous Creativity Resource
Click on the ebook for more information.
Here's What You'll Find Inside
* Three proven frameworks recommended by top creativity experts that will help you to generate ideas and find solutions to problems.
* Learn how to move sideways to solve problems by taking different perspectives, questioning your assumptions, and trying different points of entry. Stop trying to solve problems by digging deeper in the same hole.
* Create a "toolbox" of creativity techniques you can use to solve just about any problem.
* Discover the secret formula behind the amazing creativity of the world's most famous product design firm.
* Get lots of ideas on how to break out of your routine to look at problems and challenges with fresh eyes.
* Find out how to play your way to new ideas and laugh your way to solving problems.
* Learn how to approach almost anything creatively and how to see life as a series of opportunities for everyday creative acts: whether you're deciding what to wear, fixing dinner, or entertaining your child. The world-renowned psychologist Abraham H. Maslow called this kind of creativity "self-actualizing creativity".
* This ebook will teach you the secrets to get your ideas to reproduce like rabbits.
* Discover how to use visual thinking to get unexpected results (it's how Einstein developed the theory of relativity).
* Learn the traits that highly creative people share (it doesn't matter if you don't have these characteristics now, just fake it 'till you make it).
* Join the debate: is creativity work or inspiration? Learn how to skyrocket your creativity by answering that it's both.
* Learn tips on how to turn your ideas into reality.
* Get step-by-step instructions on how to enter the most effective creative state there is: the flow state.
* Discover even more ways to get your creative synapses firing.
* Learn how to move sideways to solve problems by taking different perspectives, questioning your assumptions, and trying different points of entry. Stop trying to solve problems by digging deeper in the same hole.
* Create a "toolbox" of creativity techniques you can use to solve just about any problem.
* Discover the secret formula behind the amazing creativity of the world's most famous product design firm.
* Get lots of ideas on how to break out of your routine to look at problems and challenges with fresh eyes.
* Find out how to play your way to new ideas and laugh your way to solving problems.
* Learn how to approach almost anything creatively and how to see life as a series of opportunities for everyday creative acts: whether you're deciding what to wear, fixing dinner, or entertaining your child. The world-renowned psychologist Abraham H. Maslow called this kind of creativity "self-actualizing creativity".
* This ebook will teach you the secrets to get your ideas to reproduce like rabbits.
* Discover how to use visual thinking to get unexpected results (it's how Einstein developed the theory of relativity).
* Learn the traits that highly creative people share (it doesn't matter if you don't have these characteristics now, just fake it 'till you make it).
* Join the debate: is creativity work or inspiration? Learn how to skyrocket your creativity by answering that it's both.
* Learn tips on how to turn your ideas into reality.
* Get step-by-step instructions on how to enter the most effective creative state there is: the flow state.
* Discover even more ways to get your creative synapses firing.
by Marelisa
Hi, I'm Marelisa Fabrega. I blog over at Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online.
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown... (more)
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown... (more)
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