How To Surf Around the World (and Other Daring Meaningful Adventures): Reader Spotlight #8

13 Nov How To Surf Around the World (and Other Daring Meaningful Adventures): Reader Spotlight #8

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

– Jackie Robinson

Does What You’re Doing Actually Matter?

This is a question I ask myself all the time. Before I dive into a new project our pour more time, money and energy into an existing one, I always come back to the same self-interrogation.

And not just does it matter to me. But does it also matter to those around me?

When the answer is yes, I lean in and go full out.

Because when we focus our talents, passions, strengths and energy on the things that deeply matter to us, something interesting begins to happen. They start to matter to those around us as well.

And that is when everything starts to change…

And that’s the most inspiring and unbelievable part about doing the work we do at Live Your Legend. Over the years so many of you have decided to start living a life that ensures the answer to the above questions is a resounding and very obvious “Yes.”

Every day I hear about projects that all of you are working on. Things that I used to only read about in books or hear about through four of five degrees of separation.

But now it’s normal.

And that’s the magic of it all.

When we begin to surround ourselves with the people doing the things we used to think were crazy and impossible, we start to believe in that same possibility.

We adopt a new normal, and that new normal begins to transform the way we live. We often don’t even have to set new goals, we just show up differently in the world when know what’s really possible.

That is why surroundings are so damn powerful. And that’s why environment is the focus of everything we do here.

That’s also why every month or two we do a Reader Spotlight, to give credit where it’s due – to all of you doing the work you can’t not do.

I share the stories from our community to show you what’s possible, but also to give our global community of over 50,000 Living Legends the chance to support and encourage those bold enough to do the work they do.

I hope you enjoy reading about Jenn, Benjamin and Brittany as much as I’ve loved seeing their stories develop.

And please do one thing today to help support one of their projects. Because the right support and inspiration is often what makes the impossible not only possible, but probable.

Enjoy…

3 Examples of Living Legends Doing the Work They Can’t Not Do

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1. You see a parking lot. We see a place where people from all walks of life can gather, move, and play with friends – while transforming their bodies.

Living Legend: Jennifer Pattee

Location: San Francisco, CA, USA

Why and How Jenn is Making an Impact:

We believe getting outside, away from our desks, moving around, and strengthening ties with co-workers, neighbors, and community can help people discover – and rediscover – vitality and empowerment in all aspects of life. But breaking these sedentary desk habits can be tough. Exercising outdoors goes beyond simply offering a new way to get fit and look good. Everyone knows the problems we are facing around health are not going away until we massively expand people’s fitness options.

A few years ago, I founded Basic Training, a San Francisco-based outdoor fitness company, and now we are raising funds to build an outdoor workout space for public use. The free, pop-up fitness hub will transform a previously unused parking lot within Hayes Valley’s PROXY project into a bright, colorful, multi-use space. This is our solution to the problems city dwellers face when there are few, if any, open-air fitness options outside their door. We want to get the world active again!

How you can help: 

First, you can support us by going outdoors everyday. Make a plan today and decide to do something active, every day. If you work for a company, do they provide breaks for working out? Ask for them. Yoga instructors, mediation experts, and companies like mine will meet at your front door and take employees outside to move, play, and work out as a team. It’s vital for your health, it’s great for your culture, and it sends a message to the world that you do things differently.

And most urgently, we’d love your help in reaching our dream by contributing to our Indiegogo campaign – and as a thank you, you’ll get all kinds of fun fitness perks.

The deadline to contribute is November 14th at midnight PST – that’s tomorrow night!

Learn more here:  Pop-up Fitness Hub to Inspire & Facilitate Activity

Fun fact: In 2014, I’m meeting 50 strangers in 50 cities where I have never been and having them take me on their favorite run. I also want to run a 50-mile race in the Alps. My required gear list includes an emergency blanket and a whistle. I am scared as hell.

Personal note from Scott: Jenn also happens to be a savage (and inspiring) ultra-runner. She’s the one who finally twisted my arm to sign up for the North Face 50-mile Endurance Challenge foot race. I am WAY out of my league, but I’ll be at the starting line on December 7th at 5 am. 🙂

For a taste of how hard core Jenn’s workouts are, and for some gorgeous views of SF’s outdoor gyms, check out her short video…

Don’t see a video? Click here to watch Jenn & friends get their sweat on!

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2. Three Aussie Mates Surf Around the World to Help Children Overcome Depression & Suicide – Then Produce an Award-Winning Documentary

Living Legend: Benjamin Robinson

Location: Australia, WA, Perth

Why and How Benjamin is Making an Impact:

After attending a suicide prevention workshop at University, I realized that my mates and I fit the profile of youth most at risk of taking their own lives. And sadly, suicide is a leading cause of death amongst young people in Australia. We wanted to do something about it, so three boys took on the challenge of surfing the seven seas of the world to help prevent youth suicide.

Recently, I independently co-produced the adventure into an award-winning documentary called 3mates7seas. Despite our average abilities – 3mates7seas presents the real, warts-and-all story of the two-year journey. We had the best intentions of preventing youth suicide, although it’s a miracle we survived this international surfing odyssey gone wrong.

We thought we could possibly use our trip as a metaphor to help others, particularly young men from regional backgrounds – people like us. The funniest thing about the trip was that we got more help from the students we met along the way than I think they got from us. 3mates7seas may never have made the big screen if it were not for going to a Live Your Legend workshop in Sydney. I was surrounded by other like-minded people who gave me that final push.

How you can help: 

It’s very easy to help. Please go to www.3mates7seas.com and watch the trailer to our documentary. If you’re inspired, we’d love for you to buy yourself a copy.

50% of all profits from DVD sales go to Black Dog Institute to help improve the lives of people with a mood disorder.

Learn more here: 3 Mates 7 Seas Trailer

Fun fact: Even though I have spent most of my twenties traveling the world, I still leave it til the night before to pack my bags – no matter where I am going! Donating blood and seeing spiders still are two of the scariest things of all time!

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3. A Corporate Drop-Out Begins Publishing Micro How-To Books to Help Women Thrive

Living Legend: Brittany Deal

Location: Manhattan Beach, California, USA

Why and How Brittany is Making an Impact:

Life is long. If life were actually short, no one would care about anything, but life is long and full of possibilities. Women want to not only enjoy life, but they also want to achieve their goals and pursue meaningful work. Women essentially want to thrive in all the areas of their life, and I want to help them by creating a place where they can go to get the tools and the knowledge they need to solve their problems, get savvy and get the most out of life.

So I recently published my first book: Savvy Girl, A Guide to Wine. This is the first book in the Savvy Girl series, a how-to book series written for women. Going forward, I will be teaming up with experts to collaborate on future Savvy Girl guidebooks. I hope to eventually have 100 books in the brand.

The problem is that we are drowning in information, yet starved for knowledge. The Savvy Girl guides cut through the clutter so you can get savvy and get back to living your fabulous life.

How you can help: 

I’m looking for experts! I want to connect with LYL followers who are experts and who might be interested in collaborating with SG on future titles. By collaborating with SG, I can help these LYL experts grow their revenue, gain visibility for their brand, and enhance their credibility. All at a risk-free opportunity (no out-of-pocket costs for them). If you’re interested, let me know here!

Also, my goal is to create the best content, so it doesn’t matter if the expert author is male or female.

You could also pick up a copy of my first book – download a free chapter here!

Learn more here: Savvy Girl & Savvy Girl, A Guide to Wine 

Fun fact: I have my private pilot’s license!

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So … hearing from these three begs the question…

How Are You Spending Your Time?

What are you creating?

What’s been on your mind, dying to get out?

There is only one very small difference between Jenn, Benjamin and Brittany and the rest of the world that’s still thinking about doing something.

And it’s so simple.

They started.

They found something they deeply cared about. A cause they could get behind. A way of using their talents to help the world around them.

They found the work they couldn’t not do.

Then they put their heads down and got to work.

And often, when someone does that, the world goes to bat for them. Then it starts to get exciting.

Before you leave this page, make two promises to yourself:

1. Do one thing, no matter how small, to move your idea just a tad further toward existence.

2. Pick one of the projects above and spend a few minutes learning about their cause and take one action to support one them.

The power of this community comes in the support we provide each other and the possibility we can provide to the world.

That can only happen when you all decide to do something about what you learn.

Thanks for living a story worth telling.

Here’s to doing something that matters,

– Scott

P.S. Does Your Impact Involve Kinda Wanting to Be a Coach?

Living your legend is all about finding ways to use your talents and passions to help those around you in a meaningful way. I also happen to believe that every one of us has skills right now that someone else would be happy to pay you for. You just have to know what to offer and who to offer it to.

So for many of us, one-on-one coaching and consulting ends up being a really powerful place to start. It also happens to be the fastest way to start making money from a passion – and there’s no better way to get to know your target audience than looking them in the eye ;). I would have had no idea what topics to cover in Live Off Your Passion if I hadn’t done 1:1 work with clients for a couple years before.

Anyway, with all that said, my friends Brian Johnson (founder of Entheos and Philosopher’s Notes) and Jacob Sokol (Founder of Sensophy) are hosting a virtual video conference titled “I Kinda Wanna Be A Coach.” Admission is actually free too – if you register this week.

They’ve brought in dozens of experts (including folks like yours truly, Sean Stephenson and Kate Northrup). It shouldn’t be a surprise that my portion is all about “How to Become Friends with Your Role Models.”

The virtual conference is being held next week from November 18-22, 2013.

If you think you might want to work one-on-one with people, I think this could help a lot.

Here’s the link to learn all the details and get your free ticket.

Let me know what you think!