I just finished reading the book The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen.  It’s the story of a man named Daniel Shellabarger, or Suelo (he’s come to call himself/be known). 

Exactly as the title makes it sound - Daniel has decided to give up living within the financial system of debt and obligation in favor of focusing on the present.  He does this by existing in a cave in Moab, UT; dumpster diving, stream bathing, hitchhiking, berry eating, and meditating.  It sounds like this guy is just a regular old crazy loon, but I assure you, he’s very much the opposite.  He’s educated, intelligent, and thoughtful.  He didn’t intend on giving up money, but did so only after an enduring, emotional, and tragic journey; testing himself, the Universe, God, his friends, his family, and most importantly, his faith.  

This book explores how he reached his decision and how he reconciles modern societies’ most paradoxical foundations.  And while most of us are not going to follow his lead, we should all take the time to learn from this man who has chosen a life so very different from ours.  For as we would tend to judge him for choosing to live in poverty, what we will learn is that “poverty” is a modern-day construct that we, as a society have decided is bad.  But he can help us all appreciate what we have.  For to him, “wealth” as we know it is also a modern-day construct that can have a very different definition.  Suelo’s philosophy is to give and expect nothing in return, which means he is obviously far wealthier than most of us are.  

I challenge you to read this book with an open mind and take what you can apply to your everyday.  I promise you won’t regret it.

Please feel free to write your thoughts via twitter to @rywayne, or comment on this post.  I’d love to hear from you.

Sincerely,  Ryann

For more information on Suelo, visit his website: http://sites.google.com/site/livingwithoutmoney/ and blog: http://www.zerocurrency.blogspot.fr/.

To purchase this book via Amazon, click here.

1. Start company in Canada.

2. Target a foreign market (UK)

3. Identify vulnerability in consumer behaviour (overconsumption of alcohol)

4. Create tool that addresses and harnesses that behaviour (breath test)

5. Revenue share with the source of that behaviour (the pub)

6. Market created (check)

I’m currently the Brit-half of an Anglo-American Frontier team traveling in Europe.  We’re working from US-designed (Chinese manufactured) technology:  Apple Macs, iPads, iPhones subscribed to AT&T complemented by our project management software hosted on Amazon.com’s servers.

Ry, having grown up in the land of innovation and flawless execution, is accustomed to expecting all of this technology infrastructure to work seamlessly.  

I grew up in the land of innovation and lousy execution where almost everything is “broken”.  I am conditioned to expect the design to be aesthetically brilliant and intellectually challenging, but if the product functionally “works” it’s a surprise gift from the gods.  In most cases, you expect to have to tinker with anything to make it operate.

This reminds me of our work in healthcare.  By transparently explaining the complexity of healthcare delivery to US patients, we recalibrate expectations to a lower level, thereby increasing satisfaction (and securing Medicare reimbursements for hospitals). And we strengthen patients’ engagement with their recovery as active partners versus passive customers.

I need to appreciate more the British passport I carry around with me everywhere.  

I write this from a French TGV traveling 150mph on a staccato connection to our US systems.  The shaky connection does not feel a failure of tech but a mind-blowing gift from Zeus.

- Scott

Scott posted earlier about “American Boredom” going beyond simply lacking things to do - and while a short cultural attention span may cause such things, sometimes it’s just a matter of not knowing what’s out there.

This post’s title links to a treasure-trove of fun, intelligent, absorbing things to do - even if it’s a bit admonishing in its delivery.

laughingsquid:

Kona Imperial Stout, A Craft Beer Brewed With Kona Coffee Beans

Love the design and the flavor concept - “intense in-your-face-goodness”.

Wondering what else they’re coming up with in a place generally known for tourism and surfing? Maybe we should investigate.

Happy Friday.

I was in Washington DC on 9/11.  I needed to get to London quickly, so was on one of the first flights out of Dulles a couple of days after the attacks.  The airport was eerily quiet as one would expect.  On the terminal shuttle, I struck up a conversation with a Canadian, long-time resident of the US.  I commented that America would never be the same again.  She replied tersely that the rest of the world would never be the same again, but that America would soon become bored with being terrified and revert to “normal” (I think she was implying, that normal was a state of slight-madness).  She was right, I was wrong.

I sense the economic equivalent today.  As we’re traveling the country delivering keynotes and working on consulting engagements, I’m sensing America becoming bored with the recession.  Bored with being down.  There’s an energy starting to bubble.  I think we’ve turned the corner.  America’s economic boredom is transitioning to self-believing (and fulfilling) investment and spending. Growth is coming.

- Scott

Maurice Sendak, who died today at 83, discusses creativity and his latest work, ‘Bumble-Ardy,’ in an interview with The Atlantic. (via theatlantic)

(via theatlantic)

The UK’s National Trust (the non-profit that owns tons of public castles, stately homes, big chunks of protected land etc.) has launched “50 Things to do Before You’re 11 1/2”.  An attempt to address Nature Deficit Disorder and get increasingly obese Brit kids off the sofa and into nature.

The list is great.  It reminds me of the keynote we delivered in Las Vegas last week, encouraging the participants to innovate as an outcome of diversifying their life experiences.

We recommend this list for those 31, 41, 51, 61 as well as those approaching 11 and a half.

(For the Americans, feel free to email to ask what “Conkers” is) - Scott

•Climb a tree
•Roll down a really big hill
•Camp out in the wild
•Build a den
•Skim a stone
•Run around in the rain
•Fly a kite
•Catch a fish with a net
•Eat an apple straight from a tree
•Play conkers
•Throw some snow
•Hunt for treasure on the beach
•Make a mud pie
•Dam a stream
•Go sledging
•Bury someone in the sand
•Set up a snail race
•Balance on a fallen tree
•Swing on a rope swing
•Make a mud slide
•Eat blackberries growing in the wild
•Take a look inside a tree
•Visit an island
•Feel like you’re flying in the wind
•Make a grass trumpet
•Hunt for fossils and bones
•Watch the sun wake up
•Climb a huge hill
•Get behind a waterfall
•Feed a bird from your hand
•Hunt for bugs
•Find some frogspawn
•Catch a butterfly in a net
•Track wild animals
•Discover what’s in a pond
•Call an owl
•Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool
•Bring up a butterfly
•Catch a crab
•Go on a nature walk at night
•Plant it, grow it, eat it
•Go wild swimming
•Go rafting
•Light a fire without matches
•Find your way with a map and compass
•Try bouldering
•Cook on a campfire
•Try abseiling
•Find a geocache
•Canoe down a river

Great example of leading change through positive incentives.

To Swear or Not to Swear

I’m known to occasionally swear in a presentation, and in our Presentation Skills workshop, I’m frequently asked if it’s okay to use emotive language. Here’s a great example where the word s**t seems highly appropriate. Take about 5 minutes to watch a terrific short talk on TED. 

-Scott