Author: Steve Bloom

The Difference Between You and People Doing Awesome Things

Steve Bloom 21 Comments

Randy

I read a fascinating story in National Geographic a few months ago about a guy who hiked the perimeter of Alaska.  All he carried with him was a backpack full of gear, a kayak and tent.  He’d trek to various state parks every day and set up his tent at night before heading out again the next morning.

As I read, I wondered about the guy.  Was there something special about him that could make him do something so amazing?

Then I thought more broadly.  What makes people do awesome things in general?  A lot of people wish they could pursue some crazy adventure or dream, but many don’t.  What’s the difference between someone who does awesome things and someone who doesn’t?
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Your Everyday Decisions Are More Important Than You Realize

Steve Bloom 13 Comments

Street life

It’s easy to look back on your past and see how big decisions have changed your life. What’s harder to do is look back and realize how all those small everyday decisions have impacted you.

Most people give a lot of thought to making big decisions, but how many of us give much thought to the small everyday ones? There’s a great quote by Wayne Dyer that goes, “Our lives are the sum total of the choices we have made.” So what kind of life are your everyday decisions making?
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7 Truths About Fear That Build Courage

Steve Bloom 11 Comments

Joshua

Can you have courage without fear? By definition, courage is the ability to confront fear and uncertainty. You really can’t have one without the other.

Some of the best things you can do for yourself require courage. Fear is what holds you back. But the two are so interlinked that you can never quite separate them.

What you can do is understand fear and its nature. There are some underlying truths about fear.  Once you understand them, they can help you build courage to do just about anything.
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What a Moroccan Fisherman Taught Me About Life

Steve Bloom 22 Comments

Sunset on Casablanca's cornice, Morocco

I got back from Morocco about two weeks ago.  In total I spent over two months there with most of that time in Casablanca.

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and the commercial center for the country. It’s definitely not as interesting a city as Marrakech or Fez, but it has a quiet charm about it. I’ll always hold it near my heart because of the time I spent there.

And the city will also be special to me because of a fisherman I met there. The time I spent with him taught me a lot about life, travel and what it means to be poor.
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The Willingness to Say Controversial and Outrageous Things

Steve Bloom 11 Comments

(Self) Censored

In the roughly three years I’ve had this blog, I’ve published a few posts that some people have considered a little controversial. At least that’s the general consensus I got from the blast of negative comments I received.

A few of those times were completely unintentional, but admittedly some were deliberately provoking. And in those cases, I would often wait, knowing that someone out there would soon send me a nasty email or comment regarding what I had just said.

It might be weird to say, but it’s kind of a rush.

But it wasn’t always like that. In fact, the first negative comment I received really hurt. I put a lot of thought behind my arguments and people were happy trying to rip them to shreds. Yet through all the feedback, both good and bad, I learned a valuable lesson. You can’t always hold yourself back – you have to be willing to say controversial things.
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7 Rules for Trying Your Best

Steve Bloom 15 Comments

Barbell Pushup Smoke

One of the first things I often hear out of someone’s mouth, after they attempt to do something and fail, is that they tried their best. It’s good to know that even if you couldn’t get what you wanted, you at least pushed yourself hard to succeed. But what exactly does it mean to try your best?

My version of trying your best seems to be different from how a lot of other people see it. I’ve seen many half-heartedly attempt to accomplish something only to proclaim proudly they had tried their best. But to me, trying your best means actually doing everything you possibly can do to make something happen.
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What You Miss By Doing What Everyone Else Does

Steve Bloom 16 Comments

'Off the Beaten Path', Iceland Fields of Lyngdalsheiði

There’s a natural tendency to stick to the middle ground and do what everyone around you is doing. It’s like something is pulling you in line with everyone else. I can certainly see why that happens. Everyone likes to feel like they belong so if you do what everyone else is doing, you won’t feel excluded as an outsider.

But some of the best things I’ve done for myself happened because I decided to do things others weren’t. In fact, I think you could miss out on some really great experiences by doing what everyone else does.
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