Author: Steve Bloom

The Most Important Word in the World

Steve Bloom 13 Comments

Hello

This article has been written as part of the “Most Important Word in the World” series; a collaborative project to inspire people to step outside their comfort zones and find adventure and friendship. Other contributors to the series are:  Wandering Earl, 1 Year Sabbatical, Nomadtopia, the Dropout Diaries, Disrupting the Rabblement, Beyond Norms, and A World of Inspiration.

Around midnight in downtown Minneapolis, I was heading home after a long night of hanging out with friends. I was standing at a crosswalk when two gorgeous women stood next to me and waited with me for the light to change. I smiled and they smiled back. And then I gave a short hello to which they reciprocated.  I didn’t realize at the time that this hello would be the start of a unique adventure for me.

Their mannerisms were odd and their bodily movements flighty. They didn’t seem drunk or on drugs, more like they were having a caffeine rush. They started to ask me weird questions such as, “Are you Chester the Molester?”. I didn’t know how to react other than to say no. Eventually the light changed. I figured that I’d walk across the street with them, our paths would diverge and they would take their baffling behavior with them. But that didn’t happen.
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6 Travel Behaviors I Don’t Understand

Steve Bloom 43 Comments

Seven

In general my philosophy on travel is simple. All travel is good travel. However, this doesn’t mean I think all forms of traveling are equal. I’d put traveling to the pyramids in Egypt at a much higher level than going to somewhere less exciting like Wyoming. I’d say everyone else probably would agree with me.  But even if most people would agree with me on that one point, I find that many others disagree with me on many other aspects of traveling.
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Does Your Direction in Life Matter?

Steve Bloom 19 Comments

ambiguity

In general there are two types of successful people I meet. The first type know at an early age what they want to do and do everything they can to get there. The second type have a goal in mind and work hard to get there, but change goals half-way to finish in an entirely different place. Where they end up isn’t anywhere near where they wanted to go, but in the end it is still a successful accomplishment.

Both types of people would be considered successful. The only real difference between the two is that the second type abandoned their original goals even if they had been held for a long period of time. So what does this mean for success in your life? If you might end up in an entirely different place and still be successful, does the path you take really matter?
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5 Ways to Unleash Your Creative Ideas

Steve Bloom 15 Comments

Any idea?

I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say one of the most important qualities for someone to have in order to be successful is creativity. Having the ability to create a new idea out of nothing is a highly desirable trait. And if you asked the creators of various businesses, they would add that new ideas can also be very profitable.

But beyond any monetary gains, being creative has other benefits. Research has shown being creative can improve mood, self-esteem, and socialization. Creativity is useful in solving real-world problems by being able to see things from new perspectives. This can increase your critical thinking power and make you a better decision-maker.
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Why Experiences are Better than Possessions

Steve Bloom 30 Comments

Houtbay from above

One of my fondest memories happened just one year ago. It was early in the evening in San Antonio and I was having a cold lager in the city’s famous Riverwalk district. I had traveled all the way across the country to see a place in the United States my fiancee raved about. She was right. The Riverwalk in San Antonio is a vibrant, fun-loving place. It’s a place I’m very thankful for experiencing.

In contrast, I find that I don’t have the same satisfaction level for things I own. While I do enjoy buying things here and there when I need to, they just don’t seem to generate the same positive memories for me. It’s nice to own things, but it is just not the same as experiencing something. Which is why I generally choose to do something rather than own something.
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Are You Afraid to Do Things Alone?

Steve Bloom 28 Comments

Waiting

Would you be willing to see a movie in a theater by yourself? How you answer this question can gauge how self-reliant you are and how willing you are to take social risks. At its basic core, seeing a movie in a theater is one of the easiest things you can do. But at the same time, seeing a movie by yourself is rather difficult to do for the first time.

The difficulty that lies in seeing a movie by yourself is just the beginning though. Many other fun, amazing activities seem to be harder when faced alone. This applies to travel, concerts and eating at a restaurant. So if you answered no to the question, how willing would you be to do any of these other things alone? Could you be missing out on doing some amazing things?
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The Carpe Diem Diagram

Steve Bloom 12 Comments

I write and think a lot about carpe diem. In this time, I’ve noticed most people get stuck at the same points and go through similar setbacks when they’re trying to seize the day. It occurred to me that carpe diem is just a series of steps people pass through.

So in the spirit of Maslow’s hierarchy and Bloom’s taxonomy (no relation), I came up with a diagram explaining the key aspects of how carpe diem works. And I think when you look through the diagram yourself, you’ll realize, like most things, living life to the fullest is a process.
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