I'm on an adventure around the USA. Here's how it came to be...
Have you ever thought, "There has to be more to life than this"? or wished you had the courage to take that leap to pursue the things you're most passionate about...even if succeeding at any one of them seemed impossible?
I have.
Have you thought about what you'd have to sacrifice or how far you'd be willing to go to do that?
I did (I thought about it a lot.)
And then something that surprised even me happened...I faced my fears directly and took action.
I quit my job at Rockstar Games (Why? Maybe things like this. I certainly would not have wanted to be rewarded like this.) I terminated my lease. And I sold or donated everything I owned that wouldn't fit in my 4Runner.
And then on May 8th, with little more than an open mind, an optimistic attitude, and a strong desire to have a story worth telling, I set off on a journey that would completely change my life as well as challenge me in ways I never imagined.
And then there was that "wild card"... YOU.
In my desire to get out of my comfort zone and have as many interesting experiences as possible, I invited the world to get involved in my adventure.
And now folks (like you) who follow me (here, here, and here) are encouraged to change my "story" by suggesting where I should go, what I should do, and who I should meet (including you).
I became the protagonist in a real-life interactive choose-your-own adventure (when not under the influence of the internet, I run on "autopilot").
Who is Zero Dean & why should you care?
Well, I've got an unusual name, but that doesn't make me special. And I'm certainly not wealthy. (How do I afford what I'm doing? I'm living off limited savings - see my backstory.)
I'm a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none (though some seem to think I'm pretty good at photography.)
I don't think I'm particularly good looking. I wouldn't make a very good "celebrity". And I'm not an actor. Putting my face online always makes me cringe. And there are days I feel like a complete idiot. I question what I'm doing constantly. And I'm probably too old for any of this to be considered "normal behavior".
But I've been called "charming" & "genuine". Most people seem to like me. And sometimes I'm funny. I'm an optimist, I don't judge people, and I have a zest for life. And I have a knack for being around when interesting things happen. So maybe that's enough.
My actual "story" is pretty complicated, but if you have the time & interest, you can read more about me & what I'm doing by browsing this site (see about me & my backstory).
How This Got Started...
I remembered all the dreams and aspirations I had as a kid. I wanted to be a pirate, an astronaut, an explorer, a construction worker, and an architect (as a kid, I saw no reason why I couldn't be all of those things!)
I looked at where I was in my life and realized I was no longer on a trajectory that made me feel good about where I was going. I was simply following the path laid out in front of me because that's what people do.
But sitting behind a computer for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week (not an exaggeration) was not my idea of living. I was missing out on my life.
So I re-evaluated everything. And asked myself questions like:
What was I most passionate about? How could I pursue the things that filled me with enthusiasm? What kinds of sacrifices would I have to make to do that and would (could?) they be worth it?
Paulo Coelho, the author of "The Alchemist", uses the term "personal legend", which he defines as "the path we decide to take that fills our heart with enthusiasm. It is the path of our dreams."
I decided the sacrifices I would have to make were a part of the experience (what is life if it isn't a series of challenges?).
I decided I'd rather be happy than "wealthy". And I decided I'd rather feel alive than like a robot just going through the motions.
I hadn't read The Alchemist yet when I left on my journey, but I now know that I am fulfilling my personal legend.
And the things that fill my heart with enthusiasm?
1. Photography 2. Traveling 3. Writing 4. Adventure 5. And connecting with people
Now, I didn't just my job, terminate my lease, and sell everything without thinking about the consequences. On the contrary, I put a great deal of thought into my decisions, considered my options (and how crazy it all sounded)... and then decided to do it all anyway.
I would not recommend what I'm doing to anyone. Pursuing your passions has to be a personal decision.
Could I have played it safe and found something within my "comfort zone" to put my efforts & limited savings into? Yes. Would that have yielded the life-changing experience I was seeking? Probably not. And if not, then I would have always wondered, as many people often do, "What would have happened if I had taken that chance?"
There's a reason why most people don't just take a leap and "go for it". It's scary.
And it's not "normal". It's not "safe". It's not "comfortable". It's not glamorous. And it's not without its serious challenges. But this experience, it's all mine. I own it.
And for the first time in my life, I'm doing everything within my means to do everything I ever wanted & live the life I imagined on a path far beyond my comfort zone.
On May 8th I began a tour of the United States & Canada (they denied me entry!) looking for people to connect with, beautiful places to see, interesting experiences to have & remarkable stories to tell.
I was going to do this without any fanfare, but a friend, thinking that my travels & experiences would probably be of interest to others, suggested that I "broadcast" my journey and let others in on my story. I thought it sounded like a good idea (and fun), so that's what I'm doing.
And after thinking about it, I decided to take it a step further and actually invite the people who "follow" me to get directly involved in my "adventure" by allowing folks to have an impact on deciding where I go, what I do, and who I meet .
And then in an attempt to make this even more interesting and interactive, I decided to create podcasts (interviews with interesting people I already know or meet along my travels) and also accept "survivor style" challenges, activity invitations & requests from the people who follow me.
All of this probably makes it sound like I've put a lot of thought into this...and that's true. As a creative person, I like to make things as interesting for myself and others and I thought that all of this sounded like fun.
"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment would you capture it? Or just let it slip?" - Eminem (From the song "Lose Yourself")
(Clicking the button to the right will open a window so you can listen to the playlist while browing this site)
"I'm on a mission to the sky with the stars in my eyes Yet the weather won’t compromise Like a ball on a chain that is strapped to my brain I’m a prisoner inside of my dreams So I will appreciate the future of a day Where the clouds open up and scream And I sing now
"Start writing a new chapter, for if you live by the book you'll never make history." - Ben Sobel
"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible." - unknown
"It is amazing what one can accomplish when one doesn't know what one can't do." - A Garfield poster I used to have on my wall as a kid. I didn't always understand it, but I never forgot it.
"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." – Sir Cecil Beaton
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Herman Cain
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!" - Friedrich Nietzsche.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." - TBWA Chiat/Day
