My Vegas Un-Vacation: A Lesson in “Unright” Living

What happens when you do an Unright thing inside of doing another Unright thing?

I spent a few days in late May / early June out in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. You might argue this is not the right thing to do because of the intensity of my speaking and wedding officiating schedule, or because Poker is not something you’re supposed to do because you were raised thinking gambling is wrong, or spending money to go to Las Vegas by yourself is just not something you’re supposed to do.

Those are all reasons that kept me away for many years. But I decided to do the Unright thing, enduring temperatures of 102° to play poker with some of the best in the world.

But a funny thing happened in the middle of that Unright thing. Another Unright thing emerged. 

I started working on some rebranding for my business, redefining many of my core elements and developing a new focus. So there I was, out in Las Vegas, sitting in my hotel room for long periods of time working on my laptop. 

Many would say that spending hours in front of my laptop while in Las Vegas was also not a right thing to do. But it’s not really the wrong thing either… it’s the Unright thing.

Some of you may be shaking your head in disbelief, or even in disappointment. I realize this and completely understand it.

But here’s why I felt it was important to share this with you despite your potential reactions. 

When we focus our entire lives trying to do everything right by the definition of our family or friends or coworkers or social media or what has been the norm in the past, we end up living the kind of life that is the amalgamation of everything we have seen and heard from those around us. And oftentimes, that life disconnects us from who we truly are, and what truly gives us energy in life.

When we choose to do what our heart and mind really want to do, rather than focusing on what we are supposed to do, we have so much greater fulfillment.

What are those things that you are doing (or not doing) simply because that’s what you are supposed to do? How is that different from what your heart really wants?

Speaking Adventures

May was an exciting month of traveling across the Midwest for both speaking and wedding officiation, highlighted by a 2.5-hour workshop in Bloomington with 75 medical technology leaders.

We discussed how to move beyond “good” and “fine” to achieve extraordinary individual fulfillment, team success, and organizational mission, all by focusing on having the “Right Peeps in Your Jeep”—both personally and professionally. 

It was truly life-giving to be in the company of these technology wizards, and a fantastic bonus was finally seeing fellow speaker Cindra Kamphoff in action. While we have different styles (I’m not as cool as her, and certainly could never pull off wearing glitter sneakers), she brings great information, challenging questions, and loads of fun to her audience, and I’d eagerly welcome her as a “Peep in my Jeep.”

Here is my upcoming schedule for June. If I’m in your neck of the woods, maybe we can get together — or if you want to be part of my presentation or you have someone who needs to hear it, feel free to ask and I will see if I can get you in.

Embracing the Adventure

Our individual pursuit of breakthrough builds a culture of creativity and innovation, where collectively we begin to expect the extraordinary.

In YOUR personal life, there is nothing more empowering and joy-generating than having the right peeps in your jeep — those who will support and encourage you along the journey you desire.

In YOUR professional life, there is nothing more satisfying, rewarding, and success-generating than having the right peeps in your jeep — those who are aligned with your vision & values, and those connected to your mission and others on your team.

This is a reminder to be intentional about bringing the right peeps in, kicking the wrong peeps out, and moving peeps into the correct seats so you can best achieve your personal or professional mission.

If you’re not already following me on LinkedIn, let’s connect! You might also enjoy subscribing to my YouTube channel, becoming friends on Facebook, or connecting on TikTok or Instagram. Join the conversation, and let’s keep this adventure going together.

Thanks for being here. You’re part of this journey in more ways than you know.

Until next time,

Maisha ni safari
(Swahili… Life is a Safari)

Sincerely,
Steve Fredlund,
The Safari Dude
Life is an adventure. Make it epic.

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