Greetings fellow life adventurers…welcome to our mid-June Newsletter!
Since the start of April, I have had 20 speaking gigs spanning 7 different states, and I continue to notice a common theme among these very different audiences – the desire to be happier.
Invariably during my conversations with attendees before events, they ask me what I will be speaking about. For many of the events, I deliver my signature keynote “The Safari Way to Greater Happiness” so I sheepishly answer them, “happiness.” I’m sheepish because it sounds cliche or goofy or something – but I have been constantly met with a quick and intense response, “We need that!”
No matter the industry, responsibilities, or level of the audience, they all want to be happier.
Whether I am talking about our personal lives, our jobs, owning a business, or how we build powerful teams, the answer is the same – “We need to be happier!”
Because of this, I have added a few things to all of my talks. I have started giving audience members the permission to pursue happiness; the permission to allow themselves to consider what life would be like if they were happier, and to contemplate how that could happen.
If they are unable to give themselves permission to be happier for their own sake, I invite them to start viewing their happiness as a leadership strategy, parenting strategy, relationship strategy, or a friendship strategy. Because when we are happy individually, it has a positive impact in all of these areas of our life.
What about you?
Is there an area of your life you would like to be happier?
Have you given yourself permission to pursue greater happiness? Or do you feel like you are not entitled to greater happiness; or that it is somehow selfish; or maybe even that you don’t deserve it?
These are all things I struggled with that were a barrier to my own happiness. Once I gave myself permission to pursue happiness, it started happening.
And I want the same for you.
Let’s jump in the jeep together and encourage each other in this wild adventure of life. Let’s celebrate the good times together; let’s grieve with each other in the tough times. Let’s take the top off the jeep, and stand up to let the wind blow through our hair as we find out together what’s around the next corner.
One of the best things we can do to increase our happiness is to have the Right Peeps in the Jeep – and I’m honored to be in your jeep, whether that is just through these newsletters, or having shared a talk with you, or whether we go back years in our shared history.
You may remember my story of going to the Ohio State football game, the story that concluded my book and certainly one of the most “unright” things I have ever done.
Steve’s “Unright” trip to Ohio
Over the past year, I have shared about the unright thing as part of my speaking, and it has resonated with audiences in powerful ways. There have been lines of people after my talks to buy books and chat about their own experiences.
I have also received dozens of emails, even weeks after the events, sharing with me the unright things people have been doing – from a nosering in West Virginia to drum lessons in Nebraska to a coffee cart in Iowa.
It has become obvious that doing the unright thing is a critical step for those of us wanting to touch the extraordinary.
When we do all the right things, we get expected results, which can be good – but for those of us who long for the extraordinary in our life, work, or leadership, the catalyst is almost always an unright thing.
This is just a tease of what is to come! In the months ahead you will see a new focus on my website, with my talks, and on social media. Oh, don’t worry, safari will still be a central part of what I do, but prepare for a new emphasis on the power of the unright thing.
You will be invited to help me create a movement.
We will start something to impact lives of people around the world.
It is all I can do to not tell you more, but it is going to be exciting and fun… and we will be doing it together. We are peeps in each other’s jeeps, and this will be a great time on adventure together!
If you are dying to know, send me a separate note – otherwise, stay tuned and get excited.😁
Remember, living the Safari Way involves five elements that bring us to that happiness we are looking for:
What experience do you truly, authentically want to have?
Do you have the right peeps in your jeep?
Are you doing the unright things?
How do you pause and take in the view?
Do you embrace your epic adventure?
Thrilled to be with you on this Epic Adventure!
Maisha ni safari
(Swahili… Life is a Safari)
Steve Fredlund,
The Safari Dude
Life is an adventure. Make it epic.
Shoot me an email, connect on LinkedIn, subscribe on YouTube, consider coaching, find me at a conference, or whatever makes sense in your world.
About The Author
Steve Fredlund is an award-winning keynote speaker, two-time TEDx presenter, and bestselling author of Do the Unright Thing: Memoir of a People Pleaser. After decades as an actuary, executive, entrepreneur, and nonprofit founder—including leading humanitarian efforts in East Africa—Steve discovered that doing everything “right” doesn’t always lead to fulfillment or impact.
Drawing from that journey, he developed The Courage Advantage™ philosophy—centered on the everyday courage to move beyond expectation, lead with authenticity, and live in alignment with what truly matters. Through his engaging stories, humor, and practical insights, Steve inspires audiences to find greater clarity, connection, and fulfillment in both life and leadership.