If you have been following me for a while, you know I’ve been a recovering actuary for just over four years, continually searching for my sweet spot in life and career.
Well, I believe I have found it!
The soul-searching, strategizing, and projects over the past four years have led me to a few realizations…
First, that life is an adventure and it is up to me to be intentional about making it epic. No matter what I do, I cannot remove the fact that life is full of highs & lows, ups & downs, knowns & unknowns. That is the very nature of life – which is also the very nature of an African safari. In fact, in many ways, elements of our life (work, leadership, relationships, parenting) parallel a safari.
This realization, along with my trips to East Africa is how I have become known in the speaking circles as “The Safari Dude.”
I love it and I’m leaning into it in all I do…
So that is my invitation to you: “Life is an adventure. Make it epic.”
Second, that my vision of an epic life focuses on bringing epic to other people.
When someone in the audience or my coaching client “gets it” and I get to see them pursue epic in their lives, it gives me such joy.
And third, which is related, is that my epic is lived out the most when I am just ordinary Steve living my life who is suddenly summoned to help in a situation.
Although most of the world isn’t aware, I become Clark Kent going into the phone booth or Mr. Incredible dawning his mask. I run to the scene of the need equipped with my superpowers of clarity, empathy, problem-solving – and then when the problem is solved, I put back on my thick, dark-rimmed glasses and resume my normal life, with only a few people aware of what happened.
What I do and how I do it is not universally accepted. Sometimes I don’t charge enough for speaking/coaching and I’ve even given it away free. I’ve taken 5 hours out of my New Year’s Eve to drive over two hours away to perform a 20-minute wedding that is outdoors on the 4th floor overlooking Lake Superior in heavy winds and sub-zero windchill for a few hundred bucks.
Why? Because they needed help and I had the ability to do something about it.
The default is to stay home and warm, taking a break from all the work I have been doing. The expectation is to let them worry about it; it’s their problem for planning it last minute. The “should” is that I should make them pay through the nose for doing this for them.
Those are the universally accepted, “right” decisions…
But if I’ve learned anything over the past few months of soul-searching, it’s that if I want to live an epic life – truly grounded in what I see as an epic life for myself – I need to make “unright” choices. I need to be able to stand against the defaults, expectations, and shoulds.
Life is an adventure. Make it epic.
That is my invitation to you as we launch into 2023.
Through my email newsletter and blog, I plan to share with you my thoughts, projects, and activities related to our epic adventure of life.
This is for those who are longing for “more” in their life – whatever “more” is; this is for those who are tired of having an ordinary perspective on relationships and parenting and career and school and hobbies – who are ready to see our life experience as epic – as something bigger and more than most people think.
I don’t have all the answers, but I have a perspective that is changing my life and the lives of those I have been able to share it with. I am leaning on all of you to share your insights and perspectives; let’s learn together – let’s challenge each other – let’s dream and celebrate together – let’s pursue epic together!
As we embark on this new year together, I’m inspired by the possibilities and opportunities the future holds. I’m grateful to have you in my community, and I look forward to connecting with you in 2023.
Cheers to a new year!
