A bag of experiences

(Source: Alex Chacon)

Alex Chacon decided not only to travel halfway across the world (which is a feat in itself), but he decided to complete his journey via motocycle.  He dubbed his 82,500 mile journey his "Modern Day Motorcycle Diaries."

It took 503 days to navigate 22 countries in North & South America.

Alex has a bag of experiences.
Naysayers may think that Alex's journey was frivolous -- one final hurrah before entering the mundane repetition of the "real world."

Steve Jobs would disagree.

"Jobs says that the difference between you and your dumb friend is the "bag of experiences" that you carry around with you. Innovation, intelligence, and the awards that follow all spring from being able to make connections that other people don't see, he says. So if you have the same experience-bag as everyone else, you will make the same connections as everyone else." - Fast Company.

Sames goes with Roman Krznaric from The School of Life.  Although we've historically viewed success through the narrow framework of the high-achiever (very good at one particular field), he extolls the virtues of being a wide-achiever. 

The person you are today is likely different from the person you were or will be.  Alain de Botton goes as far to say, "Anyone who isn't embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn't learning enough."  In fact, over a five week period, 50% of people will change personality categories on the long-standing Myers Briggs test (that's out of only 16 choices).

We change.  

Do you really want to bet on one thing -- something chosen in college or during your first job -- and do it really well forever?  Probably not.  It's likely wiser (and more sane) to focus on gaining a breadth of skills and experiences that you can shift between as you change.

In the words of two other creative giants:

"Don't be too timid & squeamish about your actions.  All life is an experiment.  The more experiments you make, the better" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you want to be on the side of Ralph Waldo Emerson?

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say commonplace things, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars." - Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Do you want to be on the side of Jack Kerouac? 

I sure do.

PS - Interested in reading more on this topic?  Check out my tips for being more innovative

PPS - Here's more pics from Alex's motorcycle journey