From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: As you make progress toward a small goal, the bigger vision expands. Many people featured…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: “All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.” Most…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Some adventures should be shared. In studying quests, I heard from people who chose to…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Misadventures produce confidence. At nearly every stage in my journey to every country in the…
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When I was writing my new book, I received a detailed note from longtime friend Lissa Rankin. She gave me some advice that stayed with me throughout the writing process, and I’m including it here with her permission. *** I am assuming that your book will include some of your personal story—your own quest—and I…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: We are motivated by progress and achievement. It feels good to check things off. Lists…
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Over the weekend I headed home for a brief pause in my adventures to 40 cities to meet with readers as part of our fall book tour. It’s been exhausting (per usual) and also very fun (per usual). A few nights beforehand I was in Orange County (here’s an attendee review), and the local group…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Every day matters. The awareness of our mortality can help us focus. We all have…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Before Beginning, Count the Cost. In the early days of my journey to every country,…
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From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Everyone has a calling. Follow your (own) passion. Pay attention to the things that excite…
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Yep yep, it’s true… because of our great readers, The Happiness of Pursuit debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list this weekend. I’m so excited! Debuting on the list is harder than ever these days because paperback, hardcover, and ebooks are all combined into “one list to rule them all.” The same…
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“To the discontented man no chair is easy.” -Benjamin Franklin From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Unhappiness can lead to new…
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This is a “quest” case study, a new feature focusing on quests and adventures of all kinds. (Read others or nominate yourself.) I met Matt in Istanbul last year, at the end of an epic journey for both of us. I had just finished visiting every country, and he’d just finished walking across all of Turkey.…
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I got up super early (well, for me) to head down to NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center. I went on the show for a short interview. The segment was a bit rushed (blame ISIS and abusive football players for taking up more of the time), but somehow I managed to be somewhat articulate.
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The day has come!
Live from New York City, I'm somewhat happy incredibly thrilled to publish my new book, The Happiness of Pursuit. This book represents the culmination of a ten-year odyssey to every country in the world—but it doesn't end there. As I approached the end of the journey, I spent two additional years researching and interviewing other people who have undertaken a quest.