Me & Andi, in Portland, Maine--our first stop for the Status Quo Smackdown Roadtrip 2010

I’ve got little patience for excuses.

I proactively call myself out whenever I catch myself making excuses in order to either procrastinate or invent reasons why I shouldn’t put myself out there.

Why?

Because sometimes, putting yourself out there is nail-bitingly, blood-curdingly, will-drive-you-to-drink, flat-out terrifying at times.  It’s far easier to continue doing what we’ve always done, or to take the easier route, than it is to risk our pride, financial stability and comfort in knowning what to expect on a day to day basis.  Risk invites the prospect of humiliation, self-doubt, uncertainty, instability, and often far more work than we imagined.

But on the flip side, risk also invites some highly attractive prospects: self-fulfillment, self-confidence, personal growth, professional growth, exhilaration, excitement, and much hotter sex, of course.  You don’t think the kama sutra was created by play-it-safers, did you?

Essentially the primary difference between risk takers and non risk takers is a matter of control; risk-takers are okay with not having it at all times, while non-risk takers tend to need it more.

Risk means uncertainty.  Uncertainty means loss of control.  But the big question here is: What does loss of control mean?

If we assume that oftentimes, risk is avoided in order to avoid loss of control, then it’s important to analyze why loss of control is so greatly feared.

Must we have control at all times?  What are the consequences if we don’t?

Naturally, for each person the answer to the latter will vary, but examining that answer is the only way we can move toward taking more risks.  Truly ask yourself: What’s the worst that could possibly happen?  Oftentime, the worst that could happen isn’t nearly as bad as we build it up in our minds to be, and by looking at it through a more rational lens, we can reduce our fears, stop making excuses and start taking action.

Risky Roadtrips

As many of you know, I recently embarked on a cross-country roadtrip with fellow bloggers Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle and Andi Norris of Instigationology.

To start, there are a million other things I could be doing this summer that would be safer alternatives, guaranteed to provide me with a more steady income and the assurance that I’ll be able to pay my bills on time.

And to many people, safe is appealing.  At times, safe is appealing to me, too.  Safe is warm.  Safe is welcoming.  Safe is familiar.  Safe is reassuring.

And while those things are pleasant–sometimes imperative–the opposite of safe can be just as appealing, and even more so.  It’s called vulnerability.

Being vulnerable allows us to greet new experiences with the tender innocence and openness necessary to grow.  To allow ourselves to be taught.  To grant ourselves the right to not know, and to be okay with it.  To recognize when discomfort is in our best interest.

And for me, this roadtrip is doing just that: It’s making me vulnerable in a number of ways, and I’m allowing it to, because I believe that the benefit of taking the risk will far outweigh the benefit of feeling secure.

As always, it comes down to priorities.

And right now, mine favor the value of experience over security.

If you’re interested in learning more about our trip and finding out where you can meet up with us, visit www.waybelowstatusquo.com for our itinerary.  So far, we’ve completed our Portland, Maine stop and will be leaving Philadelphia tomorrow to head to D.C.  The purpose of the trip was to meet readers, have the opportunity to put faces to names, and serve as a conduit to bring like-minded folks together.  So far, we’ve been thrilled with the turn-out, and hope to see you in your closest city!  Visit the live blog for the most up-to-date information on what we’ve been up to, and where we’ll be, or follow me on Twitter: @TMFproject.

Most of you reading this website are here because you want more.

Tried and true may be comfortable, but boring.  The traditional life path may be safe, but uninspiring.  The status quo is average, but nothing extraordinary.

You know there’s something missing, but you can’t pinpoint what, exactly, it is.

We’ve essentially been told for years that hard work pays off.  You’ve gone and done everything the way you’ve been told you were suppose to do it.  We’ve been under the impression this whole time that as long as we put in our dues, we’ll be rewarded, and handsomely.   This was the model of reality we’ve built up in our minds, assuming that by following the rules, eventually the right of passage would open its doors to us, and we’d saunter on through in our Armani suit, whistling show tunes and brushing our shoulders off before asking someone to pass the Corvasier.

Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that right now, you’re lucky if you even have a job, let alone an Armani suit.  Maybe you happen to be in that crowd.  If not, then chances are you’re probably looking for a job. Or maybe you’re one of the brave, who’s elected to try and build an unconventional business & lifestyle.  Regardless of the circumstances, you haven’t been able to quiet the small, nagging voice in the back of your mind that says, “Is this it?  Is this what I’ve been working for my whole life?  This?”

But you make every attempt to silence that voice, because now that you’ve put so much time and effort into X career or Y life plan, you feel obligated.  You tell yourself that you’re just going to have to stick it out.  And so you do.  But it doesn’t get better.

The small voice eventually becomes a bigger one, reminding you that you deserve more. You start to resent that voice, and then start to resent yourself.  This is your one precious life, after all.  But just as soon as the thought pops into your head, you immediately hit a brick wall; you wouldn’t know how to change it if you wanted to.  What’s a person to do?  Go back to school?  Up and quit?  Stay and start a business on the side?  Exile themselves from the country?  Just say screw it, and sit at home eating buckets of fried chicken and Twizzlers all day long?

I’ve been in that position.  Not the friend chicken and Twizzler position (usually), but the lost and confused and crushed position.  And man was it unsettling.  Frustrating.  Disillusioning.  Heartbreaking.

Others have asked themselves these same questions, too.  Take Colin Wright of exilelifestyle.com or Andi Norris of instigationology.com.  Both of these cool cats started out doing out doing something entirely different than what they’re doing now.  Yet somehow, all of us have managed to jump oh-so-gracefully over that little disheartened hurdle, and leap into something that, after taking some inner inventory, made more sense for us.  We’re now doing things that we like to do, because, well, we like them.  And isn’t that the point?

But more importantly, we’re doing things we like to do because we gave ourselves permission to go ahead and do so. To not be afraid to scrap it all and start over.  To teeter on up to the edge of something new, poke it in the side and say, “Hey.  Let’s take some risks, you big, Santa Claus – esque imaginary metaphor, you.” To put ourselves out there, recognizing that the universe can never say yes, if we never ask anything of it.  It’s a go big or go home mentality, and it’s literally saved our lives.

Zee Big Annoucement

So maybe that’s why when the three of us got to talking about how much fun it would be to, oh, say, drive clear across the United States, we knew right from the beginning that this was something we had to do.

What better way to connect with all of you that we interact with online each and every day?

What better way to take our broader message and inject it with a straight shot of nitrous oxide?  (Not in the laughing gas sense, of course, but in the car racing sense.  Zoom, zoom, anyone?)

What better way to create a larger purpose, and leverage the awesome networks we’ve been fortunate to build, in order to bring more of you together in the name of facilitating innovation, big ideas & even bigger ass kicking?

Allow me to formerly introduce to you the official Status Quo Smackdown Roadtrip 2010, where myself, Andi & Colin hop in a car, risk extreme cramping of the limbs & the very real possibility of insanity, in order to drive thousands of miles to come visit in person.  And we couldn’t be more excited / thrilled / unable to stop thinking about how dangerously terrific it’ll be.

The Plan

Starting July 1st, 2010, we’ll begin in New York City, heading north up to Maine, and then loop back down again to Washington D.C. From there, we’ll mosey on down to Florida, hopefully encounter some white tee shirt contests, at which point we’ll swing back up through New Orleans, Memphis, Missouri & Illinois, chillax over in Madison, Minneapolis, Omaha & Denver, and then ride ‘em cowboy our way right back down to Texas, New Mexico & Vegas, before zooming up through California, stopping to play in Oregon & finally ending in Washington state.  The schedule is tentative to date, but we’ll be making adjustments over the next two months before the tour begins.

So, there you have it!  We’ve got some amazing potential sponsors (and if you have suggestions for someone we should be talking to, definitely get in touch), and we’d like to encourage anyone & everyone to come meet up with us in your nearest city, where we’ll be holding all sorts of fun un-conferences, meet-ups & beer drinking sessions.  To sweeten the pot, there might even be fake mustaches.  But shhh–Colin & Andi don’t know that yet.  We’re also open to your ideas on what you’d like to see from us, so feel free to give us a shout.

We’d be honored if you’d go ahead & check out the new site, www.waybelowstatusquo.com, and sign up to come hang out with us in your city, under the “Groups” section.  It’s no definitive commitment–we’d just like to get an idea of what to expect, and where.  You can always bail later if you want, but I’ll probably cry, in which case you’ll be obligated to come buy me a drink.

Last but not least, let us know if you’d be interesting in hosting our happy little threesome.  We want to really connect with everyone, and we’re trying to make a point of not staying in hotels for that reason.  I’ll be including updates about the tour at the end of my regular posts as they come up, including more definitive dates, but let us know if you’re interested.

Hope to see you soon!  And for the record, I will have mace with me, just in case you’re still mad about my Education post.  Or the racism one.  Orrr the one on capitalism & altruism.

Status Quo Smackdown Roadtrip 2010, baby.  Who’s in?

-