This Time It's Personal!

I took a break from blogging about empowering people via human motivation, innovation, building better workplaces and whatnot in May of 2012. Since then, I started a business, ended a long term relationship, ended a business, went traveling in Southeast Asia, took a TEFL course, fell in love, moved to Thailand and got a job: teaching blogging to high school students, and fell out of love.

I started Eating Lightbulbs because I was inspired by Dan Pink and his book Drive to change the world. I started out naively thinking that if I started doing something exciting and important that everything else would just work out. That somehow something would come together and my research and insights would make a difference.

That was at the beginning of 2010. I was out of work after getting laid off and had just come back from spending three months traveling around Asia. I had some money in the bank and a supportive girlfriend! I started this blog and read all the sources that Dan used to write Drive and kept on reading.  A year and a half later, I ran out of money and had to start looking for work.

That year and a half of research was one of the most exciting and enjoyable times of my life. I love doing research, learning about new ideas, and figuring out how to apply these new discoveries. My brain was fully turned on for the first time since I had graduated from college!

The job hunt I embarked on was highly stressful. In a year, I applied for 400 jobs, got 40 responses, and made it to the final interview 12 times. With Out A Single Offer. At the same time, my partner was diagnosed with an immune system disease, her uncle was diagnosed with cancer, and I was diagnosed with hypogonadism. By the end of the year, my long-term relationship was dissolving. In short, it was the worst year I have had in the last 20.  2012 is a four-letter word!

In the end, I created an opportunity for a consulting gig and worked for myself for six months. Just before the end of the contract, my relationship imploded, and I decided it was time to leave the building. So, I hit the road, and here you find me, alive and well in Bangkok.

My original idea for this blog was to only write about topics with empirical evidence, “Just that facts, ma’am.” I am coming to realize that people have too many facts, and what they want are answers. I have also figured out that it is stories that stick with us. It is stories that help our ideas come to life and live on.

A year and a half in Toastmasters taught me that I really like to write and give speeches. I have no problem talking in public about the most personal things, and it turns out that when I reveal something deeply personal during a speech, it helps connect me to the audience like iron to a magnet. So, here I am again to serve you, and this time it’s personal!

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Starting over is bittersweet. The joy of moving to a new place is like a hot fudge sunday and the sadness of leaving someplace that’s been one of the best places I’ve ever lived is like eating overcooked steak. If you know me, you know how much I hate steak, which is not very rare. I am very excited to be starting a new adventure and, in many ways, a new life. I’m also sad to move away from friends who are my family and the best city I have ever lived in.

The last three times I traveled, email and internet cafes were up and running, but social networking was lacking. I hope I can better stay in touch with folks via social networking, Google Voice, and Skype. Historically, I’ve been very good at being where I am but not so good at being where I’m not. I tend to focus on the now and live in the moment.

All of my friends always have an open invitation to come to visit me wherever I am, and my west coast friends have been good at taking me up on that. Hopefully, that will continue, and some of you will come to visit me in whatever amazing place I end up in. I will come back to the states once in a while. I will be back at the end of July to take care of some things, and pick up the rest of my stuff and then I’ll go back to Asia and find a place to live.

I am super excited about starting a new phase of my life, and this trip will be the longest and most adventurous one yet! I’m reminded of Doctor Seuss's book, “The Places You’ll Go!” I only have a vague idea of how I will spend the next six months, which is just fine with me. I may spend a month in 6 countries or two months in 3 countries or…

I’ll miss my crazy, amazing friends and all the weird stuff we end up doing. I’ll miss the Bay Area and all it has to offer. I won’t miss the stress or the “rat race,” as my dad would call life in the US. It’s time to open a new door and not quite close an old one.

Time, Travel and Priorities

Why don’t more people make the time for long-term travel? I have taken a half dozen trips that were at least two months long and one that lasted six months. 90% of my friends and family have never taken more than 2 weeks off at once. The average American is lucky to get two weeks off a year. 

In the United States, there are two times in our lives when we are more likely to indulge in long-term travel. When we are just out of college or high school, and when we retire. There’s a 40-year gulf between where we are so focused on work that we don’t do much of anything else. 

We spend all of our time making money to buy cars, houses, and a thousand other things. We put money in our 401K’s for retirement if there’s anything left over. Though many people start saving for retirement as soon as they start working. If you are 65 years old and have $1M in the bank, you could travel for the rest of your life. If you live that long and have good health… My retirement plan is not to retire.

I started traveling in my late 20s, and as I met retirees on my journeys, there was one thing I heard from them repeatedly. “I wish I had traveled when I was your age.” The problem with putting our lives on hold until we retire is that we’ll likely not be in good enough physical condition to do many of the things we’d like to do. 

It’s not about the money. It’s pretty easy to travel through most of the world on a $ 1,000-a-month budget. As long as your expenses are low, it’s not that difficult to save enough money to go for a 6-month adventure. Unless you are in debt or have other financial commitments like kids. For the rest of us, if vagabonding around the world appeals to you, there is no excuse for not making the time to do it. 

I’m 48 and about to go backpacking around Southeast Asia for six months. Luckily, my health and physical condition are excellent. I can still do all the things I want to do. There’s lots of trekking, swimming, scuba diving, and motorcycling in my near future. 

I can’t count the number of times someone has said to me, “I wish I could do that!” in regards to travel. You can do it if you make it a priority. Most people have been suckered into thinking they can’t get off the hamster wheel. They are afraid of employment gaps or that they’ll not be able to get a job when they come home. After all the layoffs and restructures, I thought folks would understand that there is no job security. 

Why not plan for a travel sabbatical, save up for it and go? Take control over your life and your time. Do something you’ve always dreamed about doing while you can still enjoy it. 

Be Grateful!

What are you grateful for? Do you like your family, friends, job, or dog?  Do you have enough food, a roof over your head, or interesting challenges to pursue?  Being grateful is a symptom of having enough, of your cup being at least half full. If you’re grateful, chances are your content and possibly happy.

 I’m grateful for having a fantastic life that’s overflowing with wonderful people.  I have the best friends a human being can have.  They are supportive, helpful, and caring and give me a kick in the ass when I need it.  I’ve not had much room for new people in my life for the last several years. Since I started on this new path of research, blogging, and the constant assimilation of new ideas, I’ve been meeting lots of new and interesting people, for which I’m very grateful.

 I’m grateful for having a partner who has changed my life in ways I could not have imagined before now.  She’s talented, intelligent, creative, and caring, and she puts up with me!  Thanks to her, we have a happy little nest to call home. I’ve never been happier, and she’s played a massive part in that happiness.

 I’m grateful for the life I’ve led and the things I’ve done.  I’ve made a small contribution to many people’s lives, from delivering excellent service to folks at work, volunteering, or simply being there to hold someone’s hand or listen to a tale of woe.  My teenage years were not my best, and at times I was hurtful. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to become a better person and make up for those early years.

I’m grateful that I’m silly most of the time and that I don’t let serious things get too serious or let them infect my enthusiasm or positive outlook. Being light-hearted and staying young at heart is at the center of who I am and has been one of my most helpful practices.  It can be infectious, and I love it when it spills over onto others.  

I’m grateful for the challenges I’ve faced, the horrible ones, as well as the ones I sought out. Getting through difficult experiences forges our character and prepares us for even more difficult challenges.  I’m certainly not glad about the people in my life who have gotten sick or died.  I am glad I could be there for them and others.   I’ve had my share of tragedy, but suffering is relative, and it’s not that you suffer, but how you suffer that matters, so I’m grateful for suffering too.

 I’m grateful for the amazing future that is just around the corner, the one that is pregnant with possibilities, and that’s only limited by me.  It’s a great time to be alive and to live in San Francisco.  There’s such a great mix of art, science, education, and culture here!  It’s an inspiring place to live and a great place to have new ideas.  

I’m grateful to you, dear reader, and I wish you the happiest holiday season. Without you, this blog wouldn’t be nearly so helpful.  It’s my hope that some of you out there find my research and writing helpful, that in some small way, it makes your life better or at least gets your neurons vibrating a bit. So go forth and be grateful!

Back to Reality Camp

I don’t do things halfway and seldom check to see how deep the water is before diving in. I’ve been going to Burning Man since 2002 when a friend told me about it during a camping trip in Death Valley. I’ve been volunteering for Burning Man year-round since 2002. My entire life, except my work life, has revolved around burning man. I’ve not missed a burn since I started going. Those are my people; it’s the first time in my life that I felt like I fit in. Being involved so deeply has served me well.

I just spent 17 days in the desert working and enjoying the event. The event itself has never meant very much to me. Most of what I got out of being involved with Burning Man came from the year-round communities I helped to build. It’s the other 50 weeks of the year I’ve gotten so much out of.  After nine years, I need more. It’s time to find or help build communities that are focused on having a more direct effect on the world and helping people live more meaningful lives. 

I certainly won’t walk away from the burner communities that are so much of my life. Without them, I’d not have any friends, and my friends are my family. I don’t anticipate changing who I spend time with, but I’m done with doing volunteer work for Burning Man. That energy and time will go into my work, which has become my life.

It’s always bittersweet saying goodbye. I feel like Temple Grandin opening the door to a new world. Sometimes opening a new door means closing an old one. So thank you, Burning Man! You’ve helped me grow into someone I like quite a bit, and I hope I’ve helped you grow. So long, and thanks for the fish.

Who, What, Where, Why and How?

Thanks for stopping by!  I’m Eddie Colbeth and this blog is for you.  Please feel free to chime in with your ideas, likes, dislikes and requests or whatnot.  I’ll do what I can. 

For the last few years I’ve been asking myself what’s next?  How can I be more helpful? How can I find more meaningful work?  How can I affect positive change in the world? 

After 20 years in high tech/management it’s time for something more.  What to do?  There are two words that are central to my life: Be Helpful.  Running IT departments has meant that I’ve always been making things better in some way and an agent of positive change.  For a few years now, I’ve wanted to be more directly helpful, but how?  I found my answer while traveling in Asia this past fall.  I watched Dan Pink’s TED presentation on “The Surprising Science of Motivation”, and it blew me away.  When I arrived back in San Francisco in December, Dan’s book ‘Drive’ was published and after reading it, I decided I’d learn everything I could about Motivation 3.0 and that I’d help others to do the same.  

This is the way I can be most helpful, by helping folks to be more fulfilled with their work, to be more efficient, invested, creative, engaged and to help them be part of something larger than themselves. I want to help government, institutions and companies focus on what their employees do, not when, where or how they do it; to focus on results, not hours, to treat people like partners, not automatons. 

The best part is there’s 50 years of research to say that Motivation 3.0 works along with 20 years of practical experience with successful companies to prove it.  

If you would like more from your work life, come along for the ride.  Your comments are greatly appreciated, I’ll answer every one.  I would also like to start online discussion groups to augment self learning, as there are no programs or courses that I know about on these subjects.