I’ve been off the radar for a little bit. Not writing much…. In the depths of summer, grinding it out in New York City building a company.
Sometimes I ask myself, is this for me?
This week I lost my voice. Why? Because I didn’t sleep much. I was at the office at 7:45AM, back to back to back sales calls, two meetings, being interviewed on a podcast, more decisions and discussions on the phone, interviewing a new graphic designer, a 9PM call with our team…
Last year, I was on the beach in Costa Rica, writing, drinking coffee, and exploring the world. How did I get back to this grind?
…To Build Something That Lasts Forever…
When I ask myself, “What did I want to do when I grew up?”, or “If I could have been anyone who would it be?”, hands down when I was young I would have selected famous men in history. Explorers, great leaders, and captains of industry… people who did something so special, we are still talking about them today.
“Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing.”– Benjamin Franklin
As someone who tries as hard as possible not to disappoint that little kid inside of me, it’s no surprise that I work everyday to be an explorer, leader, and captain of industry. And what’s even more important than what building a travel company like Under30Experiences gives me, is what it gives our team and customers: the opportunity to learn about the world and themselves through our journeys.
Building a mission driven company that makes travel more accessible to young people is something greater than myself. Everyday our team imagines giving our generation the opportunity to gain a broader perspective on the world, while also bettering themselves. We wake up thinking: how do we create a company where Zappos meets National Geographic… and most importantly, how do we create stories so powerful that people are inspired for generations to come?
This is the type of impact that I hope keeps people talking forever…
In Jarad Barr’s “Before We Can Make a Difference We Must Change The Way We Think“, he shares a very honest story about how his boss found his blog that ranted about how much he can’t wait to do something meaningful with his life and start his own business. Jarad expresses his deep inner conflict with not being the same person that sits in his cubicle all day. Which leads me to the question:
Is Our Generation True to Themselves?
Lets face it, what you do everyday when you wake up, is who you are, whether you like it or not. If you go to a job you hate, you’re going to start to hate your life. It’s like my buddy who works on Wall Street and describes the people he works with everyday as “empty-suits”.
It really makes me wonder–is our generation the same set of people in real life that they are in their cubicle?
Are you waking up and being true to yourself?
I’ve written about legacy many times on Under30CEO and what it means to our generation. It’s been said 1000x over, follow your dreams, life is too short not to do something meaningful, or as Gary Vaynerchuk said, “stop doing sh*t you hate.”
If we’re going to be the generation that changes everything, we need to listen to ourselves, and actually follow the calling inside every one of us. We need constant reminders from people like Jarad and Daniel DiPiazza, challenging us to create something larger than ourselves. When all is said and done…
Are you going to be an empty-suit, or your authentic self? Start creating, keep building, pour yourself into your writing, and do something that matters.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Matt Wilson is Co-founder of Under30CEO and Adventurer in Residence at Under30Experiences. Join them this winter in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Follow @MattWilsontv
