“There has to be more to life than this.”

It’s a cliche’, I know, but those are the words that hit me right after paying $1400 for a lunch at one of the best restaurants in the world.  More on that in a future post, but for now it’s important to know that the catalyst for this project happened at that one moment.

I was approaching my 40th birthday, and for years I’ve had great thoughts, big plans, super ideas, and … little to show for it. I had started many micro-businesses, been successful in quite a few fields, had great pride in my ability to balance a creative mind and business sense, and yet I was searching for something different.  This blog will help resolve that for me on a personal level.

It will define itself further over the course of time and with the input of readers like you.  To help you understand my thinking I’m going to begin with a series of ‘maps’ that will discuss my past experiences and my personal vision for this project.

This is no simple project, however.  The power of the individual in today’s world is amazing, and the power a group can have to spread a message is immense.  So I’m starting a social movement embracing the idea that Game Changing ideas can make your life more secure, your income more predictable, and your life happier and more fulfilling, while drinking good wine and eating good food in exotic locations.

I’ve been thinking about this project for quite a bit, about two years in fact.  I’m not one to jump into something without a plan (a trait I embrace) but at the same time taking a trip without a map is sometimes the most rewarding journey (more on that in a future post on Venice Italy).  There are a number of factors, interests, writings, and desires that have conspired in what you are reading now, and the next few posts will help introduce you to the map of my ideas.

A few basic ideas about this website and project

Clear writing with a purpose is a powerful force and I hope to tap into its potential.

The speed of worldwide communication is astounding, and it has never been easier to get your message across.

The pie is always expanding, there is no such thing as a zero-sum game. Me writing this does not take from somebody else.  There is room for all.

Travel is the key to world understanding and traveling well means getting out of your comfort zone (just a bit).

A convergence of ideas is healthy and only possible through the medium of a blog. This blog will have four corners: Creative Thinking, Business Development, Wine, and Travel.  These are my own interests, but they weave together in pretty amazing ways.  I’ve tried starting blogs on only one subject, and for me it just doesn’t work because that is not what my life is about.  Being able to show how idea bridges can be build from seemingly distant subjects is going to be a major part of what you will read here.

Welcome, readers, and thank you for joining me.