Nonconformity and Taking Over the World

The Brain from my beloved Pinky and the Brain would be very upset with me right now. I have, in fact, figured out how to take over the world. Well, I didn't figure it out myself. Someone else figured it out and was kind enough to share. Not surprisingly it does not involve hair-brained schemes performed by lab mice. Neither does it involve wishful thinking or passive visualization. What does it take? Good old-fashioned hard work and sacrifice. Shocking, yes? Isn't it funny how we obviously know something, but it takes someone telling it to our face before we believe it? Everyone is always searching for the easiest, fastest way to reach their goals and "get ahead." Chris Guillebeau is here to tell you, that's not how it works.

Who is Chris Guillebeau to tell you such things? Nobody, really. Just some guy who has managed to do remarkable things. He has never had a typical "real job," but he spent four years in West Africa with his wife as a volunteer aide worker. He has visited 83 different countries and plans to visit every single other country within the next five years. The couple doesn't have many worldly possessions - he is a writer and she is an artist. Yet they manage to give back. Chris is the author of a manifesto, "A Brief Guide to World Domination (and other important goals)." I have to admit that when I first heard about this manifesto, I thought it would be full of lots of bull. Why is this one different?

First off, Chris targets a very specific set of people - those that want to be remarkable. Whether or not you want to be remarkable, the information in the manifesto is worth reading. He reminds us all that we can do anything we want if we put forth the effort and make the sacrifices necessary. See? Effort + sacrifice = success. Simple, really. He outlines a great plan of attack that includes planning, effort, sacrifice, and helping others. I truly believe that following such a system will help you to be remarkable - or at the very least reach your goals.

I encourage you to read Chris' manifesto, then come back and let me know what you think of it.