Organize Your Life in a way that Makes You Happy

I do love it when we have really inspiring people here on the hot seat every Thursday, and today is no exception. Today I’m talking with Todd Wassel, who is man that has one thing on his mind: happiness. He’ll stop at nothing to enjoy life, and to put happiness first and work hard to make everything else fall into place.

Let’s find out more. Ready?

Could you introduce yourself?

I’m Todd from Todd’s Wanderings. Not much to tell really, I’m just your average American who left home at 21 and has been living abroad ever since. I think that was tongue in cheek, but to be honest I’m not really sure what Americans are like these days. I’m seeing more and more of us abroad, which is encouraging. I love to hike, travel, drink strong coffee and people watch through large coffee shop windows. I feel more at home with a backpack in some forgotten corner of the globe than in New York city. I’m currently on a mission to blend my international conflict management work with writing (I’m working on my first book at the moment) and blogging.

You’ve been on the road for 10 years. Aren’t you tired yet?

Nope, not at all. There was a time when I was leaving Japan after 5 years living there that I was really tired. I was sure I wanted to return to the US. But it turned out that I was just tired of working for the sake of working. I needed something more fulfilling. After graduate school I hit the road again to work as a development worker. I happened to meet my wife in Timor-Leste and she breathed a new level of excitement into my travels. Now home is where she is, and we are happy to change countries every few years.

Andy:  Did I hear a cliché in there, home is where the heart is?  Oh, home is where Kay is, sorry…!

You are lucky to have the ability to work while you’re on the road. What would you say to people who are looking to travel more and are struggling to find the balance?

If you want to travel, I would say don’t worry about work and just do it. You need to organize your life in a way that makes you happy, and that includes all the time you spend at work. I’m the type of person that has difficultly separating work and personal time. They both need to make me fulfilled or I am just not a happy traveler. Its easy to find ways to make money when you travel, its harder to figure out what you truly love to do. I would say figure that out first and then throw yourself into it. For me its international development (making a difference in the world), writing, traveling, being creative with my blog, and the ability to change any one of them the moment they no longer interest me or make me happy. I know that was not a concrete answer to the question

Basically, you have to be happy with your life. All of it. No one is going to figure it out for you. If you don’t like teaching English (I didn’t!) than make a plan to change your job and lifestyle. I went to grad school (am still paying off the debt), hit the road and started a new career. Now I want to have more time to write as well so I’m pushing my blog and trying to supplement my income so that I can do development consulting to have more time. Figure out what you want, make a plan, and then don’t be afraid to change if you realize you would be happier doing something else.

Andy:  I agree. The people who say “that isn’t possible” don’t want it bad enough. Happiness almost always involves hard work – or at least some hard thinking.

You were engaged in Sri Lanka. Why Sri Lanka? Anytips – it is a wonderful and romantic country, no?

We were living in Sri Lanka for 3 years working with victims from the civil war that was still raging at the time. Despite the war (which continued for over 2 decades) the country and its people were amazing. Sri Lanka has so much to offer from tropical beaches, to ancient cities, to mountain treks. In such a beautiful environment how could I not get engaged there. If you’re planning a trip to Sri Lanka I would suggest visiting more than just the tropical beaches. See the ancient cities, the tea country, and the jungles. We both love Sri Lanka and hope that now that the war is over all communities are treated equally and with respect.

You did the Shikoku Pilgrimage. I’m in awe – I’ve read an entire book about this trip and it isn’t an easy one, but even myself, after doing some amazing solo treks in New Zealand, know the power of the external environment. What are your thoughts on the pilgrimage – is it for everyone?

I love the Shikoku Pilgrimage. I’ve walked it twice now, its the focus of my current book project, and I would go back for the 3rd time in a second. There is something special (and addicting) about dropping away from society for a set amount of time. You realize what is important in life, what it means to treat each other like human beings, and you can pick of some awesome travel stories. I think it is for everyone, it just requires commitment, and the willingness to push through some difficult circumstances. There are very few opportunities left in the world to embark on a true journey, but this is one of them. The route can be difficult for those who do not speak any Japanese, but more and more information is becoming available in English (including a very detailed map book). The internet also has a wealth of information now. When I first walked the pilgrimage in 1998 there was no information in English available. You can read a story that will appear in my book here.

What’s your most inspirational travel experience?

After 10 years, that’s a difficult question to answer. I’m not the type of person that has a favorite anything, so I hope you’ll settle for just an inspirational experience. It was on my first time around the Shikoku Pilgrimage and after walking 45 km each day for 5 days straight my  body was destroyed. I could barely walk due to tendinitis and my ankles were swollen beyond recognition. I was ready to quit and the temple I was at was kind enough to let me sleep under an outside shrine. As I walked away from praying at the temple’s main shrine an old man got out of a taxi. He walked straight to me and without a word led me back to the shrine. After ringing a bell and praying together he got down on his knees and bowed, head to ground. He rose, looked me in the eyes and simply said “thank you for walking,” before turning and getting back into his taxi. It gave me the strength to keep going despite the pain. I really learned the power of connecting with people that day, and the power of simple gestures. It’s not an exaggeration to say that it helped change the course of my life.

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