Hi, I’m Matt. Writer, facilitator, speaker, publisher & deliberate journeyer at GiveLiveExplore.
GiveLiveExplore is where I write about attempting to live a deliberate life.
What does that mean, deliberate?
To quote my favorite American philosopher and writer Henry David Thoreau:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
– Henry David Thoreau, Walden
In a nutshell, GiveLiveExplore is a blog, newsletter, and company about being deliberate in work, life, and travel.
My Story
Like many people in their mid-twenties and several years out of college, I reached a point in my personal life and professional career where I found myself asking: “Is this really the beginning of the rest of my life?” When I looked back, my life situation was the result of going through the motions of life, without truly understanding what I wanted to get out of life.
Instead of continuing to be a passive participant in my own life, I decided to become deliberate. And I realized that in order to live the life I want, I must begin acting out the life I want to live.
I created GiveLiveExplore as my first step. It’s where I document my musings, my projects, and my philosophy on deliberate work, life and travel.
Deliberate Work, Life & Travel
Being deliberate in work, life and travel can mean many different things. Here’s what they mean to me:
- Deliberate Work. Work – how we spend our time, what we pour our energy into, what we do with our days, what we work on – is our greatest gift to give.
- Deliberate Life. A deliberate life is one lived intentionally and with purpose. And yet when we embark on this path, we begin mostly with questions, not answers. To live deliberately is to “live the questions” as the poet Rilke says.
- Deliberate Travel. Travel holds secrets for us. When we leave our homes to wander, we encounter the world, but more importantly we can encounter ourselves. Travel is how my journey with this blog started and it remains at its core.
Inspiration
Many people, stories, and books have inspired me to begin this quest, but the death of my friend Shannon kicked my butt into action. She dealt me the hard-earned lesson: Our time is not guaranteed and every single day is a gift. From that moment onward, I decided to commit myself to living fully, following my excitement, and spending my time doing things that matter. In other words, being deliberate. Everything I do here is in homage to her.
In the wake of her passing, my unrealized dream of long-term, slow travel came to the forefront. My first order of business was to slow-travel around Europe on my own terms. On June 2, 2012, I left on a one-way ticket to Iceland. And in the process of preparing for that trip, I created GiveLiveExplore.
I wanted to create some sort of entity that encompassed my values and goals in life –something that could develop into a vehicle to explore personal and professional projects around deliberate living. The result was GiveLiveExplore.
It’s evolved quite a bit over time, but today GiveLiveExplore operates as an independent media, travel and lifestyle company, as well as my personal blog. Everything I do here is guided by my personal values of Give, Live, & Explore (more on these below).
Most importantly, GiveLiveExplore is a way of life. And GiveLiveExplore.com is where I share my travel tales, creative projects, entrepreneurial endeavors and the lessons I’m learning along the way.
What To Expect Here
While this blog began as the platform to share my physical journey through Europe in June-December 2012, it continues as a living scroll upon which I document my personal and professional journey to design a working life of creativity and freedom, doing work that matters, creating art, and be a story worth sharing.
It’ll be a journey of learning and growth, inching closer to answers and destinations. I’ll explore projects that interest me. I’ll try some things that might not work and you might see me fail. Hopefully you’ll also see me succeed, and we can enjoy those successes together. Through it all I’ll document it here. For your information, your inspiration, or maybe just for your entertainment.
By sharing my personal journey, I hope to be an inspiring and comforting voice for others on a similar path. I hope my story provides others the courage to ask tough questions, to have the confidence to live with those questions, and to care enough to become deliberate journeyers.
GiveLiveExplore Deconstructed
GiveLiveExplore represent my values. Here’s what each word means to me:
Give
…is about giving freely without expectation of reciprocation.
The definition is much broader than physical or financial giving.
It’s about giving thanks. A compliment. A listening and caring ear.
It’s about sharing your story and the story of others.
It’s about spending your time doing something worthwhile.
It’s about being a part of something bigger than yourself.
And remembering that Give always comes first.
GIVE is realizing we’re all on the same team. Let’s help each other.
Live
…is about living intentionally and with conviction.
It’s about being present.
It’s embracing living wherever you find yourself, not merely visiting.
It’s about completely immersing yourself in culture and human connection.
It’s living with the courage to do bold things that make you feel free and alive.
It’s about embracing those things which excite you the most.
LIVE is a constant reminder that we have the privilege of being alive.
Explore
…is about being a relentless explorer of the world around and within.
It’s about being forever curious.
It’s about fostering a growth mindset.
It’s believing that every new encounter is an opportunity to learn.
It’s about having big dreams, and never giving up on those dreams.
It’s about deciding to be a deliberate journeyer.
EXPLORE is a call to action relish the journey and to never, ever arrive.
What Do I Write About Here?
Each week, I publish Tales from a Deliberate Journeyer: field notes on my journey to live, work, and travel deliberately. If you’d like to join my journey and receive my letters each week, just stick your email address below.
You’ll also get a free book of my most popular pieces. I’ll also send you a postcard if you tell me your physical address. No spam, no funny business. Just a letter from me.
Wherever you find yourself and whatever led you here: I’m thrilled you made it. Thank you for reading and joining me on this journey.
