Read It: The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

In April of 2009 I was struck with a severe case of wanderlust. I was taking classes at the University of Missouri - Columbia and spring break had arrived. Up until this point in the semester, I had physically attended all of my classes but mentally I was elsewhere and beyond. Mentally, I was in Panama hiking through the Darien Gap after spending a week saving sea turtles off the coast of Costa Rica. Physically, I was staring at whiteboard markered full of terms relating to economics and listening to a teacher I couldn't understand.

My wanderlust was fulfilled when I climbed into the driver's seat of my Honda Element and headed west. I had removed my back seats and laid a feather bed down in their place -- my own personal hotel room. I had always wanted to discover Colorado, but had never taken the opportunity to do so. So, I did.

I wasn't alone. I was joined by a collection of books yanked from the bookshelves throughout my parents' house. Among them, Mother Teresa's biography and The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell teased my interest most. But, I would only read one book over the course of my week long overland journey.

Over the course of a week and city hopping through state of Colorado, I read deep into The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris. I never believed it. A 4 hour work week? Doing what I love from anywhere on planet earth? Doubtful, I cracked the book and dove in.


The more I read, the more I fell in love with the idea that life doesn't have to be all about work. But, the part of life that does have to be about work: it part can be efficient and it can be something I love doing. Ferriss provides you with an incredible tool set and range of personal experiences that you can adapt to your own life in order to (1) gain the courage to strip yourself away from your comfort zone, (2) discover what you love doing and where you want to go, and (3) learn how to continue to make ends meet while doing what you love wherever you want.

But, perhaps the best thing you can learn from reading The 4-Hour Workweek is as Ferriss says:

Reality is negotiable.

Boom. Talk about three powerful words. Take a moment and let that simmer.

So, maybe you won't learn exactly how to compact your entire career into 4 tiny hours of an entire week. But go pick The 4-Hour Workweek up and escape to your happy place for as long as it takes you to give this book a fair chance from front to back. If nothing else, it will put you one step closer to embarking on the journey of your dreams.

Want to give it a read? Pick up a copy of The 4-Hour Workweek at Amazon.com.

For more information, you can visit Timothy Ferriss's official website: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/.

Exit 2C off the Conformity Freeway

Imagine. You've had a shitty day and you're two tequila shots away from dialing up your boss to take advantage of that 'open door policy'. Or maybe you're staring at a whiteboard in the middle of your Macroeconomics class and you begin creating alternative acronyms (GDP becomes Gross Domestic Pints drank) and 'Inflation' starts making you think of traveling to Iceland (See: Iceland's economy in shambles).

You're tired of the same old. You need a break -- even if for a day. But, where do you start? Where do you go? What do you do?

Welcome to the Journey Shack. I'm your resident vagabond, Josh Parolin. No, I don't sell electronics (See: RadioShack.com). I help you bridge the gap between (1) wanting to get away and experience something new to broaden your horizons and/or to see a new part of the world and (2) actually doing it.

Whether you're deep into the corporate life cycle or a high school scholar and whether you're single or on the path to becoming the next Duggar family -- you too can embark on a life changing journey.

The Journey Shack is here to serve as a slap in the face each time you make an excuse for not doing something you love to do. Most importantly it is your open door to discovering what and where else there is to accomplish in your life. You won't always love it, but rest assured it'll always be here for you (See: Your neighbor's dog).

Ready or not, it's time to journey.