[private][private]Brian Peters is a respected and well-known travel blogger who keeps
travelers informed about the least expensive ways to travel around the
world.  He is the author of the e-book, No Debt World Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Around the World – Even in an Economic Downturn. Peters’ blog, NoDebtWorldTravel.com, was recently recognized by BootsNAll Travel as one of the “Best Round-the-World Travel Blogs”
for 2009.  We interviewed him earlier this month: check out what he has to say about expressing his Passions!

SO: What’s your definition of “passion”?  

Passion is what you THINK about day and night, an idea or concept that drives you forward, inspires you, gives you hope.

 Passion is when you would do ANYTHING to have a particular action or objective achieved.

 SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)?  

After losing my job, I decided to travel around the world. When I got back I had so many questions from friends and family about how to do it, I decided to put it into an e-book. Then I decided to add audio and video to help those who learn in different ways.

 Guest blogging, conducting interviews and other ways of getting the message out that travel does not have to be expensive and it is not just for ‘other people.’ People sometimes have such a inferior feeling of themselves compared to other people. We need to help each other break out of our mostly self imposed PRISONS by encouraging others and showing our successes to prove it can be done.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?  

The biggest problem is passion may not immediately show a way to translate into putting food in your mouth and keeping a roof over your head. Pursuing your passion often means you need to leave a large organization to focus specifically on your passion.

 Let’s be clear. There is no security when you’re working for someone else, whether it is a large corporation or a private family run business.

 Everyone wonders, “How can I make money doing this?” Because as much as we love our passions, you’ve got to eat. The ideal life situation would be to make money from what we love.

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap? 

The prosperity of time and opportunity. I lost my job and received a severance package. As opposed to picking up the want ads, I decided to pick up a plane ticket. I didn’t know when I would get another chance like this.

 At that moment that was prosperity. I felt like the richest man in the world. I had the time AND the opportunity to fulfill a life long dream.

 SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

That it is not as scary as it appears. You’ll plan but at some point you need to make a leap and have faith in yourself and your abilities to make your dreams come true. I always felt that if someone else did it, I can do it too.

 The other thing is that when you make a leap, other opportunities appear. Because you are stretching yourself, meeting new people, taking on new skills and projects, a whole new universe of OPTIONS becomes yours. Now you can be proactive, choosing what you want, as opposed to being reactive and letting the world exert its force on you.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

First my family is my most immediate support system. Without their love and encouragement I could have never done any of this.

 The other important support system are the other travel bloggers and entrepreneurs doing the same things I am doing. Having that in common with other people keeps me motivated and encourages me to move forward. Writing a book and being a blogger means I work by myself. But I can connect with people anytime and all over the world with the use of the Internet. Technology like Twitter, Facebook, email and Skype mean I don’t have to be alone unless I want to be alone.

 Communities of like-minded people are online everywhere, can encourage, support and keep you accountable. I searched out these groups and became a contributing member. What I contributed I have received in turn.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

Every day you are dying!

Every day you are dying!

It’s morbid, but it is the truth. Every day we are all approaching the end of our lives. What will you regret? What will you wished you had done? Most people never said, “I wish I had worked in the office more.”

Understand that for anything we want to do or learn, there is a website, magazine, book, e-book, blog, podcast, online class or school for whatever we want to learn. The only thing that holds us back is our own fears. Our personal prisons, as I like to call them.

 SO: What’s your next big milestone?

 My next big milestone is releasing my own e-book package on round the world travel. After that, creating income so that I can travel indefinitely or live anywhere I want in the world without being tied to a particular location

 Thanks and Happy Passioneering Brian![/private][/private]