The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life

by Chris Guillebeau

Overview

A remarkable guide to the quests that give our lives meaning—and how to find your own—from the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup and 100 Side Hustles
 
“If you like complacency and mediocrity, do not read this book. It’s dangerously inspiring.”—A. J. Jacobs, author of The Know-It-All
 
When he set out to visit all of the planet’s countries by age thirty-five, compulsive goal-seeker Chris Guillebeau never imagined that his journey’s biggest revelation would be how many people like himself exist—each pursuing a challenging quest. These quests are as diverse as humanity itself, involving exploration, the pursuit of athletic or artistic excellence, or battling against injustice and poverty. Everywhere that Chris visited he found ordinary people working toward extraordinary goals, making daily down payments on their dreams. These “questers” included a suburban mom pursuing a wildly ambitious culinary project, a DJ producing the world’s largest symphony, a young widower completing the tasks his wife would never accomplish—and scores of others writing themselves into the record books.
 
The more Chris spoke with these strivers, the more he began to appreciate the direct link between questing and long-term happiness, and he was compelled to complete a comprehensive study of the phenomenon. In The Happiness of Pursuit, he draws on interviews with hundreds of questers, revealing their secret motivations, their selection criteria, the role played by friends and family, their tricks for solving logistics, and the importance of documentation. Equally fascinating is Chris’s examination of questing’s other side. What happens after the summit is climbed, the painting hung, the endurance record broken, the at-risk community saved?
 
A book that challenges each of us to take control—to make our lives be about something while at the same time remaining clear-eyed about the commitment—The Happiness of Pursuit will inspire readers of every age and aspiration. It’s a playbook for making your life count.
 
“The Happiness of Pursuit is smart, honest, and dangerous. Why dangerous? Because it is as practical as it is inspiring. You won’t just be daydreaming about your quest—you’ll be packing for it!”—Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW, author of Daring Greatly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385348867
Publisher:	Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale
Publication date:	04/05/2016
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	245,856
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Chris Guillebeau is the author of The Art of Non-Conformity, The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit, Born for This, Side Hustle, and 100 Side Hustles. During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his thirty-fifth birthday. His daily podcast, Side Hustle School, is downloaded more than two million times a month. He is also the founder of the World Domination Summit, an event for cultural creatives that attracts thousands of attendees to Portland, Oregon, every summer.

Table of Contents

I Beginnings

Prologue: On the Road 3

Chapter 1 Awakening 13

Chapter 2 The Great Discontent 26

Chapter 3 The Calling 39

'Dispatch: Courage 51

Chapter 4 Defining Moments 54

II Journey

Chapter 5 Self-Reliance 71

Chapter 6 Everyday Adventure 87

Dispatch: Routine 101

Chapter 7 Time and Money 105

Chapter 8 Life Listing 122

Chapter 9 Forward Motion 137

Chapter 10 The Love of the Craft 151

Chapter 11 Joining Forces 165

Dispatch: Struggle 176

Chapter 12 Rebel for a Cause 179

Chapter 13 The Long Road 193

Chapter 14 Misadventures 212

Chapter 15 Transformation 225

Dispatch: Community 237

Chapter 16 Homecomings 240

Chapter 17 Finale 257

Appendix 1 Lessons from the Journey 267

Appendix 2 Cast of Characters 271

Appendix 3 A Quest for Everyone 279

Index 285

Editorial Reviews

Chris Guillebeau is a rare combination of sage and adventurer, and The Happiness of Pursuit is both a distillation of his wisdom and a demonstration of his—and others’—passion for the questing life. The passion Chris chronicles is infectious, and it becomes even more so as we read about life-focusing action delivering deep meaning. Even if you prefer never to leave your armchair, this book will inspire you to take a beautiful voyage— one that can be either physical or mental as you chase the thrill of steady accomplishment.”—Susan Cain, cofounder of the Quiet Revolution and New York Times bestselling author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
 
“It’s not easy to dream big—and it’s not easy to turn that dream into reality. The brilliant Chris Guillebeau provides the essential blueprint for those of us for whom the happiness of pursuit—such as Chris’s successful quest to visit every country in the world—is a key part of the pursuit of happiness.”—Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project
 
“Guillebeau’s stories, biographies, observations, and personal insights will get you thinking about a greater purpose. And there’s a lot of how-to in here. If you’ve been wondering ‘What it’s all about?’ this book could change your life.”—Rita Golden Gelman, author of Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World
 
“The incredible quests Chris Guillebeau explores in The Happiness of Pursuit, including his own to visit every country, left me feeling exhausted. Of course, as a person who works from home, I limit my quests most days to taking a shower. Bottom line: these stories are inspiring—and very, very entertaining.”—Joel Stein, columnist, Time magazine and author of Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity
 
“When a quest is a journey or a sought-after goal, it can be satisfying, fun, even paradigm-shifting. But when a quest begins with an inner yearning and transforms into a calling, it becomes medicine for the soul, and this changes everything. The Happiness of Pursuit is an invitation to listen to the part of oneself that craves purpose. It says. ‘Hey! Wake up! Your unique adventure awaits you.’”—Lissa Rankin, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine

From the Publisher