All About @WhatShouldBazDo

Being overseas, away from friends and family, one of the fundamental reasons for starting a blog is nearly always going to be a way of keeping in touch with loved ones back home: to remind them all I still exist; to ensure they know where I am around the globe; to share your triumphs; to hear and feel their support through any troubled times; and, of course, to gloat a little bit about the adventures I find myself on.

“You can have anything you want if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.”

― Abraham Lincoln

At some point or another, most people have been lucky enough to hear similar words to these, but how many people really heed this advice and strive to achieve something special, and how many settle into what is safe, what is expected, or what they feel they must do?

One of the main catalysts inspiring the concept of this website was the way a younger cousin had asked me for advice about his options following high school graduation. Society’s influence on my cousin’s understanding of what life is meant to be about, and the way this influence seems to stifle the dreamer in us, had left him with only two options – to go to university, or do an apprenticeship – neither of which he was all that keen on.

Life holds so much more possibility and promise than these typically expected milestones:

• buying a house
• and a car
• securing a career
• finding a wife
• having a baby
• paying the mortgage
• and making enough money so you can retire and survive beyond your use by date.

Not that these ambitions aren’t admirable, and I\’m not condemning them at all. I also don\’t suggest that people should go the other way and become lazy burdens on society, or to ride the coat-tails of others through life. I\’m only suggesting that if these standard ambitions don’t fill your cup, there is so much more to explore and experience in the world, and many more possible pathways to a successful, contributing, and fulfilling life than the simple choice of university or an apprenticeship.

Hopefully, by sharing my experiences and achieving whatever goals are set for me, I\’ll inspire some young people to dream again and to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives – on their own terms.

I\’ve been known to over-think things; change my mind; be indecisive, and play devil’s advocate during a discussion. However, my moral compass is generally calibrated pretty well, and I want to leave a positive impact around the world in my wake.

One of the key objectives of What Should Baz Do? is to raise awareness and funding for those in need.

This includes:

• the ill;
• the exploited;
• existing charitable organisations;
• and those without a voice – our animals and environment.

In the most direct way, I will be taking up a unique challenge for charity in each country I visit as suggested and decided by you guys n gals. But I will also attempt to draw attention to important issues, and support other worthwhile charitable or sustainable ideas.

\”There is nothing I\’d rather be doing, and nowhere I\’d prefer to be,
Than doing something I\’ve never done, in a place where I haven\’t been.

– Baz

What Should Baz Do is designed to have a positive impact on the world and to inspire others, but it also fulfils my interest in adventure, travel, and continual personal development by forcing me to:

• explore the world
• experience new people, places, and circumstances
• learn new skills
• and push physical boundaries

But, where to start? Have you ever felt like you wanted to do EVERYTHING… But had so many options – and so little time – that you become paralyzed by the decision?

“When faced with two equally tough choices, most people choose the third choice: to not choose.”
― Jarod Kintz

It is easy to say you will \”seize the day\” and \”live life to the fullest\”, but it is another thing entirely to actually live by these words and make it count.

Sometimes you need a nudge out of the nest before you can fly – I’m calling on all of you for my nudge. To remind me that…

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.\”
― Theodore Roosevelt

I believe life is all about continually stepping outside of our comfort zone, learning, growing as a person, and experiencing as much of the world as we can for the short time we are here.

I think that we should work only to facilitate the ability to live and that too many people have it back to front. These people are actually \”living to work\” instead, having their occupations define who they are.

After living this experiment for a few years, my dream is to put pen to paper and write a book about the whole experience.
I know – selfish, right?! :/