Project What Matters 

What Matters?

While crossing Bhutan, trekking and mountain biking in 2011, we started looking at this basic concept with the Bhutanese. Since then I’ve explored further with blog interviews, as well as within much of the writing I did for my new book, Dirty Inspirations: Lessons From the Trenches of Extreme Endurance Sports.

The past several months I’ve picked up the thread again while doing a bit of traipsing around, and will fully explore while on an upcoming cycling trip across Spain on the Camino de Santiago trail. Its simple. I engage with another, either a stranger or someone familiar, and at some point in conversation I inquire, “Can I take your photo and then ask you a question?”

I snap a quick shot with my phone then pose the question, “What Matters?”

The most interesting part is observing their initial connection to the question. I think that initial reaction informs an aspect of their life perspective. And then they give their answer.

Stay tuned on Facebook and Instagram over the next several weeks as we meet people from around the world and ask them the question, “What Matters?”

If I run into you, what will your answer be?

Here is my first #ProjectWhatMatters post, with the perfect answer to kick this off…

Project What Matters: Neil.

Neil is 48 and lives in Arroyo Grande. I met him at the backpackers campground in Yosemite where he was getting ready to take off on the John Muir Trail. He said he’d wanted to hike this trail my whole life and kept putting it off. So this year he realized he either needed to just do it, or keep talking about doing it. So with a thumbs up from his wife and kids he was on his way.

“What Matters Neil?”

Neil: I’ve thought about that a lot recently and what I’ve come to is, nothing. That its nothing. Nothing really matters.

Amen, Neil. Happy Trails