Colin Beavan

Imagine living a net zero lifestyle. Meaning nothing of mechanical value is required. You live to be happy rather than give your life away to better the path of bosses and crazy family members. How can you regain the strength to feel alive again? From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with Colin Beavan. Acclaimed author and activist COLIN BEAVAN calls attention to a growing subculture, comprised of diverse individuals who are steadily making a positive difference through their everyday choices and actions. Drawing on the stories of “lifequesters,” as well as his own journey, Beavan reveals in " HOW TO BE ALIVE: A Guide to the Kind of Happiness That Helps the World" that the secret to living your own version of the Good Life—a life where feeling good and doing good intersect—is learning to trust in and be guided by your own core values, deepest concerns, and greatest passions in life decisions across the board. Organized around 7 major life decisions and milestones, HOW TO BE ALIVE leads each unique seeker on a quest to find his or her own bliss and, in the process, become a better friend, relative, caregiver, stranger, worker, neighbor, and citizen—both local and global. At every point for stopping and reflecting, seekers will find scientific revelations; wisdom from Emerson, Gandhi, Tolstoy, and other trusted sages; uplifting examples of deeply gratifying, well-lived lives; and targeted action steps and practical how-to tips. With HOW TO BE ALIVE, you (and every searching reader) will learn how to: •KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO AND ACCOMPLISH—and then find the courage, cultivate the discipline, and devote the time to making it happen. As Beavan shows, clearly setting and aiming for personal goals beyond money or fame brings the ultimate benefit: drastically reducing the number of regrets on your deathbed. •EAT HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE (which doesn’t necessarily mean going vegan); own what makes you happy and live comfortably within your means; settle on where to stay put (city, suburb, town, or country) and how to get around (do you really need to own a car?); and be more playful. •FIND YOUR PEOPLE—YOUR PERSONAL COMMUNITY, YOUR TRIBE. Stop obsessing over networking. Start by exploring: Where do the people who are already like the person you want to be hang out? Then go there—regularly. And dare to be yourself. •CHOOSE HOW TO PARENT, whether or not you choose to have biological children. With 18 million children estimated to be at risk through lack of adult contact, Beavan suggests what he calls "social parenting"--a sort of mentoring meets kid-sharing. If you have kids, you can share them with people who don't have kids. If you don't have kids, you can help take care of the children of people that do. In this way, the choices of both the childed and child-free support and reinforce each other, to the benefit of all our children. •WALK YOUR PATH. Identify, embrace, and follow your vocation—not only what you are called to do, Beavan impresses, but the way you are called to be. What world concerns and personal passions have most moved you? To find your true calling, identify what is most important to you. Then follow your calling to become a productive member of society—and of your own life. More than a career guide, more than a self-help book, HOW TO BE ALIVE presents a mind-opening, horizon-expanding course on fixing our lives in ways that fix the world—and fixing the world in ways that fix our lives. With Colin Beavan as their muse, mentor, and motivator, those seeking more meaningful work and more happiness in life will find the answers in themselves—and in helping each other. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: COLIN BEAVAN attracted international attention for his year-long lifestyle redesign project and both the wildly popular book, No Impact Man (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2009), and Sundance-selected documentary film that it inspired. He has appeared on Nightline, Good Morning America, The Colbert Report, The Montel Williams Show, and NPR, and his story has been featured in news outlets from Time magazine to The New York Times. A sought after speaker by wide-ranging audiences, he also consults with businesses on improving eco-friendly and human-centered practices. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.