Sam Davidson

Already today, I've made a cup of coffee, taken a shower, gone to the bathroom (twice), and brushed my teeth. Yesterday, I bathed my daughter and washed her bottles and pacifiers. In none of the occurrences did I worry about the cleanliness of the water I was drinking or putting on my or my daughter's bodies.

The Bayaka do not have that luxury.

This month, 30 bloggers are trying their hardest to raise $30,000 for clean water to be provided in Central African Republic. Tyler Stanton is the brains behind this operation (I'm not sure how often he's called the brains of anything, but he deserves the credit for this impressive feat of organization) and we all hope that over the next 30 days, a world of good can be done half a world away.

charity: water has done a lot of good in its short history. It uses 100% of all donations to provide clean water (the organization's overhead is covered by private donors). Therefore, everything you give will co to make a difference directly in the lives of the Bayaka.

Who are the Bayaka? Watch this and find out (it's worth all five minutes):

Ready to donate? Of course you are.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon fine-toothing the latest version of 50 Things Your Life Doesn't Need. I received a PDF galley back from the editor and as I read through it, I was amazed at how he took what I thought was good and turned it into something I think is great.

More thoughts about why your life needs an editor below:

Who Edits Your Life? from Sam Davidson on Vimeo.

If you're looking for a more interesting question to ask when catching up with someone other than "What's new?" or "What have you been up to?" then ask this one:

What has been the dominant theme of your conversations lately?

No, it's not quick or sexy, but it's important and very telling. For me, I've had a lot of conversations with people lately about their career plans, school plans, or life plans. They want to chat about whether they're making the right decision, how to not make a wrong decision, or they wonder if it's worth making a decision at all.

Some wonder if more school or the next job is the right decision. They're curious if they're stagnating where they are, left to flounder at a dead end job or in a master's program that may be no better than their undergrad one. They're curious if the opportunity cost is worth it, if they should be doing something else to get where they want to be.

I tell them not to worry about any of that and I instead ask if their life has a trajectory. To me, instead of planning out each step, it's better to know if your life is headed in a general direction (and what that direction is). It's the difference between a compass and a map.

A map plans out each step. Turn by turn directions will get you from point A to point B without missing a beat. No sightseeing. No pitstops. Go. Stop. Repeat.

A compass points you in the right direction (west), but doesn't tell you how to get there. It keeps you on track and you can check it when you think you may have gone off course. You have freedom to explore so as long as you are moving forward.

Photo by egmTacahopeful

A plane from Nashville to Tulsa can get there a thousand different ways. The pilot is able to change altitudes to find smoother air or she can fly around a storm if need be. The plane is still getting to Tulsa.

You're the pilot of your life. Just know where you're headed and you can make all of the other decisions much more easily. Is grad school or a certain job right for you? It depends on where you want to end up. Define your trajectory and you'll be sure to choose wisely.

PS: I use this same compass/map analogy in my next book, due out in November. 50 Things Your Life Doesn't Need will help you to discover your life's passion and get rid of everything that stands in the way of it.

This weekend, while parenting my daughter all alone, we watched The Lion King. She only looked up from her toys every few minutes and wasn't nearly as interested in the movie as she was her blocks and a piece of paper I gave her (we're still working on a love of cinema). But, as I rewatched one of the greatest Disney films of all time, I was drawn to Rafiki, the sage monkey who plays a critical role. And as watched, I realized: We all need a Rafiki in our life.

Rafiki is the one who celebrates the births and personifies the circle of life. He reads the wind and offers advice in a way that is encouraging and not demanding. He is the unseen hand that mystically guides the characters to do what is right. And here's why you need one:

• Rafiki tells the truth. Sometimes, it's hard to find truth in our lives. White lies and tame compliments seem to be preferred over the truth. When someone tells us we can't do something, we get offended. In reality, they could be saving us time and even embarrassment. How many American Idol hopefuls need a Rafiki?
• Rafiki teaches. We have a terrible myth in our culture that learning stops when you graduate something. The smartest and most successful people I know are always learning - from magazines, from books, from blogs, from others. Where are you learning? From whom? Find someone who can teach you.
• Rafiki believes. No matter your religious affiliation, there's no denying Rafiki is deeply spiritual. That's why he says he knows (not knew) Mufasa. He also poured juice in a gourd and determined that Simba was alive, too. There is something still intimately religious and spiritual about our world. And even in you don't attend a church or mosque, having people in your life who believe deeply in something unseen can be an advantage to you. Knowing people who are in touch with their spiritual side and use that context to describe things can give you a glimpse of hope and possibility, too.
• Rafiki fights. In the end, when the hyenas were looking to keep Scar as king, it's Rafiki who shows up with his stick and fights off several of them. His convictions are such that he'll fight for them. He believed Simba should be king and would go to his death to make it happen. It's one thing to have people offer advice or even tell the truth; it's another to have those same people be willing to help you be the person you were meant to become.
• Rafiki is not a friend. You only see Rafiki at ceremonies and in times of deep learning (or fighting). You don't see him palling around with Timon and Pumbaa, or romping with Nala or Simba. While we need someone in our life to provide the above things, we must remember it's okay for them to not be a friend. When someone isn't deeply attached to us, they're able to offer better advice and tell the truth more objectively.

Who is the Rafiki in your life? Who can you turn to (or who comes after you) when you need to be doing something else? Who steers you, corrects your course, teaches you, and enlightens you?

Find them.

I finished the manuscript for my next book this weekend. The publisher now has it and will be doing its thing until it's ready for the world in November. Until then, you'll be hearing a lot about the book, including the major ideas behind it.

Thanks to my friend Cathleen, I read this article today that highlights many of my key points in 50 Things Your Life Doesn't Need. My book - like the people profiled in this article - showcases why living a simple life is better and how getting rid of stuff will free up time, money, energy, and resources to live your life with passion.

Some key takeaways from the article:

• When you start getting rid of things in order to create a better, simpler life for yourself, people will call you crazy. Rest assured that your crazy self will be much happier than anyone you know.
• The less debt you have, the less you need to work.
• You will be happier if you spend money on experiences, rather than stuff.
• There is a movement afoot to live simpler lives, built around experiences and people that truly make you happy. If you're just blowing your money on cars or video games, you'll be missing out on life.

Go read the whole thing. It's lengthy, but worth it. Then decide what you're willing to give up to be truly happy.