Picking up where I left off yesterday…

Here’s Part 2 of my interview with author, creator and Pathless-Pather Paul Millerd:

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Tom: Could you share one or two interesting real-life Pathless Path stories?

Paul: Oh man - there are so many. I think yours is a great one because it involves going back into a job and being happy about it. And that’s the coolest thing to see, is people improving their relationship to work. But more generally, my podcast and newsletter both have tons of stories.

I think the coolest thing is not seeing what people do but actually that they become a lot happier and more confident about their lives.

Tom: What would you say to a doubtful mind who thinks The Pathless Path is a luxury or not possible for everyone?

Paul: I would say that the book is probably not for them. They seem to have already decided what is possible and not. I generally try to write for the dreamers, the people that must test reality and experiment. I’m not going to change those people’s minds so I’d just urge them to read something a little less bold 🙂

Tom: What are some of the internal struggles or self-doubts you face even now, after having embraced this path?

Paul: Financial insecurity in the sense of “how will I make money five years from now?” is a constant challenge. A lot of my income streams are unstable and I genuinely am not sure how I’ll make it work a few years from now. I can ride out a year or two if things take a dip (we’ve set up our life around this goal) but I still do get a bit nervous.

The key for me is constantly trying things, experimenting, and staying in a state of wonder to imagine what might emerge. I’m genuinely excited to see what I’ll be doing a few years from now.

I think the bigger challenge I’m realizing with a child now is that society just isn’t really set up to support people on paths like this. So it just requires constant reflection from me and my wife about the choices and trade-offs.

Tom: Can you describe a moment when work and play blurred for you?  

Paul: Most of the time after quitting my job. I love answering questions like this for example. I rarely feel like I need to escape. I never have the sunday scaries anymore. And I look forward to working on most of the things I do.  It’s not “play” as much as a sense of being in command of my time and life. I like how I spend my time and it feels satisfying on a day to day and month to month basis.

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That’s a wrap for part 2.

The third and final part of my interview with Paul drops tomorrow.

And if you count yourself as a fan of Paul’s and you’d like to get your greedy mitts on more of Paul’s pathless prose, you’ll definitely want to check out tomorrow’s email.

I’ve got an extra treat in store. 

In fact, it might even pay to open tomorrow’s email as soon as it hits your inbox.

Anyway, that's enough carrot-dangling for now.

All will be revealed tomorrow.