As you can see above, I cut my hair and beard.

The past year and a half provided a social experience that proved to be unbelievably insightful, surprising, and humbling. This social experience I speak of is not just about the places I traveled, but also the impact of having a big beard and long hair.

The questions and comments cover a full spectrum:

• “So how long have you been growing that beard?”
• “Why are you growing that beard?”
• “Woah. Dude. Sweet beard!”
• “That is gross, why are you letting yourself go?”
• “Jesus!”
• “Chewbacca!”
• “When are you going to cut it?”

Not only were there plenty of comments every day, but plenty of looks as well. Some places were more intense than others (ie. India vs Ocean Beach), but nonetheless it was a constant flow of commentary, staring, and curiosity.

My plan was no plan. There was no set date as a goal. There was no mission to accomplish. I immersed myself in the flow of things. My beard became a physical representation of my thought process. A superficial story to those I passed by.

I began to focus on the importance of ‘doing something by doing nothing’. This became a theme in many discussions instigated by my beard. This was not to promote laziness. It is really about promoting the need for many people in this society to accept that taking time to sit and relax can be the ultimate (and necessary) catalyst for creating something great.

The effect of doing ‘nothing’ by not shaving really surprised me. Conversations came to me. People gave me insight as I met them. Some opened up, others closed off. Regardless, every interaction provided a learning experience about people. It was like my beard was working for me.

I know that millions of people around the world have beards. Having a beard is not something new…but for some reason when you have an ‘intense beard’ it sometimes feels like people have never seen one before. It can make you feel like an outcast. It can cause anxiety. It can empower you as an individual. It can provide a unique perspective on people. It can allow you to uncover elements of society you may not see without looking differently.

For me, it further pushed me to always do what I want to do. To leverage from the fact that I can create my own reality, pursue my own interests, and create my own unique perspective about what is important in life.

So here is to all of you out there doing what you want to do regardless of criticism, social norms, and other attempts to diminish one’s true interests. It is a path worth pursuing and one that will give you more than you could ever imagine.

I decided to trim my beard and hair as I’ve just launched a company here in San Diego along with my Co-founder Derrick. Take a look at txtRacer.com and sign up to compete for deals you deserve here in San Diego.

Thank you for all of your support!

– Greg

The excitement one feels when entering an unexplored country is what often keeps people traveling throughout their entire lives. That first step off the plane, that first interaction with the local people, that first taste of the local cuisine, that first mention that ‘Hotel California” is their favorite song of all time, that first mention that you look like Jesus, that first time you pay way too much for something, that first head swivel when talking to you, that first time you begin to understand their view of the world.

I’ve made my made to Sri Lanka, a country many people are familiar with because of the 2004 tsunami that rocked the East and West coast here. It has already been quite the experience.

Upon arrival I made my way straight to the visa office to get an extension for my passport (3 months). Tourists from several countries get a visa on arrival for 30 days, but just to be safe I decided I’d like to give myself more time. The process took about 4 hours. Numbers were called from people that had arrived both before and after me, and it seemed like there was a decent amount of confusion was about in the system in general. In the end, it doesn’t matter. I received my visa extension after paying my dues ($100 usd) and my taxi driver stood patiently the entire time, guarding my bag with every opportunity he could.

Maleen (the taxi driver) had an interesting story. I could tell once I hopped in the cab that he was a good guy…for some reason I’ve been lucky with taxi drivers. His story goes as follows. His father was is a serious accident that left him paralyzed and unable to work. This happened when Maleen was very young.

As time went on, things obviously became very difficult for the family as the income halved. By a strike of good luck, a family from the Netherlands came to explore Sri Lanka. This family ended up particularly fond of Maleen, and when they found of the situation with his father, they decided to change Maleen’s life. They paid for him to have an education from an international school and provide funds to make sure Maleen’s future would be bright.

It is amazing the impact we can all have with a bit of inspiration and kind actions. There is no telling where or what Maleen would be with out the help of this family from the Netherlands.

I love hearing about things that make you realize that if you impact just one person’s life in a positive way, the stories and inspiration can be passed on to another for more great things to happen.

(Maleen works as a taxi driver, hotel concierge, and waiter)

Welcome to my site. I hope to keep this site simple with the main focus being the content that I post. I’m not sure what this will become, but I am excited to see where it all goes.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Greg