We recently had the chance to connect with Leo Cuesta and have shared our conversation below.
Leo , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: When was the last time you felt true joy?
Last night when I cooked up and bit into an amazing burger using elk meat that a friend gave me. A few hours before that my very old dog who has mobility issues was walking better than usual and that also brought me joy. The evening before that I rode on my mountain bike and that was joy on 2 wheels. I find joy every day and though most of them are small and simple joys they are all “true”.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My wife and I have an adventure travel company that specializes in the areas that we know very well: the Western US, the Philippines and Colombia. We offer active and immersive trips to the most amazing nature destinations, many of which are off the beaten path. Our in-depth knowldge of the areas that we cover let us offer unique and authentic experiences.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Until I was in my mid twenties I had delusions of grandeur and thought that I had to achieve great things in order to make my life meaningful. Growing up I was pretty good in various things and had no shortage of people telling me how smart and gifted I was so even though I’ve always been an underachiever in my mind I was destined for big things.
One night while I was on a beach vacation with my friends I found myself alone lying on the sand looking up at the stars. I was in Boracay, a touristy island in the Philippines that is full of bars and clubs. I had spent the last few days partying hard and wanted a break so I found a dark and secluded spot on the beach and spent the night stargazing. Looking up at billions of stars and the vastness of the universe I realized something: no matter what I do I will be insignificant. Even if I became the greatest person in human history it wouldn’t matter to any of the aliens living in other worlds and and they wouldn’t even know I exist. I could become King of Earth and it still wouldn’t mean anything in the great scheme of things.
Since that night I have believed that achievements are meaningless. In fact, I don’t think there is purpose or meaning to anything. To me that is not a bleak way of looking at the world and at life. On the contrary, it gives me the feeedom to live the life I want and devote it to the things that are important to me without having to consider if anyone else thinks those things are meaningful.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Face it: you’ve had an easy life and have never had to struggle with anything significant. Sure you’ve had challenges but they weren’t difficult and you overcame them without too much trouble. You’ve been very lucky and you know it. The good news: your luck will continue. At 45 you will still not have have any major battle scars to speak of. The bad news: at 45 you will still feel like a slacker coasting through life. Well, maybe you are. You lucked into a good life and were given many advantages.
But maybe you’ve also made your own luck with the decisions that you’ve made. Your choices on career, partner, kids, home and what to focus your energy on have all led to your “easy” life. And your attitude also has a lot to do with it. Perhaps you’ve faced and overcome more serious challenges than you think, you just never considered them to be a big deal. You have more tenacity than you realize and have actually put in a lot of work to build the life that you have. Take satisfaction knowing that although you should be grateful to your stars you can also thank yourself.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
Man is the only organism on this planet on which no other organism relies on for its existence. Every other living thing has another organism that is dependent on it for survival but nothing is dependent on humans. We could disappear from Earth and every other creature and plant would be totally fine — even the ones that we have domesticated. People think we have dominion over our planet — and that may be true — but we are arguably its least important inhabitant.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Procrastinating on the big adventures that I want to do. I would make a list and tick them off as soon as possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.uncharted-earth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unchartedearthadventuretravel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnchartedEarth
Image Credits
Leo Cuesta
Cami Sarmiento
Zean Villongco
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
