We recently connected with Mike Nixon and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mike , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
When talking about purpose, I view it as the special thing that gives a person’s life the strength it needs to progress toward something worthwhile. It’s one of those things that can change depending on many factors. With that said, I found purpose in my travels throughout the years.
Even before I was old enough to understand, travel became my purpose. For starters, my father was in the U.S. Navy; in addition, my mother was young and still searching for meaning in her own life. If my father was stationed in Virginia and at sea, and my mother wanted to be in Missouri closer to family, then I left with my mom. That’s how it was – a lot of moving around. That was my first real exposure to the “going from one place to another” aspect of travel.
Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, I experienced how people lived on the rougher side of life. I developed the attitude that I wanted better for myself. Having lived in other states, I had seen better. Also, I wanted to be able to help others. That’s where my dedication to service came from. If a person traces my journey, they’ll see that service has been a constant throughout my travels. I’ve volunteered with all kinds of organizations across the states and the world. Specifically, I’ve worked for international NGOs, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer and as a Sailor in the U.S. Navy.
Lastly, the personal development aspect of travel has played a significant role in transforming me into the person I am. Whether it was constantly relocating as a child or living abroad as an adult, I’ve learned, grown, and done so much. I’ve been able to see how unique the world is and experience life in so many incredible ways. Everyone is different; therefore, their purpose and how they find it will differ. If someone feels that, deep down, something gives their life a special meaning, then my advice would be to invest in and pursue whatever that may be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I consider myself a professional adventurer, who enjoys new and exciting experiences. That’s why I’ve dedicated the past fifteen years to seeing as much of the world as possible. I spent nine of those years living and working in countries throughout Latin America and Asia.
Toward the end of 2022, I published my debut memoir Life Travel And The People In Between. Since then, my side hustle has been promoting the book and getting it into the hands of readers. It’s been rewarding, having traveled to far corners of the world and being able to share the experiences with others.
Even after traveling to dozens of countries, I’ve managed a quiet life. In a way, the book is sort of my introduction to the world. One reason I wrote the book was to give family and friends an insight into parts of my journey that they may not have known about. The terrifying and exciting part is that now the book is out there for the world to read.
What I find most special is the people who reach out to me. People have contacted me to say how much they enjoyed the book (it amazes me that I wrote a book that people have read and enjoyed). Some share their travel experiences, while others seek travel advice. Some are interested in writing a book and seek advice in that area, while others are published authors, writers, or podcasters. I love connecting with good people. That’s why I enjoy travel so much and now I’m able to do it through being an author.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
In no particular order, the most impactful areas that helped me in my journey are investing, taking action, and having the right attitude.
Invest in health, wealth, and self. Someone once told me that all we get is one body; therefore, my mental, physical, and spiritual health have always been at the top of my list. Without good health, it’s difficult to enjoy experiences, relationships, and the fruits of one’s labor. Financially, I made it a priority to save some of what I earned, no matter how little I made. Lastly, I made it a priority to consistently invest in myself by learning and improving different skill sets and areas of knowledge. I encourage others to do the same.
When I was younger, I wasted so much time waiting for the “right opportunity” to come, and it never came. Eventually, I realized that if I wanted something to happen, I had to make it happen. I stopped making excuses and feeling sorry for myself. I got rid of distractions. I started working toward achieving my goals. My advice to others is if you want something today, act on it today. If you want something in the future, still work for it today. Today is all that everyone has. Even the smallest acts today can make a huge difference tomorrow.
Finally, there’s no end all, be all to success or failure. I say appreciate the journey and whatever it may bring. I’ve seen so many people achieve goals such as getting the job they wanted or visiting a destination on their bucket list. Then, they either complained about how much they disliked the job or place, or they lost a sense of purpose after achieving such a monumental goal. This is why having the right attitude is important. Maintaining a thankful and winning attitude has really benefited me. I know it can do the same for others.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Complacency has always been both, a challenge and a great motivator. I don’t want to stay in my comfort zone for too long or get to a point where I feel that I’ve achieved all that I can. I’m always looking for ways to grow personally and professionally.
I’ll use my experience as an author as an example. After writing and publishing the book, I didn’t anticipate how much I’d have to do to promote and sell it. So far, the product has been well-received; therefore, I feel obligated to continue what I’m doing. Each week, I’ll get a few sales. However, I’m so caught up in my personal ambitions for this book project, I feel like I’m taking time away from other goals that I can be working on. While I am making progress, I feel complacent because it kind of gives me an excuse around pursuing other goals that may add more value to my life. This is just one example. There are other areas in my life where I’m facing the same obstacle.
To overcome this challenge, it’s a matter of figuring out what else I can do to make life worthwhile. I’m always looking to do something great like travel the world, write another book, or start a business. Then again, I understand that not every project will be as grand. Sometimes, I run low on ideas, resources, energy, and so forth. So that I don’t get too comfortable, I focus on small but productive tasks to keep myself busy. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot more, implementing new exercises into my workouts, going to different restaurants, and things like that. At the beginning of each week, I write down small things that I want or need to do. While I have some ideas for the next major project, I’m building myself back up to be able to attack my next goal with everything I have once I’m ready.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mikenixonauthor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brogotravel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikenixon22/
Image Credits
The images belong to me.
