11 Akshay Nanavati Pt. 1: A Marine and Outdoor Adventurer is on a Mission to Run Across Every Country in the World

 

On Episode 11, We have a great conversation with Akshay Nanavati of Existing 2 Living.

Akshay is a Marine and a war veteran who is now also an explorer and adventurer. He is on a mission to run across every country in the world to promote world unity and spread a message of good will.

I first became familiar with him when I saw him give a quick talk at World Domination Summit and immediately thought he is a great example of someone making an incredible Second Half Comeback.

He begins by telling us about a time in his teens when he became heavily involved with drugs and alcohol and even lost two friends to that destructive lifestyle. Akshay was able to pull himself out of that world and it was actually a scene from the movie “Black Hawk Down” that triggered his desire for self improvement and a life of service.

He embarked on a journey of self improvement, joined the Marines and immersed himself in the world of outdoor sports. He served his country in  Iraq in 2007-2008 and then returned to the corporate world.

He quit that job and spent all his savings to take on the epic challenge of skiing across the second largest ice cap in the world in Greenland dragging a 190 pound sled for 350 miles!

He is now on a journey to run across every country in the world.

One of the key lessons we discussed was the importance of finding immense clarity of purpose when trying to redesign our lives. Also, taking 100% responsibility for our lives and developing successful habits were key factors found in most success stories. He mentions how daily exercise is a great stepping stone to building other positive habits.His story and his journey provide us with some valuable and actionable lessons for our own Second Half Comebacks.

Here are a few of the other takeaway lessons from this episode:

We can choose “triggers” in our life that will help us make instant and lasting positive changes. He used the movie “Black Hawk Down” to trigger a desire to challenge himself and lead a life of service to others.

After returning from Iraq, Akshay struggled with returning to the corporate world and dealing with the stresses of a complicated everyday life that was very different from the simplicity and life or death nature of his life in the Marines. He was eventually diagnosed with PTSD. He learned that he could find solace and peace in the outdoors as well as get some of the same feelings of simplicity, risk and living in the moment that he had while serving in the Marines.

We discuss how many people would love to add meaning and challenge to their lives by embarking on some kind of meaningful, epic journey or mission. Akshay gives us some tips on how anyone can start towards their own epic mission.

We discuss the four elements of the human experience: mind, body, heart and spirit. He believes that physical challenges are a great way to tap into all four of these elements and this can help us feel true fulfillment and accomplishment.

He emphasizes that it’s persevering through pain and hardship that often brings true fulfillment, lessons and happiness. These lessons and clarity can be brought back to our everyday world and applied to business and life. We talk about how these epic missions can help us bust out of our comfort zones and inspire our Second Half Comeback.

Books Mentioned in this Episode

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen Covey

The Success Principles(TM) by Jack Canfield

Call to Action

 

Please go check out Akshay's journey at   http://www.existing2living.com/