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I Don't Want To Grow Up: Life, Liberty, and Happiness. Without a Career.
America’s bestselling author of Wilderness, The Gateway to the Soul and Nature’s Silent Message offers a glimpse into his childhood of skateboarding, high school brawls, and early trials and tribulations with money and success. The scenery may be different, but the writing style is business as usual, with life lessons cruising a mile a minute in this insightful read about what it means to never grow up.“What do you want to be when you grow up?”We’ve been asked this question over and over, practically since the day we could walk. Many of us have absolutely no idea. We never have and we never will. This bothers us terribly, and on a profound level. We feel useless, disconnected, scattered, unfocused. If we could just make up our minds—about something, about anything!What if you didn’t have to grow up? Society would like us to believe that to be happy, we need successful careers. But let’s face it—we’re not all meant to be doctors, lawyers, scientists, and accountants. Some are meant to be dreamers. The people on the fringes of society who don’t necessarily subscribe to the modern version of the American Dream. Artists, adrenaline junkies, nomads, life seekers. Those who doubt conventional wisdom, question authority, and continually search for newer, better ways to live. The world needs freaks—now more than ever.Never before has there been such an opportunity to live the life of your dreams. Never before have there been so many ways to earn an income. Never before have there been so many ways to have fun! What do you want to be...when you don't grow up?
185 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2021
372 people are currently reading
10280 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
September 6, 2023
I truly believe everyone should read this book
August 23, 2022
When you decide to start living the life you want, people call you crazy. They try to talk you out of it. Tell you it's unrealistic. Even impossible.
. . .
The best thing you can do is tell as few people as possible about your plan.
Don't tell them.
Show them.
You've got to be the captain of your ship.
. . .
You'll find them on the backroads of life, the fringes of society, away from all the skepticism and doubt of our mainstream world - quietly living their dreams anyway.
- Scott Stillman
When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I wrote down "happy." They told me I didn't understand the assignment.
I told them they didn't understand life.
- John Lennon
The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.
- Plato
Every child is an artist.
The problem is how we remain an artist once we grow up.
- Picasso
Life's a dog and then you die.
No, no, life is a joyous dance through daffodils beneath cerulean blue skies. And then? I forget what happens next.
- Edward Abbey
I never allowed my schooling to get in the way of my education.
- Mark Twain
I'd rather die while I'm living
than live while I'm dead.
- Jimmy Buffett
People who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in common.
They know all the reasons for failure.
- Napoleon Hill
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view . . . where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you - beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.
- Edward Abbey
I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP is a short, simple book about thinking differently and living more authentically with intention. Appropriately, I finished the book at the waterfall of my favorite trail in Boulder.
I'm looking forward to reading other books by Scott Stillman.
Favorite Passages:
BEING BORN
Some believe in life after death. I believe in life after birth.
______
We only have one word in the entire English language that even comes close. That word is love.
This book is about choosing love as your life's purpose. It's about living - beyond all else - and spending your entire life in that childlike state of awe. It's about never growing up.
______
This book is about prioritizing experience and living out the rest of your days in a continuous state of wonder, curiosity, and never-ending adventure. Sound impossible? Idealistic? Expensive? Solely for rich trustafarian kids born into a life of wealth and privilege?]
We are all privileged.
______
The real question is -
what are you going to do about it?
How to show our gratitude? By wasting away our precious freedoms working a job we hate, all for the sake of raising children to do the same? Does this sound normal? Well, it should. It's what millions of people do every day.
_______
The world needs "crazy" people - now more than ever before. The ones on the fringes of society who don't quite fit in.
_______
The world needs freaks. Those who doubt conventional wisdom, question authority, and continually search for newer, better ways to live.
Freaks change the world.
_______
I told her I didn't like school very much. "Well then, Scott, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
There is it.
The question - THE BIG QUESTION.
The stress. The anxiety. Why should I have to decide? After a long, awkward silence, I finally said I'd like to travel. To this she frowned, scribbled something down in her notes and sent me back to class. Later, when I received my report, my recommended career was bus driver.
_______
I began to see the world as a playground.
_______
My skater friends were a lively, animated bunch - cut from a different mold. A rare breed never even considered for mass production. They had green hair and mohawks and wore trench coats to school. Their look said FUCK YOU to society, and I loved it. These were my people.
_______
I was becoming my own person - my life was no longer spoon-fed. This was my journey, and I could make it whatever I wanted. This gave me immense freedom as I started to question everything.
_______
My world was shifting -
from concrete to mountains.
_______
Books like The Magic of Believing and Think and Grow Rich taught us that life was full of possibility, and you could do anything you wanted with the right mindset. While everyone else was studying economics, we were studying life.
_______
Marty would poke around the old bridges while I shot roll after roll, trying to capture the mystery and essence of the dusty road, the creaking wood, the misty streams running below.
_______
Covered bridges are a dying breed. . .
They stand like artifacts - gateways to a forgotten time.
_______
I began to understand that most people are good, news only reports the bad, and when I open my mind to all the grace and beauty in this world, magic can happen anywhere.
LEARNING TO LIVE
I began to question my motives. So what if I can make $100,000 if I have no free time to enjoy it?
_______
The Power of Positive Thinking was working. I simply used the principles, set my goals accordingly, and to my amazement, they worked. Why on Earth weren't these books required reading in my marketing classes? Why weren't they required reading for life? I quickly began to realize that with this knowledge - I could do anything. If I just put my mind to it.
_______
We researched a lot of towns, and Boulder seemed like the perfect home base. Around Boulder were endless hiking trails, plenty of jobs, and in our backyard, the tall and majestic Rocky Mountains.
_______
We were now working just eight days per month and spending the rest of our time playing in the mountains. Thank you, Napolean Hill!
_______
What do you want your life to look like?
_______
The time to live can never be later.
It must be now.
_______
Did money even matter?
Or was it really all about lifestyle?
_______
It's amazing how things fall into place when you know exactly what you want.
_______
It seemed the more we simplified, the richer we became. I'm not talking about money - I'm talking about life. The ability to do what we want, when we want.
My dream of never growing up was actually coming to fruition.
How many people suffer, trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives? I've known quite a few - myself certainly included.
______
What do you want your life to look like?
Start there. When you start focusing on the life you want, rather than what you think will get you there, you're on the right track.
______
Life is a mystery, and it's time to start treating it that way.
______
Let me clue you in on a little secret.
Shh. Don't tell anyone . . .
You're in heaven now.
_______
It's not until we grow up and find ourselves miserable that we desire an afterlife. Some hope beyond this dull, monotonous dread that's become our reality. When we get old, death starts to seem like a pretty good idea - and it should. For in death the cycle repeats itself, and we find our heaven once again.
_______
We are here to love - not just other humans, but everything on this planet. We are Earth's children. The mountains, oceans, forests, and animals - they are our kin.
_______
The love in all our hearts is the same.
But all this gets obscured. Our regimented society insists life is not a bed of roses, money doesn't grow on trees, and you must work hard for a living. We buy into this, eating the forbidden fruit, forgetting the Garden of Eden. Paradise is stolen - and placed in some imaginary future that exists only in our death.
_______
Most people have absolutely no idea what they want, so the universe cannot help them.
You must have definite purpose.
_______
When you know what you want, the whole world changes. Life turns into a magical game of coincidence with clues around every corner. You go on just as before, but you're aware of opportunities as they arise. Infinite Intelligence is on your side.
_______
It's almost scary how the universe conspires when you know exactly what you want.
_______
Anyone can come up with a thousand reasons why they can't do something. Only a few go out and live their dreams anyway.
BREAKING THE RULES
We are taught to believe there's only one way to live. One set of rules to follow. Many define this as the "prescribed life."
_______
Not growing up means breaking those rules and rejecting society's unwritten laws about how we should live our lives.
_______
Not growing up means prioritizing lifestyle.
_______
When we prioritize our dreams and follow our hearts, we begin to move past the problems that keep us stuck and toward the life we want.
_______
Freedom is living life on your terms.
_______
Complaining and ranting does nothing but promote fear and negativity. Do something - and live by example. If enough people did this, we might actually make some real progress.
_______
Whatever we focus on becomes energized.
_______
You see - we think the universe is so complex, but it's actually quite simple. It gives us precisely what we think about.
Humans are blessed with a wonderful thing called free will. Our destiny is up to us. We just need to decide. The way to let the universe know what we want is focusing our intention. Animals do this naturally. A squirrel focuses on the nut, so it gets the nut. A bird focuses on the worm, so it gets the worm. You get the gist.
_______
As we know too well, these one-liners seal their destiny.
The same is true when we're asked how we're doing. When we say "not bad," that's exactly the kind of life we get - not bad. I used to work for a guy who, whenever asked how he was doing, would reply each time with the same phrase, "another day, another struggle." And it was.
_______
I have this friend who can't get his mind off fly fishing, and he fishes all the time. Another can't get his mind off rock climbing, and he climbs constantly. Others can't get their minds off work, and boy do they work! But if you spend all your time thinking about work, it's not fair to complain you have no time for fly fishing.
_______
We divide ourselves up into groups, labeling each other as good or bad based on our affiliations. We learn how to hate - our own brothers and sisters - simply because they're on the other team. We start wars, killing for reasons we cannot readily explain. "It's complex," we say.
Is it?
Is life really so complex?
_______
. . . stat with something. Anything.
Turn your life into an experiment.
_______
It starts at our first birthday party - with cake and ice cream. Then Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Pebbles for breakfast. Kool-Aid. Popsicles. Gummy Bears. No wonder we're so addicted. We were doomed from the beginning.
The best thing to do is get rid of it.
. . . .
Nothing zaps vibration levels quite like sugar.
_______
Nix the sugar and take back your life.
_______
Passions keep us young.
_______
When we love life, we beam love out to the rest of the world at the highest possible vibration - just as the sun beams life to us all.
When the world becomes filled with people who love life - the world will be filled with love.
That's how we change the world.
_______
Sometimes it just takes stepping off the trail, out of the rut, into the forest of dreams.
_______
We're entering a new era: The Golden Age of Fun.
_______
Life is about priorities - you must decide what's truly important and what's not.
_______
Not growing up is prioritizing fun.
_______
Happiness lives in the present. No one can become happy. You can only be happy.
_______
You cannot project happiness into the future.
_______
Happiness attracts happiness.
_______
"What would make you happy now?"
Start there.
And follow the path of happiness.
_______
What brings you joy?
What makes you giddy?
_______
What puts a smile on your face?
What makes your heart sing?
_______
Society is constantly pushing us toward a kind of dreaded socialism that dissolves uniqueness and individuality into a colorless mass.
_______
Live for happiness.
REWRITING THE RULES
You exist so the universe can experience itself only as it can through you. Your uniqueness is proof of that. To fight this uniqueness is to deny the will of the cosmos. Infinite Intelligence works through the heart, the place where dreams come from.
______
I don't care if I have to shovel chicken shit, so long as I can explore the wilderness. That's how important it is.
Though I've never actually shoveled chicken shit, I've worked a whole slew of strange and unconventional professions to stay on the wilderness path.
______
Love must come first.
______
Tell the chipmunks to stop goofing off and start earning a living.
______
Follow instinct and luck becomes your friend, dreams morph into reality, and you never look back.
______
The problem was never getting what you want. The problem has always been knowing what you want.
______
Can we place a value on peace of mind?
______
. . . life is abundant, opportunities are everywhere, and you can do no wrong with the right mindset.
______
When life becomes a constant expression of gratitude, you'll know the true meaning of happiness.
______
The best way to rewire the brain is through learning.
______
"Just fifteen more years until retirement," we say, as we continue our daily grind, only to arrive at retirement old and worn out. Bad knees, bad back, arthritis . . .
But we can change that -
if we keep learning.
When we learn, life remains a vast ocean of possibility.
_______
When we learn new things, the world opens up - and new opportunities arise.
_______
If you want to live a long and meaningful life - never stop learning. Never stop dreaming. Never stop being curious.
LEARNING TO DIE
Small adventures lead to bigger ones. They guide you along the pathway of your dreams.
Start by saying yes to life.
_______
What we've really been talking about is pulling back the curtain and revealing the truth behind the illusion of "everyday life." Because it's all smoke and mirrors - every last bit. On the surface, it's easy to fall for the gag. Just don't forget it's all a game disguised to keep you believing there's only one reality.
_______
Life is a mystery - that's what makes it worth the ticket.
_______
But our differences are what make the world go round. They keep life . . . interesting.
_______
We are living beings with souls that yearn for life outside the box. Some of us are born with dreams much larger than cogs in an industrial machine. Yet that's exactly how our educational system is rigged. Rather than harboring dreams, we engineer cogs.
"What kind of cog would you like to be when you grow up?" asks the school guidance counselor.
I just want you to know -
you don't have to be a cog.
_______
Is there a higher calling than the visionary?
_______
It's your dream and your life. There's no higher calling than living it your way.
_______
Many parents suffer what's known as stranger danger paranoia. Worrying constantly that their children will be abducted if they allow them to play outside unsupervised.
This phenomenon has become so widespread that some parents rarely let their children out of their sight. Instead, we keep them inside our homes or strap them into automobiles, racing from one organized activity to the next, whizzing past 80,000-pound semitrucks at seventy miles per hour. And this is supposed to be safe?
Safety is killing us!
And it's killing our children.
_______
Being outside changes everything. Boredom breeds creativity. Creativity breeds geniuses.
_______
Compared to other species, we must look like aliens. It's incredible how much a single human requires to live. If you could put everything you owned on a scale, how much would it weigh? Think about it for a moment - all that crap.
It's excessive. Compulsive. Maniacal.
_______
Very often a person's abode will reveal their state of mind.
Simplify your life. Simplify your mind.
_______
Why not experience peace of mind now? Before you die?
_______
Must we always be heading somewhere? Doing something? Is it such a crime to have no agenda? Wandering at will in the direction of our choosing? If that's not the definition of freedom - what is?
Might this explain why so many are plagued with anxiety and depression? Could a simple life of freedom exist just beyond the boundaries of our comfort zone? Outside society's unwritten rules?
We are capable of rewriting the play.
It just takes a little intention.
_______
Simplify.
And walk into life unburdened.
_______
It's normal to crave security. Yet by nature, life is insecure. The only thing we can count on is change - so we must become adaptable.
_______
Wilderness is our only hope. Our final lifeline to reality - and everything that is true and wild and free. When the wilderness disappears, there will be no hope left for the human race. Extinction will be the only way. A social experiment gone awry. And the Earth shall go back to the way it was - before we paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
I see no greater cause, no higher purpose than preserving what's left of our wild land. The next generation depends on us. The future of the human race depends on us.
Together,
we can make a difference.
_______
Start by living your dreams. Then inspire others to live theirs, and save the world from a bitter end - by influencing one person at a time.
If you can change a single mind, you can change the world. Show us a better way to live. You might just alter the destiny of humankind.
What do you want to be . . .
when you don't grow up?
. . .
The best thing you can do is tell as few people as possible about your plan.
Don't tell them.
Show them.
You've got to be the captain of your ship.
. . .
You'll find them on the backroads of life, the fringes of society, away from all the skepticism and doubt of our mainstream world - quietly living their dreams anyway.
- Scott Stillman
When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I wrote down "happy." They told me I didn't understand the assignment.
I told them they didn't understand life.
- John Lennon
The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.
- Plato
Every child is an artist.
The problem is how we remain an artist once we grow up.
- Picasso
Life's a dog and then you die.
No, no, life is a joyous dance through daffodils beneath cerulean blue skies. And then? I forget what happens next.
- Edward Abbey
I never allowed my schooling to get in the way of my education.
- Mark Twain
I'd rather die while I'm living
than live while I'm dead.
- Jimmy Buffett
People who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in common.
They know all the reasons for failure.
- Napoleon Hill
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view . . . where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you - beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.
- Edward Abbey
I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP is a short, simple book about thinking differently and living more authentically with intention. Appropriately, I finished the book at the waterfall of my favorite trail in Boulder.
I'm looking forward to reading other books by Scott Stillman.
Favorite Passages:
BEING BORN
Some believe in life after death. I believe in life after birth.
______
We only have one word in the entire English language that even comes close. That word is love.
This book is about choosing love as your life's purpose. It's about living - beyond all else - and spending your entire life in that childlike state of awe. It's about never growing up.
______
This book is about prioritizing experience and living out the rest of your days in a continuous state of wonder, curiosity, and never-ending adventure. Sound impossible? Idealistic? Expensive? Solely for rich trustafarian kids born into a life of wealth and privilege?]
We are all privileged.
______
The real question is -
what are you going to do about it?
How to show our gratitude? By wasting away our precious freedoms working a job we hate, all for the sake of raising children to do the same? Does this sound normal? Well, it should. It's what millions of people do every day.
_______
The world needs "crazy" people - now more than ever before. The ones on the fringes of society who don't quite fit in.
_______
The world needs freaks. Those who doubt conventional wisdom, question authority, and continually search for newer, better ways to live.
Freaks change the world.
_______
I told her I didn't like school very much. "Well then, Scott, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
There is it.
The question - THE BIG QUESTION.
The stress. The anxiety. Why should I have to decide? After a long, awkward silence, I finally said I'd like to travel. To this she frowned, scribbled something down in her notes and sent me back to class. Later, when I received my report, my recommended career was bus driver.
_______
I began to see the world as a playground.
_______
My skater friends were a lively, animated bunch - cut from a different mold. A rare breed never even considered for mass production. They had green hair and mohawks and wore trench coats to school. Their look said FUCK YOU to society, and I loved it. These were my people.
_______
I was becoming my own person - my life was no longer spoon-fed. This was my journey, and I could make it whatever I wanted. This gave me immense freedom as I started to question everything.
_______
My world was shifting -
from concrete to mountains.
_______
Books like The Magic of Believing and Think and Grow Rich taught us that life was full of possibility, and you could do anything you wanted with the right mindset. While everyone else was studying economics, we were studying life.
_______
Marty would poke around the old bridges while I shot roll after roll, trying to capture the mystery and essence of the dusty road, the creaking wood, the misty streams running below.
_______
Covered bridges are a dying breed. . .
They stand like artifacts - gateways to a forgotten time.
_______
I began to understand that most people are good, news only reports the bad, and when I open my mind to all the grace and beauty in this world, magic can happen anywhere.
LEARNING TO LIVE
I began to question my motives. So what if I can make $100,000 if I have no free time to enjoy it?
_______
The Power of Positive Thinking was working. I simply used the principles, set my goals accordingly, and to my amazement, they worked. Why on Earth weren't these books required reading in my marketing classes? Why weren't they required reading for life? I quickly began to realize that with this knowledge - I could do anything. If I just put my mind to it.
_______
We researched a lot of towns, and Boulder seemed like the perfect home base. Around Boulder were endless hiking trails, plenty of jobs, and in our backyard, the tall and majestic Rocky Mountains.
_______
We were now working just eight days per month and spending the rest of our time playing in the mountains. Thank you, Napolean Hill!
_______
What do you want your life to look like?
_______
The time to live can never be later.
It must be now.
_______
Did money even matter?
Or was it really all about lifestyle?
_______
It's amazing how things fall into place when you know exactly what you want.
_______
It seemed the more we simplified, the richer we became. I'm not talking about money - I'm talking about life. The ability to do what we want, when we want.
My dream of never growing up was actually coming to fruition.
How many people suffer, trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives? I've known quite a few - myself certainly included.
______
What do you want your life to look like?
Start there. When you start focusing on the life you want, rather than what you think will get you there, you're on the right track.
______
Life is a mystery, and it's time to start treating it that way.
______
Let me clue you in on a little secret.
Shh. Don't tell anyone . . .
You're in heaven now.
_______
It's not until we grow up and find ourselves miserable that we desire an afterlife. Some hope beyond this dull, monotonous dread that's become our reality. When we get old, death starts to seem like a pretty good idea - and it should. For in death the cycle repeats itself, and we find our heaven once again.
_______
We are here to love - not just other humans, but everything on this planet. We are Earth's children. The mountains, oceans, forests, and animals - they are our kin.
_______
The love in all our hearts is the same.
But all this gets obscured. Our regimented society insists life is not a bed of roses, money doesn't grow on trees, and you must work hard for a living. We buy into this, eating the forbidden fruit, forgetting the Garden of Eden. Paradise is stolen - and placed in some imaginary future that exists only in our death.
_______
Most people have absolutely no idea what they want, so the universe cannot help them.
You must have definite purpose.
_______
When you know what you want, the whole world changes. Life turns into a magical game of coincidence with clues around every corner. You go on just as before, but you're aware of opportunities as they arise. Infinite Intelligence is on your side.
_______
It's almost scary how the universe conspires when you know exactly what you want.
_______
Anyone can come up with a thousand reasons why they can't do something. Only a few go out and live their dreams anyway.
BREAKING THE RULES
We are taught to believe there's only one way to live. One set of rules to follow. Many define this as the "prescribed life."
_______
Not growing up means breaking those rules and rejecting society's unwritten laws about how we should live our lives.
_______
Not growing up means prioritizing lifestyle.
_______
When we prioritize our dreams and follow our hearts, we begin to move past the problems that keep us stuck and toward the life we want.
_______
Freedom is living life on your terms.
_______
Complaining and ranting does nothing but promote fear and negativity. Do something - and live by example. If enough people did this, we might actually make some real progress.
_______
Whatever we focus on becomes energized.
_______
You see - we think the universe is so complex, but it's actually quite simple. It gives us precisely what we think about.
Humans are blessed with a wonderful thing called free will. Our destiny is up to us. We just need to decide. The way to let the universe know what we want is focusing our intention. Animals do this naturally. A squirrel focuses on the nut, so it gets the nut. A bird focuses on the worm, so it gets the worm. You get the gist.
_______
As we know too well, these one-liners seal their destiny.
The same is true when we're asked how we're doing. When we say "not bad," that's exactly the kind of life we get - not bad. I used to work for a guy who, whenever asked how he was doing, would reply each time with the same phrase, "another day, another struggle." And it was.
_______
I have this friend who can't get his mind off fly fishing, and he fishes all the time. Another can't get his mind off rock climbing, and he climbs constantly. Others can't get their minds off work, and boy do they work! But if you spend all your time thinking about work, it's not fair to complain you have no time for fly fishing.
_______
We divide ourselves up into groups, labeling each other as good or bad based on our affiliations. We learn how to hate - our own brothers and sisters - simply because they're on the other team. We start wars, killing for reasons we cannot readily explain. "It's complex," we say.
Is it?
Is life really so complex?
_______
. . . stat with something. Anything.
Turn your life into an experiment.
_______
It starts at our first birthday party - with cake and ice cream. Then Frosted Flakes and Cocoa Pebbles for breakfast. Kool-Aid. Popsicles. Gummy Bears. No wonder we're so addicted. We were doomed from the beginning.
The best thing to do is get rid of it.
. . . .
Nothing zaps vibration levels quite like sugar.
_______
Nix the sugar and take back your life.
_______
Passions keep us young.
_______
When we love life, we beam love out to the rest of the world at the highest possible vibration - just as the sun beams life to us all.
When the world becomes filled with people who love life - the world will be filled with love.
That's how we change the world.
_______
Sometimes it just takes stepping off the trail, out of the rut, into the forest of dreams.
_______
We're entering a new era: The Golden Age of Fun.
_______
Life is about priorities - you must decide what's truly important and what's not.
_______
Not growing up is prioritizing fun.
_______
Happiness lives in the present. No one can become happy. You can only be happy.
_______
You cannot project happiness into the future.
_______
Happiness attracts happiness.
_______
"What would make you happy now?"
Start there.
And follow the path of happiness.
_______
What brings you joy?
What makes you giddy?
_______
What puts a smile on your face?
What makes your heart sing?
_______
Society is constantly pushing us toward a kind of dreaded socialism that dissolves uniqueness and individuality into a colorless mass.
_______
Live for happiness.
REWRITING THE RULES
You exist so the universe can experience itself only as it can through you. Your uniqueness is proof of that. To fight this uniqueness is to deny the will of the cosmos. Infinite Intelligence works through the heart, the place where dreams come from.
______
I don't care if I have to shovel chicken shit, so long as I can explore the wilderness. That's how important it is.
Though I've never actually shoveled chicken shit, I've worked a whole slew of strange and unconventional professions to stay on the wilderness path.
______
Love must come first.
______
Tell the chipmunks to stop goofing off and start earning a living.
______
Follow instinct and luck becomes your friend, dreams morph into reality, and you never look back.
______
The problem was never getting what you want. The problem has always been knowing what you want.
______
Can we place a value on peace of mind?
______
. . . life is abundant, opportunities are everywhere, and you can do no wrong with the right mindset.
______
When life becomes a constant expression of gratitude, you'll know the true meaning of happiness.
______
The best way to rewire the brain is through learning.
______
"Just fifteen more years until retirement," we say, as we continue our daily grind, only to arrive at retirement old and worn out. Bad knees, bad back, arthritis . . .
But we can change that -
if we keep learning.
When we learn, life remains a vast ocean of possibility.
_______
When we learn new things, the world opens up - and new opportunities arise.
_______
If you want to live a long and meaningful life - never stop learning. Never stop dreaming. Never stop being curious.
LEARNING TO DIE
Small adventures lead to bigger ones. They guide you along the pathway of your dreams.
Start by saying yes to life.
_______
What we've really been talking about is pulling back the curtain and revealing the truth behind the illusion of "everyday life." Because it's all smoke and mirrors - every last bit. On the surface, it's easy to fall for the gag. Just don't forget it's all a game disguised to keep you believing there's only one reality.
_______
Life is a mystery - that's what makes it worth the ticket.
_______
But our differences are what make the world go round. They keep life . . . interesting.
_______
We are living beings with souls that yearn for life outside the box. Some of us are born with dreams much larger than cogs in an industrial machine. Yet that's exactly how our educational system is rigged. Rather than harboring dreams, we engineer cogs.
"What kind of cog would you like to be when you grow up?" asks the school guidance counselor.
I just want you to know -
you don't have to be a cog.
_______
Is there a higher calling than the visionary?
_______
It's your dream and your life. There's no higher calling than living it your way.
_______
Many parents suffer what's known as stranger danger paranoia. Worrying constantly that their children will be abducted if they allow them to play outside unsupervised.
This phenomenon has become so widespread that some parents rarely let their children out of their sight. Instead, we keep them inside our homes or strap them into automobiles, racing from one organized activity to the next, whizzing past 80,000-pound semitrucks at seventy miles per hour. And this is supposed to be safe?
Safety is killing us!
And it's killing our children.
_______
Being outside changes everything. Boredom breeds creativity. Creativity breeds geniuses.
_______
Compared to other species, we must look like aliens. It's incredible how much a single human requires to live. If you could put everything you owned on a scale, how much would it weigh? Think about it for a moment - all that crap.
It's excessive. Compulsive. Maniacal.
_______
Very often a person's abode will reveal their state of mind.
Simplify your life. Simplify your mind.
_______
Why not experience peace of mind now? Before you die?
_______
Must we always be heading somewhere? Doing something? Is it such a crime to have no agenda? Wandering at will in the direction of our choosing? If that's not the definition of freedom - what is?
Might this explain why so many are plagued with anxiety and depression? Could a simple life of freedom exist just beyond the boundaries of our comfort zone? Outside society's unwritten rules?
We are capable of rewriting the play.
It just takes a little intention.
_______
Simplify.
And walk into life unburdened.
_______
It's normal to crave security. Yet by nature, life is insecure. The only thing we can count on is change - so we must become adaptable.
_______
Wilderness is our only hope. Our final lifeline to reality - and everything that is true and wild and free. When the wilderness disappears, there will be no hope left for the human race. Extinction will be the only way. A social experiment gone awry. And the Earth shall go back to the way it was - before we paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
I see no greater cause, no higher purpose than preserving what's left of our wild land. The next generation depends on us. The future of the human race depends on us.
Together,
we can make a difference.
_______
Start by living your dreams. Then inspire others to live theirs, and save the world from a bitter end - by influencing one person at a time.
If you can change a single mind, you can change the world. Show us a better way to live. You might just alter the destiny of humankind.
What do you want to be . . .
when you don't grow up?
August 20, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book since it was a different writing style than what I usually read. I appreciated how it was more of a discussion with the author than a fictional story. I would not follow all of his tips exactly, such as not needing to go to college (I want to go), although I think it was an interesting perspective. The book preached all about living unconventionally and spending your time doing what YOU want to do!
January 12, 2024
I had never been tempted to read self help but when I saw this book I was excited to get a start on it. However, this just didn’t resonate with me.
I did like the quick pacing but some parts were repetitive and it was very Americanised.
It was also kinda giving me egotistical vibes? I didn’t want to read about how I’m a failed human being because I eat sugar or enjoy watching movies!! I wanted to learn how to embrace choosing a life that didn’t follow the societal norm. I understood that the author was trying to push the reader to appreciate nature and lead a minimalistic life but privilege is also hard to come by. If I wanted to be told “just do it” I’d watch a nike ad.
What I will take from this book if to embrace my inner child and keep learning everyday
I did like the quick pacing but some parts were repetitive and it was very Americanised.
It was also kinda giving me egotistical vibes? I didn’t want to read about how I’m a failed human being because I eat sugar or enjoy watching movies!! I wanted to learn how to embrace choosing a life that didn’t follow the societal norm. I understood that the author was trying to push the reader to appreciate nature and lead a minimalistic life but privilege is also hard to come by. If I wanted to be told “just do it” I’d watch a nike ad.
What I will take from this book if to embrace my inner child and keep learning everyday
October 18, 2023
Really enjoyed this but the large amount of references to Americanism killed me
Read
April 17, 2024Naaahh dude.. my head hurts!! Stillman se répète durant les 173 pages. C'est un beau message tho mais les self helps ce n'est pas pour moi🤕
July 27, 2025
Made me want to go outside and just feel again.
This came into my life at the perfect time. I didn’t expect it to hit so deeply, but it did. It made me slow down not just in how I read it, but in how I started noticing the world around me again. The way the air feels in the morning. The stillness in a quiet walk. The reminder that there’s more to life than to-do lists and screens.
One line I kept coming back to was:
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old—we grow old because we stop playing.”
That cracked something open in me. When did I stop playing? When did I start thinking that being busy was more important than being free?
Scott’s writing is honest and peaceful. It doesn’t try to preach. It just gently reminds you of what you already know but may have forgotten; that joy and presence are found in the quiet, wild, ordinary moments. That nature still has a place for us. That the child in us doesn’t need to disappear just because we’ve grown.
This wasn’t just a book, it was a soft little wake-up call. And I’m grateful for it.
This came into my life at the perfect time. I didn’t expect it to hit so deeply, but it did. It made me slow down not just in how I read it, but in how I started noticing the world around me again. The way the air feels in the morning. The stillness in a quiet walk. The reminder that there’s more to life than to-do lists and screens.
One line I kept coming back to was:
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old—we grow old because we stop playing.”
That cracked something open in me. When did I stop playing? When did I start thinking that being busy was more important than being free?
Scott’s writing is honest and peaceful. It doesn’t try to preach. It just gently reminds you of what you already know but may have forgotten; that joy and presence are found in the quiet, wild, ordinary moments. That nature still has a place for us. That the child in us doesn’t need to disappear just because we’ve grown.
This wasn’t just a book, it was a soft little wake-up call. And I’m grateful for it.
June 20, 2024
>5 ⭐️
Das Buch ist der Wahnsinn!
Ich hab die Hälfte des Buches mit Textmarker angemalt.
Als ich relativ am Ende des Buches war, war ich auf dem Heimweg.
Von der Bushaltestelle bis zu meinem Haus hab ich durchgängig gelächelt und gegrinst, bin auf der anderen Straßenseite gelaufen um eine Abwechslung zu haben, und habe in den schönen Oldtimer bei der Autowerkstatt, den ich jeden Tag sehe wenn ich von der Arbeit heimkomme, geguckt. Sonst habe ich ihn immer nur von der anderen Straßenseite aus angeschmachtet. Es ist ein Automatik Getriebe.
Öffnet einem so unfassbar die Augen, dass das Leben eigentlich wunderschön ist, und man sich einfach trauen soll und seine Träume leben soll.
Es kommt immer etwas dazwischen wenn wir mal Pläne haben, das kennen wir alle. Aber genau das ist der Fehler, wir rennen weg, obwohl wir es so sehr wollen. Das Leben kommt nie dazwischen. Wir sind es selbst, die uns im Weg stehen.
Wieso sind wir eigentlich immer traurig wenn wir auch glücklich sein können?
Wieso haben wir soo viel Müll zuhause rumliegen obwohl wir auch nur mit wenigem auskommen?
Schmeiß dein ganzes Zeug raus und LEB.
Habe aufgehört zu zählen wie oft ich mir gewünscht habe, das Buch wäre auf Deutsch verfügbar damit meine Eltern es lesen können. Habe schon darüber fantasiert wie ich es ihnen auf Deutsch übersetze weil ich es so unfassbar wichtig finde.
Das Buch ist der Wahnsinn!
Ich hab die Hälfte des Buches mit Textmarker angemalt.
Als ich relativ am Ende des Buches war, war ich auf dem Heimweg.
Von der Bushaltestelle bis zu meinem Haus hab ich durchgängig gelächelt und gegrinst, bin auf der anderen Straßenseite gelaufen um eine Abwechslung zu haben, und habe in den schönen Oldtimer bei der Autowerkstatt, den ich jeden Tag sehe wenn ich von der Arbeit heimkomme, geguckt. Sonst habe ich ihn immer nur von der anderen Straßenseite aus angeschmachtet. Es ist ein Automatik Getriebe.
Öffnet einem so unfassbar die Augen, dass das Leben eigentlich wunderschön ist, und man sich einfach trauen soll und seine Träume leben soll.
Es kommt immer etwas dazwischen wenn wir mal Pläne haben, das kennen wir alle. Aber genau das ist der Fehler, wir rennen weg, obwohl wir es so sehr wollen. Das Leben kommt nie dazwischen. Wir sind es selbst, die uns im Weg stehen.
Wieso sind wir eigentlich immer traurig wenn wir auch glücklich sein können?
Wieso haben wir soo viel Müll zuhause rumliegen obwohl wir auch nur mit wenigem auskommen?
Schmeiß dein ganzes Zeug raus und LEB.
Habe aufgehört zu zählen wie oft ich mir gewünscht habe, das Buch wäre auf Deutsch verfügbar damit meine Eltern es lesen können. Habe schon darüber fantasiert wie ich es ihnen auf Deutsch übersetze weil ich es so unfassbar wichtig finde.
July 23, 2023
Some parts of the book were great most of it was not. I think it’s eye opening but not everyone can live that way. If only there was an in-between place. In the book he said money does not matter, but you have to work and earn money to do all those things. Especially in todays world where everything costs the highest it’s ever been. The book never talked about how to live that life how much time it might take to get to that point in life.
October 2, 2024
Not everyone can afford to have a dream like 6 months of snowboarding. This felt quite out of touch with reality. What if you have a disability or mental illness and can’t be nimble in the way the author describes? idk. I wanted to love this but it came across really tone deaf to me.
Also, the point at the start about all the freedoms that Americans are afforded - I would have preferred if the author mentioned the indigenous peoples who had their land stolen for “American freedoms”.
Also, the point at the start about all the freedoms that Americans are afforded - I would have preferred if the author mentioned the indigenous peoples who had their land stolen for “American freedoms”.
December 18, 2023
Great book! I found it a little repetitive at times but overall the message was amazing! Would recommend to everyone as an essential read
August 26, 2024
Excuse my french, but reads a bit like a manual on how shamelessly revel in your white western privilege. Definitely does not address a wide variety of audiences 🤭
August 30, 2023
A great read for those that choose not to live within the social standards of our world. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style of a conversational piece, rather than a story. This book was a great reminder that there is nothing wrong with my own personal philosophies about life, or the way I choose to live. If you often find yourself sitting around a fire, under the stars, or on the edge of a cliff with your friends enjoying a beer and talking about the meaning of life… This book is for you.
April 14, 2024
Este libro ha sido como una luz en la oscuridad, era justo lo que necesitaba leer. Me ha gustado mucho la forma en la que esta escrito. Tengo las mismas ideas que las que se hablan en el libro, a excepción de algunas cosillas; pero a pesar de eso ha sido muy tranquilizador leer sobre algo que lleva comiéndome la cabeza tanto tiempo.
February 24, 2021
I enjoyed this book, but then I like all Scott's books so far.
It was just what i needed this week and motivated me to re-think some things in my life and to change some habits that are contrary to my heart.
I would recommend this book if you feel like your dreams are fading or you just need a light read that will make you smile at your life.
It was just what i needed this week and motivated me to re-think some things in my life and to change some habits that are contrary to my heart.
I would recommend this book if you feel like your dreams are fading or you just need a light read that will make you smile at your life.
Read
March 1, 2025This was a good read especially for someone who is a little lost and has always struggled with the “that’s just the way it is” mentality.
BUT I will say suggesting that increases in ADHD and depression is somehow linked to a lack of connection to the wildness is a wild take to throw in at the end of the book. I don’t know—I get what the author was trying to say and I agree that a lack of the third place in society is not helping society but I don’t think it’s as clear cut as a lack of wilderness is causing these things. Rather I think it’s a societal thing but maybe that is what he meant and I am over sensitive about it. Also whenever someone brings up medications and how the youth has to medicate due to things like depression I am like hold up. It can come across as saying things like antidepressants are somehow bad and I worry about the direction that could go. It’s a slippery slope to jump into without elaborating since there are nuances. But again, I am like super sensitive rn and frustrated with the government so maybe I am reading into this WAAAAY too much.
BUT I will say suggesting that increases in ADHD and depression is somehow linked to a lack of connection to the wildness is a wild take to throw in at the end of the book. I don’t know—I get what the author was trying to say and I agree that a lack of the third place in society is not helping society but I don’t think it’s as clear cut as a lack of wilderness is causing these things. Rather I think it’s a societal thing but maybe that is what he meant and I am over sensitive about it. Also whenever someone brings up medications and how the youth has to medicate due to things like depression I am like hold up. It can come across as saying things like antidepressants are somehow bad and I worry about the direction that could go. It’s a slippery slope to jump into without elaborating since there are nuances. But again, I am like super sensitive rn and frustrated with the government so maybe I am reading into this WAAAAY too much.
October 17, 2025
Just wow. This book gave me such a strong sense of flow that I literally ended up moving to a new city because of it. I just followed where life was leading me. Yes, it was a huge change and honestly really scary, but I trusted that it was meant to be.
I didn’t expect the book to be this good at all—mostly because of how casually the author writes—but I think that’s exactly what made it even better. He spoke from the perspective of a regular person, not some overly academic expert trying to lecture me.
This book truly opened my mind. It made me stop and think about how I can actually build the life I dream of—focusing on the vision itself instead of the set “rules” we’re taught to follow.
I didn’t expect the book to be this good at all—mostly because of how casually the author writes—but I think that’s exactly what made it even better. He spoke from the perspective of a regular person, not some overly academic expert trying to lecture me.
This book truly opened my mind. It made me stop and think about how I can actually build the life I dream of—focusing on the vision itself instead of the set “rules” we’re taught to follow.
February 7, 2024
A nice easy read, reminding me to focus on my dreams and not get bogged down in the day to day stuff of being an adult. Some of it was a little too focused on manifestation for my liking, but overall a great read if you’re looking for some inspiration!
February 5, 2025
Rien que la citation en deuxième page ça donne envie de poser le livre. J'ai tenu 15 pages
Si je veux un amas de citations inspirantes médiocres je préfère aller sur le facebook de ma tante
Si je veux un amas de citations inspirantes médiocres je préfère aller sur le facebook de ma tante
October 20, 2023
Loved this! As someone who doesn’t like the idea of conforming to society and doing everything “the way it’s suppose to be”, this book was refreshing! Lots of great perspectives and lessons in this book and I believe I truly found meaning in a lot of things I didn’t know before. Some of the topics brought up I really resonated with. I’d say it would be five stars but the first three chapters felt a bit the same, just going over his love and his story a lot which I appreciated but felt it could have been discussed and moved on with in one chapter, but understood why it was brought up so much. Overall great read for those who feel lost in life..
September 17, 2025
Easy read and I definitely think everyone should read this book once in their life - though I would put it into a category of nonfiction that you need to read “at the right time in your life” to really be able to resonate with what is written otherwise you might not feel the need to finish.
December 1, 2023
Not what I had come to expect from Stillman
I have struggled to write this review and only give the book a 1 star. But it needed to be done. The book itself is not horrible but it is such a HUGE departure from his other writings. It is a hodge podge of word vomit and recycling of things in ways that don’t make sense in the context of his other writings.
It felt like a celebration and justification of his life and life choices. Maybe I am not the right person to read this? But I live a life like his and connected deeply with his other books. It feels like he is doing his other writings a disservice by writing this book.
I have struggled to write this review and only give the book a 1 star. But it needed to be done. The book itself is not horrible but it is such a HUGE departure from his other writings. It is a hodge podge of word vomit and recycling of things in ways that don’t make sense in the context of his other writings.
It felt like a celebration and justification of his life and life choices. Maybe I am not the right person to read this? But I live a life like his and connected deeply with his other books. It feels like he is doing his other writings a disservice by writing this book.
March 30, 2021
for everyone
Everyone should read this book. Especially young people. and middle age folks. Even retirees, like me. You don’t have to agree with all of it but there are great gems in there. I agree with nearly all of it.
Everyone should read this book. Especially young people. and middle age folks. Even retirees, like me. You don’t have to agree with all of it but there are great gems in there. I agree with nearly all of it.
May 27, 2025
I feel like everyone needs to read this book once in their life. It’s such a good book to come back because you get so caught up in the world and society that you almost forget to stop and realize how simple life really is.
November 20, 2023
i saw all the good reviews. i saw some good quotes on tiktok. but then i read it & im like this the cheesiest shit i ever read
September 25, 2024
I did a book swap with a friend. I gave him Gone Girl and he gave me this…
June 5, 2025
Wow, I am not joking when I say that everyone should read this book. This book helped me to put into words feelings I’ve had for a long time about the world we live in and the way I have felt that we should live. Normal life and societal expectations just never ‘felt’ right for me and to hear someone else say it, and say it so motivationally and practically was so affirming for me. Security is comforting, but it is also disabling too, real freedom is outside our comfort zones.
It provides practical steps to living a life outside of societal expectations, one that focuses on the ‘living’. It is about focusing on your dreams and making them your goal rather than money, money is simply a tool to get you there. I have taken down so many notes and will probably re-read the book again to hold myself accountable! If you have ever felt like ‘traditional’ life isn’t for you, or you struggle in our one-size-fits-all society then this is the book you need to read. It combines nature, manifestation and lots of hard motivation.
“nature knows the truest path - so long as our dreams are well defined”
“whatever it is you believe in - speak out. Join forces. Amplify. Grow.”
(If I had any criticisms, I would say that politics is very important, as much as we don’t want it to be, and I didn’t always like the authors conflation that the left and the right is just the same. I understand where he is coming from but it is a bit of a privileged take to have. This was the only qualm I had - I appreciated his motivation for the reader to make actual change happen though.)
It provides practical steps to living a life outside of societal expectations, one that focuses on the ‘living’. It is about focusing on your dreams and making them your goal rather than money, money is simply a tool to get you there. I have taken down so many notes and will probably re-read the book again to hold myself accountable! If you have ever felt like ‘traditional’ life isn’t for you, or you struggle in our one-size-fits-all society then this is the book you need to read. It combines nature, manifestation and lots of hard motivation.
“nature knows the truest path - so long as our dreams are well defined”
“whatever it is you believe in - speak out. Join forces. Amplify. Grow.”
(If I had any criticisms, I would say that politics is very important, as much as we don’t want it to be, and I didn’t always like the authors conflation that the left and the right is just the same. I understand where he is coming from but it is a bit of a privileged take to have. This was the only qualm I had - I appreciated his motivation for the reader to make actual change happen though.)
May 7, 2024
The book was so relatable from page one
Never read a non fiction book let alone one like this
And follow ur breadcrumbs was probably the best unexpected advice I got from the book. Reading this made me realize how many times I ignored my “breadcrumbs” and how many opportunities I could have had and showed me to be aware. There was a bunch of other little stuff that I found helpful this was just the main thing for me.
The book was good and helpful, sometimes it felt a little wishy washy and repetitive with not much evidence to support certain statements but I still agreed with most of the stuff he discussed
I also liked how the author was inclusive to everyone and not pushing his own specifically religious beliefs by referring to the “infinite intelligence”
Never read a non fiction book let alone one like this
And follow ur breadcrumbs was probably the best unexpected advice I got from the book. Reading this made me realize how many times I ignored my “breadcrumbs” and how many opportunities I could have had and showed me to be aware. There was a bunch of other little stuff that I found helpful this was just the main thing for me.
The book was good and helpful, sometimes it felt a little wishy washy and repetitive with not much evidence to support certain statements but I still agreed with most of the stuff he discussed
I also liked how the author was inclusive to everyone and not pushing his own specifically religious beliefs by referring to the “infinite intelligence”
May 1, 2024
This was gifted to me by Claudia. Sweet sweet Claudia!
I usually feel this small fear when others gift me books. I fear I’d end up disliking them.
This had been sitting on my shelf for a month(?) before I decided to randomly pick it up and give it a read. Next thing you know I was up till the wee hours of 4am devouring the first half. I thought, this is really good stuff!
Scott Stillman talks passionately about the significance of never growing up, about choosing to harbour the innocent lens a child has throughout one’s lifetime. Also, a big portion on not conforming to society’s standards of what constitutes a “successful” and “happy” life amongst many other things. (Plus his great appreciation and conservation for nature.)
Definitely a book I’d pick up again. Thanks Claud <3 (or should i say my dearest mermaid trapped on dry land?) ((it’s her goodreads handle.))
I usually feel this small fear when others gift me books. I fear I’d end up disliking them.
This had been sitting on my shelf for a month(?) before I decided to randomly pick it up and give it a read. Next thing you know I was up till the wee hours of 4am devouring the first half. I thought, this is really good stuff!
Scott Stillman talks passionately about the significance of never growing up, about choosing to harbour the innocent lens a child has throughout one’s lifetime. Also, a big portion on not conforming to society’s standards of what constitutes a “successful” and “happy” life amongst many other things. (Plus his great appreciation and conservation for nature.)
Definitely a book I’d pick up again. Thanks Claud <3 (or should i say my dearest mermaid trapped on dry land?) ((it’s her goodreads handle.))
March 17, 2025
I think everyone should read this book!!!! It’s very eye opening on how we have somehow created a ‘norm’ life of getting a career, having a family, and kids and not actually fulfilling our souls. Many pages that I re read multiple times to deeply comprehend what was being said… although there’s a major fault to his perspective. The author never actually gives a perspective on how not having a career affects you long time i.e, no pension. You can’t do these adventures (hiking, snowboarding, etc) as an old person and working when I’m 70 years old at a minimum wage job until I die doesn’t sound ideal either. I would love to read more about this. Overall pretty good book.
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