LegendaryLife Blog

We are here to Explore, Learn and Die... passing on our knowledge to future generations.

There is a lot of herd mentality in this world, from religion and culture to the stock market… the excuses given for doing something counter to common sense is as pervasive and empty an act today as it was at the beginning of time.

If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it’s still a foolish thing.
> Bertrand Russell

I really hope that our species can get beyond the marketed trivialities that make up so-called “modern culture” into a more thorough understanding of what exactly we are and our purpose on this overgrown rock. It’s all to easy to forget how infinitely small a space we reside in compared to the vastness of the universe we all reside in.

What is our purpose?

Our role or purpose for being is to Explore, Learn and Die. The universe, for all its wonder, is not able to think of itself, it cannot explore itself, it’s like a fish trying to explore the world outside of its bowl. Our duty is to be that “second being” who can find delight in both the smallest detail and largest acts the universe has to offer to all of us though our perceptions. The universe is large for a reason, to give us an almost infinite tapestry to explore and learn from. We will ALL die, no way around it and I sadly don’t see this changing anytime soon so that brings us to the next question.

How do mortals explore infinity?

Let’s face it, our lives are like timers, not ticking clocks. The countdown began at the moment of conception from an unknown number and no matter what you do, it cannot be stopped from beeping -zero- at a surprise date sometime in the future. So, how do you explore the infinite wisdom and beauty that our universe has to offer within the bonds of a mortal life? You pass-on your knowledge and wisdom to the next generation. This is the most selfless of acts, is there a cure for cancer? Absolutely, but most likely, it won’t be solved within your generation but work you do NOW will better equip future generations to solve the issue of the body attacking itself. EVERYTHING, even the disease of mortality facing all of us has a cure… we just haven’t found it yet… it’s just a matter of time before we uncover these secrets.

Why is culture a distraction?

I love the different cultures found around the world, they are the spice that makes life interesting, but I wished others appreciated them for what they are, difference in perception but not of our substance. At the end of the day, a human is a human, nothing more, nothing less. It seems to me that culture seems endlessly intertwined with religion and sadly, used as a tool for division instead of unification among people. It’s used as an instrument of suppression and acceptance instead of exploration and questioning. Culture should be about respecting the past while creating a better future, not the means for a government to keep the peasants from revolting. At the end of the day, we are ALL THE SAME! The only thing that makes us different is our perception and nothing else. I could have just as easily been born in a small nomadic Saharan tribe 20 000 years ago as I could have been born a million years from now on some remote colonial outpost. The point is that birth is completely random, independent of time or space. The fact that you are reading this right now is purely chance, there is nothing divine or reason behind it… it just is.

Herd Mentality

People find comfort in being part of something larger than themselves, hence why just about every civilization has some sort of culture around it. If “I” am doing something that lack common sense, it makes “ME” feel good that “YOU” are also doing it… the more the merrier! You can see this in pubs, sporting events, the stock market, networking sites… the list is almost endless. People, for some reason, feel singled-out if they are doing something that somebody else, logically or otherwise, isn’t doing as well. So, I challenge you, right now, to spend the next week doing something different than everybody else around you. If you go to a pub, eat a hamburger instead of drinking a pint, come to work EARLY instead of on-time or even better, eat breakfast while others are eating lunch… why? Because it’s these little things that will give you joy and make others question why they are doing what they are doing… adding a little spice in an otherwise mindless culture of materialism.

The Bottom Line

Just because somebody else is doing something, doesn’t mean you need to as well.

Today, a little over a week after submitting my application to become the next Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, I received a welcome letter and my video has now appeared on the Tourism Queensland website!

After a week of anxious waiting... I am in the running officially now! 4th from the left, top row.

Here is the direct link to my profile page on the Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef official website!

http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/twXbj30Gmtg

…and the embeded video is below.

If you wish to see the background information regarding my application to become the next Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, vist my other blog post Jon Cantin: Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef!

Sleep is even more important than diet! You can live a week without eating but no more than a few days without sleep!

No doubt about it, sleep is vitally important for a productive day, it’s not a waste of time as many marketers or success gurus preach!

What happens during sleep?

During the sleeping process, your body essentially goes into overdrive! Your brain is actually busier when you are sleeping than when you are awake! All of the days knowledge is reviewed (which some people think may be the origins of dreams), the muscles, skeletal and nervous systems all get fixed, optimized and polished for another grueling day in addition to a complete “oiling” of your joints. Basically, sleep is the one time of the day in which your entire body undergoes a makeover… and it doesn’t cost a thing!

Why is sleep so vital to a healthy, successful lifestyle?

Sleep deprevation studies have shown that somebody who hasn’t slept for more than 24 hours acts as if they had a few too many beers. They would fail a sobriety test and would be even considered legally drunk! This should give you a very big hint at why sleep is so vital towards turning your hopes and aspirations into reality! If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you are working under a deprived state which will catch-up to you… either in the form of micro-sleeps during the day (which may happen anytime, including while driving) or difficulty concentrating and even forgetting key bits of information vital to your career. You want to become successful? SLEEP!

How much sleep is enough?

Most scientists say about 8 hours is enough, as for me, I wake-up when my body tells me to… today I slept for 10 hours, yesterday 9 and my average is usually higher than 8. Why? I haven’t a clue but I believe the amount of sleep is dependent on what you did during the day. If you had an amazing workout, did lots of studies and pushed yourself to the limit, I am sure you will sleep far more than if you just watch television. There is also such a thing a quality, for me, I usually fall asleep within 10-15 minutes of touching the pillow but if I did nothing during the day, I noticed this number can be doubled or tripled. I have no set schedule to live by, if my body needs 10 hours, I give it 10 hours… and I believe this is a far healthier method of keeping yourself in a ready state to conquer the coming day!

Sleeping is like a bank

I have also ready several times that sleep is like a bank, if your body doesn’t get enough one day, the amount of deprevation builds-up and is taken at other times. Say your body needs 7 hours of sleep a night, if you give it only 6, your body keeps track and will get that extra hour out somewhere, either in the form of micro-sleeps during the day or, like most people, over the weekend. You can’t escape from sleep, you can’t negotiate with it nor can you predict how much you need. In general, we require less sleep the older we get, some scientists believe this is due to efficiency but I believe it’s more due to a lack of stimulation. If you aren’t constantly challenging yourself in some way, physically and mentally, your body and mind will go into stagnation… avoid this at all costs!

Effects of sleeping on aging

Our bodies are built to last a very long time, but nothing makes you age more than a stressful life as, you guessed it, it leads to an abundant quantity of bad sleep! If you aren’t sleeping well, your body isn’t as efficient fixing you up for the next day, the result, sped up aging! All the creams and diets in the world cannot replace what you get for free while sleeping.

How to sleep easily

Your body can only adapt to about an hour change of sleep a day, so if you normally go to bed at 10pm but decided to go at 9pm instead, it may take a few days but you would quickly adapt to the new circumstances. If you, instead, switch from a night to a day shift, you are doing yourself incredible harm as it’s just too much of a change, sleeping during the day is difficult already, changing this every two weeks or month is beyond horrible. I actually did this for a few months and I can attest first hand, to the effects it has on you mentally and physically. Do whatever you can to avoid any job that has rotating shifts, the money you make isn’t worth the toll it puts on your body. Try to get to bed at about the same time every night, plus or minus an hour is no big deal and try to maintain a set routine about an hour or two before going to bed so you can relax into your sleep instead of speeding-up into it, which is far more difficult.

The Bottom Line

Dreams are the cheapest form of entertainment out there… enjoy them!

Buzvia: DreamClue.com

The beauty of Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia!

The English language has a number of powerful words in it, both positive and negative but so far, the most powerful words that have really made fundamental changes in my life have been “Why Not?”.

Why Not?

Now, this can be seen as a question but I see it more as a statement that must be accepted to endure during the tough times while climbing the mountain of a successful and fulfilling lifestyle. When I got to the gym and think I lifted enough, I usually see a lonely plate somewhere and tell to myself “Why Not?”… and proceed to add it to the weight stack, lifting it even when I am exhausted. When I decided to pursuit my fixed wing aircraft courses, I told myself “Why Not?”, even though I have a very strong fear of heights… I also told myself this when, a few years later, I decided to go skydiving! Let me be the first to tell you, skydiving is REALLY SCARY when you have a fear of heights… but I did it anyways!

Why Not? can also be dangerous

More than once, I ended-up in the wrong place at the right time (ei: I am still alive) during my travels. For instance, one day, walking in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), I got completely lost and took the wrong bus to get back to where I was staying. Apparently, mini buses and big buses with the same number don’t go to the same location. Once I realized my mistake, I told the bus driver to stop and drop me off on the side of the highway, I then walked back into town… the Petronas Towers (which where under construction at the time) can be seen from very far away so they are the best landmark around. It was getting dark and I had no clue where I was… as luck would have it, I ended-up walking through a Bangladeshi slum wearing a very nice white dress-shirt, nice watch etc. I couldn’t have looked more out of place than I did, all the dark faces, rough looking cloths and abject poverty, I must have looked like a crazy rich white guy to them! I then hopped on a bus, I figured it was safer on a bus going to some unknown destination than walking in the middle of a slum at night… I was the only white guy there and although everybody was packed like sardines in there, they made plenty of space for me and just stared at me. After the bus go “closer” to the Petronas Towers, I got off in somewhat better, yet still very deprived, part of the city so I jumped in the first taxi I could find. His English was horrible and my heavy French Canadian accent at the time sure didn’t help things much… I showed him a piece of paper with my address and 45 minutes later, I was home! I told the family I was staying with what happened and they told me not to do that again as it’s very unsafe.

Why Not? can be fun too!

A few years ago, when I realized I needed a life of adventure, I sold everything I had and left for Cairns, Australia. The only thing I had was a bit of money, an address of where I would stay (I rented a room from a great family who I contacted through a board) and the spirit of adventure. I really wanted to see the Great Barrier Reef and go up to Cape Tribulation, it as my mission, no matter what, to spend a few months in one of the most beautiful places in Australia. The trip took me a few days total, included way too much time in a plane followed by way too much time on a train, it was cheaper to take a train from Brisbane to Cairns than to fly and I was on a very tight budget. When I finally arrived late one night, I was in a complete daze, I said “hi” to the family, took a quick shower and I am sure I passed-out before falling asleep on the bed. I was completely exhausted and even caught strep throat from the air conditioning unit on the train… so a few days later, I spent a week unable to even speak followed by a few days of having an incredibly deep voice (which I liked)! After about a week or two of extensive recovery, shopping and photography, I was eager to start exploring… and so I did! Even though I was sick, exhausted etc… I still had an amazing time the moment I arrived, you see, I turned a dream of being there to actually being THERE! Nothing quite matches the exhileration of this and I have been addicted to this feeling ever since. I think life should be lived as if you where on a permanent vacation, something new every week, month and year.

The Bottom Line

Why Not? should be used very cautiously if you can’t handle living outside your comfort zone.

I am one of the 30 000 potential applicants to the Tourism Queensland competition for Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef position! Without delay, here is the video.

Video Transcript

My name is Jonathan Cantin and you’re looking at your next caretaker!

I have a University Degree in Biogeography, I studied everything from corals to rock formations and I’m also a teacher.

A little over two years ago, I sold everything I had for the paradise of Cairns, Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. I explored the local area and went up to Cape Tribulation with nothing but a tent and many cans of beans. I have had the pleasure of exploring Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, in addition to my home country, Canada!

I have a Pilot, motorcycle and golf cart Licenses, open water certificate as well as a black belt in Karate. I would love to be on Hamilton Island in August for the Hamilton Island Race Week.

I have been nominated for two Entrepreneur of the Year awards, one of which I won. In my spare time, I love designing on-demand products, motivating others with my blogs and mountain climbing. I am an avid photographer, enthusiastic writer, absolutely LOVE life and the opportunity it presents to me.

My home is the world and I thank you for your time and consideration!

I put a link to JonCantin.com on the video so the reviewing panel can easily find-out more about me and I can use the site to market myself for the wildcard position as well.

Applying Early

Originally, I was going to spent a few weeks making something absolutely amazing but after I saw news reports that Tourism Queensland may limit their applications to 30 000 entries, rightly or wrongly, I decided I simply couldn’t take the chance of having a great presentation with nowhere to send it to. They are swamped already, have applications coming from all corners of this world and my guess is that they can hit 30 000 absolutely anytime, including today.

About the Best Job in the World

Tourism Queensland is selecting one, very lucky person, from around the world, to work among one of the most beautiful regions and islands in Australia! I would LOVE the opportunity to be that person, hence why I applied. The job entails blogging, video production, publicity and a host of other things geared towards having both an amazing time and promoting the region as much as possible. The “job” includes a beautiful rent-free home during the six month, 150 000$AU contract in addition to experiences that will surely make whomever wins, headline news around the world. Throw instant fame into the mix and it’s no wonder why so many people are applying for this position that their servers crashed a few days ago processing the applicants!

Why I think I can get this position

To begin with, I have the educational background with a University Degree in BioGeography (Biology + Geography) and have taught people of all ages over the past decade. I am a self-starter who built many very innovative and successful companies that have a global reach and even better, I am young enough not to require living in a location near a hospital yet old enough to know my limits with a body that can do whatever I set my mind towards doing! I have extensive marketing experience both in direct sales and across many cultures as well. I love the outdoors, drove everything from a plane to a motorcycle and love adventure!

Where can YOU apply?

Competition is fun, the more people applying, the better it will be for all of us applying as it makes the achievement all the more spectacular should I be nominated to be the next Hamilton Island Caretaker. You can see a complete job description on the Tourism Queensland website and find out more about the job at Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Bottom Line

Visit JonCantin.com to find-out more about me!

Buzvia.com: Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Tourism Queensland and JonCantin.com