1 life, 75 ways to live

"You're under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago."

In 1906, Eugene Bullard ran away from home.

He was 11 years old.

As an African-American child in the deep South, Bullard experienced severe racism. Growing up, his father told him stories of France — a place where slavery was abolished.

So Bullard left his hometown of Columbus, Georgia and set his sights for Europe.

In 1912, he stowed away on a German freight ship and sailed to Scotland. From there, he traveled to London.

Bullard died in New York in 1961. Between his arrival in London in 1912 and his death in 1961, he did a few things.

• Became a prize-fighting boxer

• Performed as a jazz drummer

• Opened and owned a nightclub

• Worked as an interpreter for Louis Armstrong

• Served as the inspiration for an Ernest Hemingway character

Oh, and Bullard became one of history's first black combat pilots, becoming a hero who fought for France in both World Wars, and earning himself France’s “Légion d’honneur” — the highest award given out by the French government.

Canadian author Robin Sharma has a quote that reminds me of Bullard’s journey:

“𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟳𝟱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.”

Bullard, of course, is an outlier. Few people have packed more living into one life.

But does that mean we shouldn’t learn from him?

In life, nothing kills potential like echo chambers. And I don’t mean echo chambers of thought. I mean echo chambers of action.

Echo chambers of action happen when your day-to-day becomes indistinguishable from the day-to-day of those around you.

You do the same things. So do the people around you. So you get lulled into thinking that’s all there is to do.

But as writer Alan Watts says, “You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.”

When we look at history, it feels like those who came before us lived bolder lives. And that’s likely true.

After all, bold actions rarely happen without stressful circumstances. Life in 2023 is more comfortable than life in 1912, so we can get away with setting the cruise control for 75 years.

But the option to ride complacency shouldn’t be a catalyst for accepting it.

Echo chambers of action are dangerous because they blind you to your opportunities.

You do the same things. And see the same people. And sit in the same places. And experience the same things.

And it’s all fine.

So you do it again the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

And those days become years.

And those years become decades.

And those decades become life.

Now, nothing says you need to make dramatic changes.

But you do need to live with intention.

Don’t live tomorrow because that’s how you lived yesterday.

Acknowledge the limitless paths that are available to you.

And choose the one lets you live the most life.