profile

Let’s Go Exploring!

Let's Go Exploring! #181.

Published 5 months ago • 2 min read
​

Dear friends,

Before heading off on my Scandinavian adventure, I wanted to send out a teaser email and update. (Also, I'm trying to stick to my one newsletter a month goal.)

First, the update: I had my interview, or assessment as they call it, to be a diplomatic courier for the US Department of State. It was a four-hour-long, difficult and intimidating test that I'm not allowed to talk about. Unfortunately, I was 0.45 points short out of 7, so my dreams to travel the world delivering packages and telling people, "Hey, don't kill the messenger," have been dashed.

It's common to fail this test 2 or 3 times, and they encouraged me to reapply, but that process would take another 2-3 years. I might try for another position as a cultural diplomat. If you didn't know, I was once, and always will be, a cultural ambassador. In the meantime, I will need to look for another job. This author hobby I have is expensive.

Anyways, the teaser update is that you can look forward to a new format in the next newsletter.

I will be using a 4-step or 4-bullet format with highlights for each step of my formula for turning dreams into reality.

  1. ​Get inspired. Dream big or little.
  2. ​Plan your adventure. To me, everything is an adventure.
  3. ​Go explore! Live your dream, share your adventure, get support and inspire others.
  4. ​Grow! Reflect on your successes and “failures”.

I think it will be quicker, easier and more fun for my readers. You can skip to whichever point interests you. And I hope it will be more fun for me. I can write an article or just highlight an idea I'm playing with. As it is, I often spend weeks or months, and sometimes years, trying to perfect content before I send it out.

That's it for now.

In the meantime, I included one article from my archives that might tickle your interest.

Cheers,
Scott

How to achieve success with only 1/3 of the solution

This is one of my favorite articles and favorite concepts. I call it "The rule of thirds." We can use this rule to help us find alternate solutions or judge whether we are achieving success with the one solution we are using.

​Read the article on my website.

Thanks for tagging along

As always, hit reply to share any thoughts or questions or just to say hello. Hearing your stories is one of my biggest rewards.

I make most of my work free to entertain, inspire and educate. If you enjoy my stories, books, blog or worksheets, please share this newsletter with a friend. It helps keep me motivated, and more importantly, it helps other people.

​

Your Email Preferences

You can adjust your preferences to only receive certain topics.

If you were forwarded this email, subscribe to get the adventures and worksheets delivered straight to your inbox.

If you are no longer enjoying these emails, feel free to unsubscribe. It's a hectic world! I get it, but keep in mind that you can adjust your preferences to receive emails only once or twice a year.

© 2025 Scott Stoll.
113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

​

​

Let’s Go Exploring!

Scott Stoll

Let’s explore how to live a more meaningful and joyful life. I’m Scott Stoll, Author, Artist, Adventurer and a work-in-progress. My claim to fame is that I rode a bicycle around the world. For 25 years, I’ve been posting monthly stories, life experiments, worksheets, and more. Join me, and let’s live the best lives possible.

Read more from Let’s Go Exploring!
Grab Bag #3 book cover.

Dear friends, You can skip below to 4 quick highlights for each step of my formula for turning dreams into reality. Or, you can read this quick behind-the-scenes update. Life has been a little challenging. Before I explain, I know some of you have been worried, so I want to reassure y'all that I'm actually doing really well and grateful for all the growing that I've been doing. Anyway... I've been really sick for months. I believe it is due to burnout. And when a good friend died, it threw me...

about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Dennis Snader and Alicia kissing in front of a mural of giant faces.

Dear friends, I have a super special story for you this month. One that I've been waiting for a long time. If you’ve read Falling Uphill, you know that Dennis accompanied me halfway around the world on a bicycle. Many of you have wondered what happened to Dennis and if he found what he was looking for when he returned home. I’m honored that for the 25th anniversary of my website — a website Dennis helped build — he has written this wonderful story complete with important life lessons. One...

2 months ago • 6 min read
Scott stands before the Kon-Tiki raft in Oslo, Norway.

Dear friends, I've had quite a few adventures since last time, including a trip to Scandinavia, and now an adventure that I didn't sign up for — pneumonia. Haha. Anyway, as I mentioned last time, I wanted to debut a new format for this issue. Below are 4 quick highlights for each step of my formula for turning dreams into reality. You can skip to whichever point interests you. Here is the overview of my process. (I'm not sure if I need to say this every time.) Get inspired. Dream big or...

3 months ago • 3 min read