Ben Nemtin is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, co-founder of The Buried Life movement and inspirational keynote speaker. He has delivered over 500 keynotes to brands and Fortune 500 companies around the globe.
This is his story.
When I finally hit my first year of university, life was good. I had an academic scholarship to a top-tier school and my dream of making the U-19 Canadian Rugby Team had just become a reality. Then, everything went south.
My anxiety stopped me from going to school, and it stopped me from going to rugby practice. I dropped out of college, and I was dropped from the rugby team. I became a shut-in in my parent’s house, unable to leave.
I slowly realized that I had been living the life I wanted other people to see — not the life I wanted for myself.
In an attempt to re-set, I decided to only surround myself with people who inspired me. I made a list of ‘100 things to do before you die’ with my three friends, Jonnie, Dave, and Duncan.
We decided that for every bucket list item we accomplished, we would help a complete stranger accomplish something on their list.
The Buried Life was named after a 150 year-old poem by Matthew Arnold which articulated our frustrations perfectly – our dreams felt buried.
We borrowed an RV, bought a second-hand camera and hit the road for a two-week road trip to tackle our list of impossible dreams and help others.
What happened next was completely unexpected.
Total strangers reached out to help us with our bucket list, and also sent us their dreams asking for help. We had no idea the ripple effect our mission would have, ultimately inspiring millions to write their list and pursue their buried dreams.
That two-week road trip has lasted over a decade. And the list items that I was once convinced were impossible, have somehow been checked off the list.
As a result, I now truly believe that anyone can do anything and I have seen how this belief changes how you make decisions and, ultimately, how you live your life.
My goal is to instill this belief in you and prove that you are capable of the impossible.