Becoming Yourself

Developing a Better You

Author: Matt McMann (Page 1 of 101)

Matt McMann writes books for children and the personal development blog Becoming Yourself (becomingyourself.net).

Want a Better Life for Yourself and Others? Engage Socially

June 7, 2025 / / 0 Comments

We’re fine on our own, thank you very much.

That’s been the perspective my wife Lisa and I normally take during our nomadic travels, especially on cruises. Cruise ships afford you the opportunity to be as isolated or as social as you choose. Both being introverts, Lisa and I tend to shy away from new relationships.

We’re challenging ourselves to change that. Part of the wonder of travel is not only the places you go but the people you meet. People from all over the world and from different walks of life. People we can learn from. People who make the travel experience, and our lives, a little richer. 

We’re currently cruising southeastern Alaska, soaking in some of the most stunning scenery we’ve ever seen. At lunch the other day, Lisa struck up a conversation with the couple at the next table (she’s doing better at initiating than I am). They were friendly and engaging, and we bantered comfortably.

Noticing their accent and feeling emboldened, I asked, “What part of Australia are you from?” The smiles froze on their faces. They said, “We’re from New Zealand.” I didn’t fully understand it, but I knew I’d made a social blunder. Later I overheard a man at another table ask them if they were from New Zealand. They enthusiastically said yes, adding how much they hate it when people assume they’re from Australia.

Sometimes you swing and you miss. 

But we persevered. At dinner the next night, Lisa again started a conversation with a new couple at the next table. They were lovely, and we found we had much in common. At the end of the dinner, we exchanged phone numbers and arranged to have dinner together the following night.

At the next dinner, I was struck by how many of the life experiences Lisa and I have had proved helpful to our new friends. One of them is a writer looking to break into the industry. As published authors, Lisa and I could share some insights. Their kids are younger than ours, and we talked about navigating the tricky transition to parenting adult children. They were interested in downsizing and traveling more, and we told them our journey to becoming nomads.

Me and Lisa in Haines Alaska

By choosing to get out of our comfort zone and engage with new people, Lisa and I had a much more enjoyable experience. It also put us in a position to pass on some hard-won knowledge and make the road a little easier for someone else.

Are you, like us, normally reserved socially? Put yourself out there. Strike up a conversation. Engage with people. Be ready to learn. Share the life lessons you’ve gained. If you do, you’ll have a richer life while helping others, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

Interested in my USA Today bestselling books? You can find more info here or wherever you buy books.

My wife Lisa and me at the summit of Wind Cave Trail in Mesa Arizona

Want a More Interesting Life? Do More Interesting Things

May 31, 2025 / / 0 Comments

It was a humbling moment.

In training for our walk across northern Spain next spring on the Camino de Santiago (I wrote about how that came about HERE), my wife Lisa and I recently hiked Wind Cave Trail in Mesa Arizona in the US. While ascending a steep section, we stepped aside to allow a faster couple to pass us. We saw the couple clearly for the first time on reaching the summit. They were seventy-three years old.

I complemented them on their hiking speed up the challenging ascent. The woman shrugged and said, “This was a slow day for us. It took us thirty-five minutes when we normally do it in thirty-three.” (Lisa and I are in our mid-fifties, and it had taken us almost an hour). They were getting ready to hike through Glacier National Park.

As we took in the hard-earned view, we fell into conversation with another woman our age. She told us that she’d struggled with depression and poor health earlier in the year before deciding to start hiking. She’d summited this trail every day for six months straight and had now rebounded both physically and emotionally.

I’m more motivated than ever to continue training because of these encounters. I realized we’d only met these interesting people because we’d decided to do an interesting thing—walk hundreds of miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago. Had we not committed to this adventure, we wouldn’t have hiked to Wind Cave and wouldn’t have met these inspiring people.

My wife Lisa and me on Wind Cave Trail

Are you feeling in a rut? Does your social interaction feel stale? Choose to do something interesting. Take a modern dance class. Learn tai chi. Volunteer for Meals on Wheels. Travel to a place you’ve only seen on Instagram. If you do, you’ll have a more interesting life with interesting people, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

A Chance Encounter, a Strange Idea, and a Wild Journey

May 24, 2025 / / 0 Comments

It started with a chance encounter.

Our nomadic journey recently took my wife and I on a cruise through the Panama Canal. One day at lunch, we struck up a conversation with a woman in her mid-sixties who was traveling alone. When we learned she was a frequent traveler, we asked what some of her favorite trips had been. She glowingly talked about walking the Camino de Santiago.

Having never heard of it, Lisa and I were intrigued. The woman described a walk of hundreds of miles across northern Spain to the city of Santiago. We didn’t get into much detail, but the idea stuck with us long after the cruise. 

A few months later, we were having dinner with our daughter’s neighbor whom we pet sit for. We were already booked to stay at her place to watch her cat Pixie for five weeks this fall, but didn’t know where she would be traveling. When we asked, we were stunned by her answer—she will be biking the Camino de Santiago.

Fascinated by the coincidence, we plied her with questions:

1. What is the Camino de Santiago? A 500 mile trek traveled by pilgrims for more than 1200 years.

2. What’s the route? Start in St Jean Pied de Port in southwest France, cross the Pyrenees Mountains and head west across northern Spain to the city of Santiago. 

3. Where do you sleep? In hostel-like albergues or small hotels.

4. What do you eat? The “pilgrims meals” provided by albergues or in cafes along the route.

5. Where do you go to the bathroom? In the towns or fields along the way.

6. How do you get drinking water? Fill your water bottles from innumerable public fountains of potable water.

7. How long does it take? About 30 days to walk depending on your speed.

As we left that dinner, Lisa and I looked at each other and realized we both had the same mildly insane question—should we walk the Camino de Santiago?

For the last few weeks, we’ve talked extensively about the Camino. We’ve watched a movie about it starting Martin Sheen called The Way (highly recommended) and three documentaries. We’ve started reading a guide book to the Camino, and Lisa has done a deep dive on a Camino sub-reddit.

We were hooked. We booked our travel to France for mid April 2026 and our return trip from Portugal at the end of May 2026, leaving forty days in between to walk the Camino de Santiago.

Me and Lisa after our first training hike

A few days ago, we completed our first training hike on a mountainous loop trail in northern Arizona. We have a lot of work ahead of us to prepare for this extraordinary and challenging adventure. Will we walk the full 500 miles? I have no idea. But as we’ve heard over and over from people who have done it, you have to walk your Camino, not anyone else’s. Your length. At your pace. In your way. For your reasons.

Not knowing exactly what our Camino will be like is part of the fun. All I know now is that we’re incredibly enthused and motivated. Committing to some version of this adventure has filled us with focus and excitement, giving us a wild goal to shoot for and something meaningful to share. What will happen? Watch this space. We’ll find out together.

View from our first training hike

What motivates you? What out-of-the-box idea makes your heart beat faster? Research it. Start a plan. Find someone to share it with. Make a commitment. If you do, you’ll feel more deeply alive, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

Interested in my USA Today bestselling books? Find info at MattMcMann.com or wherever books are sold.

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