My guest today, on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots free podcast interview is a man who quite simply is astonishing. Why do I feel that? Well at the age of twenty years old he is already on his way to defining his life, whilst the rest of the world are scrabbling around screaming "I don't know what I want to do...show me someone, show me!!" He is a youth speaker, author of the book "Off The Beaten Trail" and driven to show the world how everything can start if you are willing to ask a simple question. As he says "My extraordinary adventure began with one simple question: What if the biggest risk is not taking any risk at all? After an fulfilling first semester of college that resulted in major stress, anxiety and unhappiness, I knew that I needed to make a change. Although doing well academically, I had no passion for what I was doing. I realized that going to school and getting a degree might not be the right path for me - at least at this point in my life. I decided to take a chance, leaving school behind to follow my heart and explore other ways of life. With just a backpack and on a shoe-string budget, I spent 4 months travelling through Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica without a phone, yearning to disconnect from the widespread dominance of social media. From living in the jungle and teaching English to poverty stricken kids, to meeting inspirational people from around the world, my quest took me to remote and exotic destinations throughout Central America." And now he is joining up his dots on today's show. So why did he feel so unfulfilled at an age, when I certainly didn't have the awareness of knowing whether i was unfilled or not? And looking back on his journey through South America, does he see it know as riskier than was needed, or actually a stroll through the countryside? Well let's find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr Jake Heilbrunn Show Highlights During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Jake Heilbrunn such as: Jake tells a story of how he was breaking out in hives every morning, until finally realising that stress and anxiety was the cause of the issue and what he had to do to deal with it. How going for your big dreams is never an easy option as you have to untangle yourself from so many factors that surround you everyday of your life. People, parents and finances all try to keep you in one place. Why social media is such a double edged sword, hugely entertaining but also deeply depressing due to the constant comparison we are allowed by glimpsing in other peoples lives. and lastly…. Why he loves getting up in front of youngsters across America, inspiring them to take risks and challenging the personal status quo. You don't have to live the lives that others have planned for you.