Luke Makris

I am an eclectic individual, passionate about people, culture and getting to know the world around me. I believe it makes me into a better person and helps me to impact the world on an even larger scale. I continually seek out new experiences and challenging circumstances that I turn into adventures. I believe that right outside my comfort zone, and in a relationship with God is where fulfillment is found. The amount of courage that I have is only defined by how vulnerable I make myself to the world.

 

Thus, in order to be successful, I strive to impact at least one person on a daily basis and say yes to new experiences. If I shy away from something because of unfamiliarity I want others to call me out on it.

 

I am always on the run, trying to tame my entrepreneurial ambitions and leverage my maximizer personality to do more with less. I love to travel, meet new people and share my experiences on YouTube (http://bit.ly/lukemakrisyoutube ).

 

Mission:

To inspire and lead others on their Journey to self-discovery, self-confidence, and action.

 

Vision: 

A world in which there are more people doing what they love and stop at nothing to help others discover their source of self-confidence, success, and fulfillment in life.  

 

If nothing else, I want to leave every person I meet a little better off than when I encountered them today, and hopefully give them something new that encourages them to push farther up the path of self-discovery.

 

Definition of Success: Achieving a goal the way you define it. A proper goal is SMART, flexible and accountable.

Definition of Fulfillment: Emotional Peace

 

Bio: 

Energetic, free spirited, resourceful and creative individual passionate about inspiring Exploration, Learning & Self-Confidence

 

In the Summer of 2016 I found myself on the never ending journey to self-discovery. As I traveled 17,000 miles throughout the USA, over a span of 80 days, and on a budget of less than $2,500 I learned so much about myself, others and the beauty of each unique individual like yourself in this world.  

 

There was a time when I was focused on the past, and wishing I could return to the glory days of elementary school. It was a time where I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted to be with friends, have fun and be outdoors. After the summer trip I realized that I did not have to life in the past. What I had then I could have now. It was simply a mindset I had to take. I changed my mindset to focus on the future and enjoy the present.

 

By stepping outside my comfort zone and putting myself in uncomfortable situations every day I take joy in the journey to self-discovery and fulfillment. And even more important to me it gives me the opportunity to meet others and help them along their journey. My most recent endeavor is as the High5guy where I spread joy and self-confidence on campus and at church by handing out high 5s and getting to know new people every day. 

 

As a child and teenager I was blessed to be living in a house where my parents loved me very much. They did not give me everything I wanted. They made me come home for family dinner every night. They did not let me watch PG-13 and rater R movies until  I Was of age, and the same for video games. While I though this was all torture and unfair at the time I see that it is all part of what shaped me into the awesome human being I am today. I look back and thank my parents today. 

 

While I was loved at home, I did not have similar feelings at school. Throughout my journey in middle school I felt like I was not part of the in-crowd. I felt left out and found it hard to relate to others. Then in high school it go worse. Everyone seemed to be on a completely different path than I and I lost all the true friends I ever had. 

 

Naively I thought that I was better than everyone else and that all my “former” friends were making bad choices. I now realize that I am no different than them, and that we all face unique challenges in our journeys, but that we are all created equal. Then in college I thought I found my new home, the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

 

I became heavily involved and deeply influenced by what everyone was saying is the norms of business and life. Then, during the Spring Break of 2016 I found Casey Neistat’s Youtube channel and he inspired me to follow my dreams, and my own journey, not that of others. That is when I said to myself, for the norms of getting an internship, and instead let me follow my dreams of traveling the world and getting to meet new and unique people. 

 

I soon realized traveling the world was a bit too unrealistic at this moment and time, thus I decide to travel the USA which is also filled with lots of people, different cultures, and boundless opportunities. After I returned I felt like I hadn’t had enough. The following winter of 2016-2017 I backpacked across Europe for 1 month on less than $1,800 (all expenses included). Unfortunately, I was robbed in Italy, but you can read more about that in my book. 

 

To sum it all up, it is now 2017, and I have 2 focuses in life: my journey to self-discovery, and helping others start and continue along their journey. I currently share joy with others by giving out high 5s to everyone everywhere. I try to get to know as many new people as possible. And I try to encourage travel to others because I believe it is the ultimate source of self-discovery.

 

My desire is to continue the journey of self-discovery through my Youtube channel, continuing to travel and attempting to put myself into a least one new situation a day. I am currently a student but every spare waking minute I spend brainstorming and applying new ways to inspire others and grow my brand. With a strong brand I will be able to earn a living and focus more of my time and energy on doing what I do best, helping others. 

 

So please share this page with those you love and follow me on Youtube and Facebook. I can’t wait to see you all on Social, and hopefully in person.

 

Start Your Journey Today!

 

Luke Makris