About
“You can choose between being a victim of destiny or an adventurer who is fighting for something important.”
-The Alchemist
Feel like your life is pointless and you were born to do bigger and better things?
Milk the Pigeon is about:
- Killing that “lost” feeling, once and for all
- Living a meaningful life
- Bold, ballsy living (it’s more fun, I promise)
- Creating something meaningful (whether that’s your life or a biz)
- Doing the {Supposed} impossible
The Beginning of the End: A Story
In 2009 I graduated from a top US college with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and couldn’t get a job in my field.
No, in fact, I couldn’t find a job at all, so I took the first thing that I could find.
The pay was great, the hours were even more awesome, but by the end of my first year working there I felt like my life was pointless.
Actually, my life sucked. I was living with my parents (like almost all of my recently college-graduated friends), I had a ton of money saved because I wasn’t paying rent, and I had a job. Technically, everything was there.
But I wasn’t happy. And what bothered me was that it wasn’t logical. I had everything I needed and even most of the stuff I wanted.
But still my day to day life felt pretty meaningless. As time went on, I started going for long mindless drives in my car to keep my depressed head busy.
One day I decided this couldn’t go on for long and that it was becoming a little ridiculous. It was my life, and I didn’t like it.
I thought, “What the hell? I have the opportunity to do *anything* in the world and I’m sitting here being miserable?”
So I did what any logical person would do. I moved to China.
Living in China for a year gave me one crystal clear insight: the purpose of life is to live a meaningful one, and the only way you can achieve that is by carefully, deliberately crafting it.
Thus, upon my return to the United States in late 2011 Milk the Pigeon was born.
To milk the pigeon comes from an Old English phrase meaning “to do the impossible” (ever tried milking a pigeon? Yeah, don’t…).
Why? What’s the importance?
I’ve met a lot of people in my time and in my travels, but have never met someone who has deliberately crafted a meaningful life where they enjoy every since facet of their day.
Being a disillusioned youth I thought: “What the hell? This is ridiculous, we’re living lives that we hate in some way!? Screw that… I’d rather live as a traveling hobo and ditch the real world.”
I decided then and there that I would do whatever it takes to live a meaningful, deliberate, passionate, un-fucking-believably epic life. And I would help others do the same.
That, by many, was perceived as an impossible task. Thus, my mission to milk pigeons.
Milk the Pigeon has three basic principles:
- Live a meaningful life
- Destroy the ordinary in your life and live boldly (in every way, shape, and form)
- Create something extraordinary (your life, a biz, a mission or greater purpose)
Get Started Here:
- Pick up a copy of my favorite book - The Alchemist
- Read the 56 page manifesto Killing Your Old Life and Living the Dream, which will help get you on the road to creating a life that is worth living
- Read Milk the Pigeon’s rules for creating a conversation-worthy life
- Read the 12 Commandments of the Revolution
- Read this post: Young and Lost? You Are Not Alone
A Milked Pigeon a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
More on Milk the Pigeon: To ”milk the pigeon” is a phrase that comes from an old dictionary in the early 19th century. The approximate translation is “to endeavor at impossibilities”, which I think is more than symbolic regarding the audience of this blog. Most of us feel trapped into one thing or another – a major life path we’re forced to take, stuck in a crappy 9-5 that has no meaning or significance, or simply going through the motions in a life that has nothing inherently worthwhile about it.
As a result, I hope this blog will inspire people to quit living a life they hate – a life they view as meaningless and pointless – and start living their own personal dream, whatever that may be.
I hope as a community we can start a revolution of pigeon-milking, ass-kicking, inspiring sons of bitches who will truly change the way people view life and everything that comes with it.
Here’s to dreaming like a kid again, and seizing every damn thing you’ve ever wanted from life.
Alexander Heyne
@Milkthepigeon
Alexander / at / Milkthepigeon.com
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Alexander,
I would like to interview you and feature your success story on my blog http://www.transformationalmotivation.com
It is part of the passion vs. paycheck series where I invite passionate living role models to show people how to find and connect their passion to a profitable path and overcome the mighty power of the paycheck that forces them to stay a job they hate.
If you’re interested, please reply to this message and we can set up a date and time.
Regards,
Tohami
“#2 You’re someone already established in a life or career but feel like it’s pointless and that you’re only working because you should be.” This is me. Found your blog through a tweet by Darren Rowse @problogger. Still wondering what happened to my twenties now that I’ve moved into my next decade. Life is good, but it could be better. Your story is inspiring. I’ll follow.
Nancy,
Thank you for stopping by
. Where are you these days and what are you working on? Any plans to transcend work for works’s sake?
I don’t want to be the grain of rice that tips the scale (or maybe I do..) but here is something interesting:
My good friend is going through what you are, except for one thing: he has decided to make the move.
He worked the same job for a couple years right out of college, makes good money (tech field), but he’s beginning to feel like it’s worthless. There’s no adventure in his life, no excitement, no fresh-ness.. So it’s on to the next challenge for him. He’s debating on two things: taking another job across the world, or starting his own business with a couple friends. He couldn’t decide so he asked me for help, and here’s what I said:
Do whatever sounds like more of an adventure. Honestly, at the end of the day I find myself disappointed with myself only on the days when I’ve chosen monotony over adventure — and that’s usually only out of fear.
Thanks for coming along –
Alex
Just wanted to say, I liked the blog! The title is innovative and made me stop and read. You may see me here again.
Thanks for stopping by Sunjay!
Alex
I didn’t find my passion until I was 44 and kicked out of a job I loved. At 58 I a still doing that which I feel passionate about, so it can be done later. Of course
I wish it had hit earlier, but grateful it hit period!
I also did martial arts for 4 years beginning at 39 and didn’t care that I was the oldest in the class..I do not let age limit me.
Janet,
Better late than never. It’s awesome that at least you found something enjoyable, seeing as 99% of people never end up doing something remotely enjoyable for their work. Consider yourself lucky, haha –
Alex
Hey
Read your guest post on ProBlogger. Loved it. Some very good pointers, as I am making a lot of the same mistakes you had made.
Came to your site from there, have had a look around and love it. Keep going.
Kind regards
Jayson de Rosner
Jayson,
Thank you! Glad things worked out and you found your way over.
Alex
I’m actually someone who knows what I want to DO and who I want to BE but for some reasons, has no balls to follow my dreams.
Thanks for this great site and that awesome ebook. You inspired me a lot.
No problem Nhil — Hey, if you know what you want to DO and who you want to BE – you are already ahead of 99% of humanity. Consider yourself bless.
And if you know that you don’t have the balls to follow through.. you know your mission now!
Thanks for stopping by
Wow, are you me? I feel like I am in the exact position you were in just before you moved to China. That is a pretty bold step! I don’t think I could ever take action like that, especially not in my current circumstance (in a relationship).
It is not often that I read something like this that I can really connect with.. I will definitely be subscribing after I have a bit of a look around! (I just stumbled upon this site.)
Thanks again
Ryan,
Haha yeah It seems like there are more and more people like you and I going through the same sort of cookie cutter routine. We graduate, we work a lot, we buy some stuff and then we have credit card bills to pay, and then we have to keep working to pay fort the stuff.
And one day we realize we don’t even like the stuff or the live we’re living. And that we haven’t thought about the life we want to live..
It’s a fun journey man, hope you stick around !
Alex