Work – Unbounded Life

The incredible lightness of leaving

Posted on September 5, 2019September 6, 2019 by Chris Barclay

My family and I are heading back to our home in Chiang Mai Thailand after a Summer in Seattle. We maintain houses in both cities and rent the one in Seattle when we’re away. While this may seem like a lot of work, it’s a modern version of human migration that our ancestors followed for […]

You get a purpose! You get a purpose..!

Posted on July 10, 2014May 14, 2015 by Chris Barclay

It’s been almost a year since I last wrote, as I haven’t been struck by anything in particular that inspired me. Then yesterday I was at Starbucks minding my own business, when I was assaulted by Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is now selling her own branded tea, which includes putting her inspirational quotes on the insulating […]

Loafing toward salvation

Posted on May 10, 2013August 1, 2014 by Chris Barclay

The unbounded life is perfectly content is its pointlessness. It’s not a formula for any kind of traditional measure of success, nor intended to achieve any specific purpose. It’s defined by a spirit of infinite and cheerful uselessness that is found in all forms of play, and born from a desire to avoid the evils […]

The happy nomad

Posted on March 3, 2010March 3, 2010 by Chris Barclay

Since I started writing on UnboundedLife, I’ve given a thought a lot to what freedom is and what it means in the context of human nature. One theme that I’ve come back to repeatedly is mobility; designing a life from a purposeful future, versus living out an extension of the past. It’s a lofty idea […]

Happiness by the numbers

Posted on October 28, 2009October 28, 2009 by Chris Barclay

During a recent meeting with a Hong Kong restauranteur whom I’ve known for many years, the question of business metrics came up. Actually, he brought it up and it really showed what different approaches to business we have. As we sat on the terrace of his popular cafe sharing ideas about a potential joint project, […]

Once in a lifetime

Posted on May 6, 2009May 10, 2009 by Chris Barclay

This past week I was back in my old haunts around China and having been away for only a few months, I was still amazed at what had changed. It’s harder and harder to find a quiet back street where one can enjoy a few beers at a family restaurant. Every time I go back, […]

Relaxed urgency

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Chris Barclay

As an American with a type-A personality that can border on crusading, I have sometimes found living in Asia frustrating. 18 years in China, with its stultifying bureaucracy and a cultural aversion to decision making, taught me a lot about the power of persistence, as opposed to being forceful. In Northern Thailand, where everything seems […]