Adventurer, author, motivational speaker, philanthropist, and TV host Leon Logothetis found himself feeling disconnected and uninspired by his life as a broker in London, so he quit.
Inspired by the movie The Motorcycle Diaries, the 2004 biopic based on the young Che Guevara’s memoir of his travels in South America, Logothetis found his “inner rebel” and left his job, home, and even his cell phone for the open road. With $5 in his pocket, he set out reconnect and renew his faith in people and their kindness. Visiting over 90 countries and all the continents, Logothetis chronicled his experiences on the road as the host of the TV show Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, which aired in 100 countries, and is licensed by National Geographic International.
The book Amazing Adventures of a Nobody: A Life Changing Journey Across America Relying on the Kindness of Strangers, released in 2011, recounts in its charming pages that human connection and kindness still exist even if on the surface we may seem isolated and cynical.
The global journey in search of kindness and face to face connections between people is a profound one today when people interact with their mobile devices on a daily basis more regularly than they speak to another person. The simple interaction between human beings helped Logothetis discover true kindness and allowed him to help others as well. Born in London of Greek descent, Logothetis told The National Herald about his family roots from Chios and how he felt he was living someone else’s life in his former career. When asked what surprised him most on his travels, he noted the similarities stood out most of all. “People are people wherever you are,” he said. When asked about his writing process, he said he always outlines then writes the entire rough draft all the way through, to get it all out, and then goes back and edits his work.
Logothetis remarked that in the past his perfectionism kept him from writing anything at all. Now, getting the message out about kindness and the important lessons traveling the world can teach us about ourselves and the people around us takes precedence over perfectionism. His writing style is engaging and thoughtful. Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, The Mojo Diaries: How a Dangerous and Hilarious Journey Changed Everything, a short ebook about his participation in the Mongol Rally, and The Kindness Diaries: One Man’s Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World are all now available to inspire readers to perform acts of kindness. Logothetis is also involved in projects to inspire kindness and help others achieve their dreams.
Big Dreams from LittleThings with Leon Logothetis helps those in need share their stories and connect to online viewers who can then click to support GoFundMe projects. The #GoBeKind project seeks to “spark a contagious chain reaction of acts of kindness” across the country and to share the kind acts online to inspire others.
When asked whether or not he read reviews of his work, Logothetis said he used to and then he would be pleased about the good reviews, that those people got his message, but then with negative reviews he would wonder why they didn’t like his book. Eventually, he realized “you can’t please everyone” and some people simply do not get the message. His next book, Live, Love, Explore: Discover the Way of the Traveler- a Roadmap to the Life You Were Meant to Live, a compilation of his previous experiences and lessons learned traveling all around the world will be released later this year.