A LIFE FOR SALE
on eBay !!
March 2008 - June 2008
An "entire life" for sale... on eBay
(2008)
Are you ready for a fresh start?
Have you ever got to the point where you just feel like giving up?
You've had enough of the challenges life has to throw at you?
You've reached the point where you just want to throw your hands in the air and say, "Take it all. I don't want any of this anymore. I want a completely fresh start."
So, what would happen if you decided to auction your "whole life"... on eBay?
Why are you selling your life?
Late one Wednesday evening in November 2005 I made a discovery that rocked my life. My wife no longer wanted to continue with our marriage. I was going to have to re-assess my future.
By mid-2006 I had moved away from Perth (Australia) and found another job. See the "Rolling Wheels" video for an idea of the job I took for the next 18 months.
Eventually I realised I hadn't completed the process of moving on. I wanted to get rid of all reminders of my past life.
It was time to make a fresh start. It was time to sell everything!
TV interview: "2.2 million dollars !"
Prompted by an unhappy divorce and a desire to move on, in June 2008 I listed my “entire life” for sale on eBay. The worldwide press coverage was huge. You can see one of the many interviews I did in this video clip.
This interview is probably the best in terms of a complete overview of the reasons behind the decision for the sale, and the actual auction process... and the problems!
You can find out what happened, and how the whole auction panned out in the book A Life Sold, which has now been optioned by Walt Disney Pictures for a possible future movie.
Countdown videos to the start of the auction
TV interviews covering "A Life For Sale"
Media coverage of the auction
Original posts from the "A Life For Sale" blog
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What next?
Many times in the run-up to the auction I was asked in interviews: "What will you do once you've sold your life?"
At the time I didn't really know, but the question prompted me to really start thinking about what I wanted to achieve with the rest of my life. I'd always understood the importance of having goals, and had made a few lists in the past.
As I started gathering ideas for some of the things I'd like to do, places I'd like to see, experiences I'd like to have, I realised I hadn't achieved many of the goals from those earlier lists.
If I was going to tackle this "bucket list". then after the auction, when I'd have no ties, no debts and cash in hand, would be the perfect time to get started.
My list grew, and as it approached a total of 100 I had an idea. Why not take on these 100 goals. How long would I need? Let's make it challenging... 100 weeks.
The auction ended on 29th June 2008, and I had a one-way flight booked from Perth to Dubai on 3rd August.
You can find out how my two years of travel and adventure went on the next page: