“By learning you will teach; by teaching you will understand.”
–Latin Proverb

James Bond, secret agent 007 with a licence to kill. More than just a fictional action hero, James Bond represents an ideal, he personifies perfection, and living life to it’s fullest, and experiencing the maximum that the world has to offer. That perfection is more attainable than you think, and those experiences can be yours.

Being James Bond is dedicated to learning and exploring all you need to know, so that you can experience life, just a little more like James Bond. James Bond knows how to do just about everything, and this is your new instruction manual. Being James Bond is your ‘how-to’ guide, on anything that James Bond can do, or has done, and making Bond’s knowledge and skills your own. Each article is designed to be informative, and fun, and each will bring you one step closer to being James Bond.

If James Bond can do it, YOU can do it!

What exactly is Being James Bond?

Being James Bond is essentially a learning resource; videos, podcast, articles, and a bustling community of members, dedicated to developing our own skills in a way that will allow. us to live a little more like the dashing gentleman secret agent, James Bond 007. Being James Bond is broken up into eight individual sections. Those sections are: The Good Life, Bond the Sportsman, Gambling, Man of Action, Extreme 007, Travel, Rest and Recreation, and Inner Bond.

Let’s look at each section a little closer...

THE GOOD LIFE “There are moments of great luxury in the life of a secret agent.” What is The Good Life? I would offer that getting a massage at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, the way James Bond did in Goldfinger, is probably a great start. We kicked off ‘The Good Life’ section with the chapter Drinks and Mixology, where we will discuss the world of cocktails; we’ll discuss various liquors, types of cocktails, some bartending techniques, bar equipment and glassware, so that you’re knowledgeable, and can shake up a few professional cocktails yourself. In subsequent editions of Being James Bond, we will include chapters on Food and Wine, Clothing, Culture. Languages, Smokes.

BOND THE SPORTSMAN There are the three activities that you can be sure that Bond would do pretty regularly. In ‘Bond the Sportsman,’ we’ll explore golf, skiing, and scuba diving. I sometimes call these ‘The Big Three.’ In this edition, we will traverse the world of Skiing; including your basic expectations, preparing for your trip, exercises, clothing, equipment, navigating a ski area, and skiing techniques. And as we explore the big three, we will make a few stops too; in this edition, we’ll visit the magnificent skiing location, Piz Gloria on Mount Schilthorn, near Mürren, Switzerland, that Bond visits in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. In future editions, we will talk about Golf, and visit the the Stoke Pogues Golf Club in Buckinghamshire England where Bond went in Goldfinger. Finally, when we talk about Scuba Diving, we definitely have to talk about The Bahamas, where Bond dives in Thunderball.

GAMBLING Join us at the Royale-les-eaux, Salon Prive' as we explore the world of ‘Gambling,’ from small resort card-tables, to Las Vegas and Monte Carlo. We’ll kick off this edition with Texas Hold'em Poker, as we discuss the rules and techniques for Poker, bluffing and tells, resources to improve your game, etc. In future editions, we’ll cover other casino games like Blackjack, Baccarat, Chemin de Fer, and Craps.

MAN OF ACTION Take any piece of machinery with a steering wheel, and Bond can jump in and operate it. In this first edition, we kick off the ‘Man of Action’ section with Flying an Airplane; we’ll go from taxi to takeoff, straight and level flying, and landing, and how to obtain your recreational or private pilot's license. In future editions, we are going to talk about High Speed Driving, and cover other vehicles including Riding a Motorcycle, Flying a Helicopter, Driving a Speedboat, and even Fighter Jet Training. And what would James Bond be without his Walther PPK, so we are going to talk about Guns and Firearms. Finally, since Bond certainly knows how to handle himself, we’ll discuss Hand To Hand Combat.

EXTREME 007 In the last few decades, James Bond has ventured into the world extreme sports, so we’ll call this section, ‘Extreme 007.’ As this chapter has already revealed, in this edition we’ll head to the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland and go Bungee Jumping as Bond did in Goldeneye. Whether it’s from a bridge, a hot air balloon, a crane or a tower, we’ll discuss what to expect from your first jump, and explore the best jumping locations. In future editions, we will look at Skydiving, Rock Climbing, and Hang Gliding.

TRAVEL As far as I am concerned the most James Bond-like thing that virtually anybody can do is ‘Travel.’ Here we will explore adventures abroad, discover new places to see and new Bond destinations, on and off the beaten path, etc. In this edition, we will explore the city of London, a city that’s still bustling with red buses and vintage black cabs. In future editions, we will travel together to magnificent destinations including Paris, The Bahamas, Switzerland, Jamaica, Portugal, Amsterdam, Greece, the U.S.A,, and will even take a ride on The Orient Express.

REST AND RECREATION After your missions, you’ll need to unwind with a little ‘Rest and Recreation.’ In this edition we’ll grab the reigns and go Horseback Riding, including proper clothing, mounting and dismounting, walk, trot, canter, riding styles, tack and supplies, and finding the right riding instructor. Future editions will include chapters on Sailing, Ballooning, Bobsledding, Surfing, Water-skiing, Fencing, and yes, even Astronaut Training.

INNER BOND As the first season was underway, many listeners asked about, or made suggestions about, future topics. As you might imagine, the topics most people asked for were a little more abstract. So we added a section called ‘Inner Bond;' and in future editions we’ll explore topics like Physical Health, Motivation, Finances, and of course, The Opposite Sex.

That’s a lot to learn!

"Wait, so you really want me to learn everything that the fictional superhero James Bond knows?

Do I really think it’s possible to learn and digest every one of these skills? I mean, Isn't this precisely what makes James Bond a fantasy figure; the idea that one man could have a super-human level of knowledge and ability?

Yes and no..., but, no and yes!

One reader of Being James Bond asked me that very question this way: "Perhaps, this is a silly question, but the flying thing keeps bugging me. I wonder, did you just take an introductory class or did you really get a pilot's license? I ask this because I would really love to know how you interpret the James Bond lifestyle. Is it really experiencing it all or experiencing it in little chunks, but more in depth?"

Head of Section responds, "No, I definitely don't have a pilot's license, and I didn't even take an introductory lesson, at least not officially. I work in the aviation field, so I have a few close friends who are pilots, and I have been fortunate enough to fly with them on a few occasions and they always let me take the wheel. So, they were more than happy to put me in touch with resources for learning to fly, including instructional videos, etc. So, this made it very easy to put together the article/podcast about learning to fly.

"But to your bigger question about how I interpret the lifestyle, it's a great question -- experiencing it all, versus experiencing it in little chunks. I suppose it's kind of like working out. If I am in the gym and I'm looking to build muscle, I might hang up a poster of Arnold to inspire me to push a little harder, but that's not to imply that I have failed if I don't end up looking like "The Terminator." Personally, yes, I see the ultimate goal as experiencing it all, even if it's not likely, even if it's not even reasonable, I do find it possible. "So, two things. A, I'm hardly a failure if I try to have it all, but fall short. I will have a much richer life for having tried. And, B, this is hardly something that has to happen overnight. Having it all or experiencing it all, does not all have to happen within a certain time frame. This is something that will take me many years to accomplish. I don't have any need to feel done or complete with my life any time soon. "So, to sum up, I'll be very happy to spend many, many years experiencing the different things that I have set my sights on and I hope you will too."

Being James Bond is not a self-improvement product, at least not in the way most people understand the self-improvement trend today; but on the other hand, it’s exactly self-improvement in the most literal sense of the term.

I should also add that while Being James Bond does not sell itself as a "Be a Better You", many who visit the Being James Bond forums sections have, indeed, embraced this concept as a means to strive to be better in all aspects of their lives. And if I may say, that's not a bad thing either.

So, please get involved,. Go to the Being James Bond forum section, that's www.beingjamesbond.com, go to the forum, get involved, If you have suggestions for future articles or podcasts, or if you wish to contribute an article, please drop me a line at headofsection@beingjamesbond.com.

-- Joseph Darlington | Head of Section