It isn’t easy to take risks in life because most of us are terrified of change. But it’s a critically important factor to living a more meaningful and vibrant life.

Mark Frauenfelder said his life changed immensely when he gave himself permission to make mistakes.

Mark is the creator of Boing Boing magazine and website, editor of Make magazine and author of “Made By Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World.”

In his new book, he explains why he sent himself and his family to a remote island in the South Pacific just to see if they could live a simpler, more direct lifestyle.

Coming from their hectic life in Los Angeles took some adjusting, but Mark says they got what they were looking for — meaningful family time and a better connection with the world around them.

He shares what lessons they learned when there wasn’t a store to buy everyday items from and how they’re incorporating those lessons into life now that they’re back in “civilization.”

He said one of the most important things he’s discovered is that if you want to want to start Doing It Yourself, it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. Simple things, like growing some of your own food or making more items from scratch, gives you better control over your life when there’s so much in life that’s uncontrollable, Mark says.

Mark even shares how they got their young children involved with and excited about their family’s DIY movement.