So What’s Next?

Man, blogging with regularity is hard! I sit down, stare at the screen, and think, shit, I’ve already put all my best thoughts in the book, so what do I write here?

And then, the aha moment: well, if my best thoughts thus far are in the book, then perhaps I should just post my favorite chapters from the book.

So, over the next few months, I’ll be doing exactly that. 2-3 times per week, I’ll be putting up a chapter from the book, along with some extended material to help round it out (videos, links to other resources, etc.)

Beyond that, if there’s any subject you really want to see covered on here, please let me know in the comments!

 

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The Secret to Becoming More Than You Are

Become more than you are

What separates those who succeed in life from those who fail? In 99% of cases, you can boil it down to a single thing: willpower.

Age, race, education, religion, upbringing, experience, opportunity…I’ve seen wildly successful people and miserable failures come from every walk of life. None of these things are a prerequisites, nor guarantors, of success.

Willpower, on the other hand, is critical to success. It’s an absolute must. Truly successful people always seem to possess an indomitable will, an inner strength that simply refuses to give up. That doesn’t mean they don’t have moments of weakness or doubt, and it certainly doesn’t mean that they never fail. They have all of those things, in spades. But they simply refuse to give up, no matter what happens. They exert their will to push through whatever happens, to adapt, survive, and eventually succeed.

True, lasting failure comes only from a lack of willpower. Those who adopt a victim mentality, blaming others for their circumstances, are the truest failures. They’ve shown that they lack the will to succeed, and behave like spoiled, entitled brats who seem to think that the world exists to serve their wants and needs.

Sorry kiddos, but that’s a fantasy land. Nobody owes you anything. Continue reading…

The World is Broken. Can We Fix It?

Of the many things I enjoy doing, thinking deep thoughts and solving puzzles are two of my favorites. As I was walking home from breakfast this morning, I found myself thinking about our world and just how wrong things seem to be.

It may sound cynical, but I’m 100% convinced that our world is well and truly broken beyond the point of repair (though not beyond the point of rebuilding, a fine point)…and I think I finally understand one of the key reasons it is the way it is.

To sum it up, our world is broken due to faulty education, because we’re taught from an early age that some things are impossible.

Monsters in the closet? Impossible. Superheroes and super powers and mutants? Impossible. Big foot, Loch Ness monsters, and Ghosts? Impossible. Flying cars, fusion at room temperature, exceeding the speed of light? Impossible. Impossible, impossible, impossible.

And that’s an absolute load of shit. Continue reading…

42 Rules for Life, the Universe, and Everything

For the last few years, I’ve been working on a list of life rules. My goal in this was to encapsulate my beliefs and core life concepts into concise, pithy statements.

I have unapologetically begged, borrowed, stolen, mixed, matched and modified some of these to suit my purposes. Since I don’t believe in original thought (I’d wager that all co-occur or are independently thought by multiple parties), if you want to attribute any these to someone in particular, do whatever floats your boat…I may live by them, but I make no original claim to them 😉

This list will be a constant work-in-progress, but here’s what I have so far:

Rule #1 Nothing is impossible. The very word says I’m Possible. If the Universe is infinite, and all indications are that it is, then possibility must be equally infinite.

Rule #2 Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Use data to make your case one way or the other, if data is available. Be thoughtful and analytical, and don’t jump to conclusions or make rash decisions.

Rule #3 Humans aren’t machines, and work best in fits and spurts. Work should be done when and where you feel most productive. Just get it done, on-time and high quality.

Rule #4 You can’t do everything yourself. And even if you can, you probably shouldn’t. Collaborate and delegate wherever possible.

Rule #5 The only constant is change, so you should be changing constantly. Try new things. Run tests. Get out of your comfort zone. Never permit yourself to settle into a rut.

Rule #6 Your time is precious, limited, and an unknown quantity. Value it highly, and don’t waste it.

Rule #7 Living is more important than just surviving. It’s better to die while truly living, than live while slowly dying. Continue reading…

It’s Time to Fix Education

Go ahead, watch the video, I’ll wait…

I saw this video for the first time about 3 years ago, and it REALLY struck a chord. From the moment I set foot in school at the ripe old age of 5 or 6 I’ve known that our current system of education is seriously broken. My wife, and virtually everyone else I know, agrees wholeheartedly. Continue reading…