Yesterday I had breakfast with a friend’s father. He was “somebody I had to meet,” and I am glad that I did. While we discussed wisdom, knowledge, and learning from others, he shared a poignant anecdote. One of the most successful and well-respected men he knew had once said, “Every single person is better than you in something. It’s your job to find out what that is and learn from it.” We can all learn something from other people no matter how young, poor, or seemingly unintelligent. Wisdom comes in many shapes and forms.
The anecdote reminded me of time that I spent in eastern Slovakia a few years ago. I visited a Roma [Click here to continue...]
It’s that time of year again where people realize they need to make changes in order to be more successful, happier, or just better in general. It is natural to think of the new year as a chance to start over. It is a different year and the next digit in the year column is worthy of reflection and overhaul. In fact, for those who recognize the changes that need to be made, you have successfully gotten past the first step. Unfortunately, resolutions do not work because people have conflicting desires and there is scientific evidence that proves this.
Conflicting Desires and Resolutions
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions involves losing weight, [Click here to continue...]
As a university student from an affluent neighborhood, I was always exposed to the same social narrative of the “successful” person. During high school, I remember how much importance was placed on getting good grades, going to a good university, and finding good internships in order to find a good job. I was just as guilty as anyone else in beefing up my résumé so I could follow the same path.
There was no “Aha!” moment when I realized that this social narrative of success was misleading and often detrimental to my own creativity, career, and happiness. It was a gradual process that I had to learn. Like many other independent thinkers, I refer to following this social narrative as “group think”. As Owen Cook says, the “group think” mentality can have a comforting place in everyone’s lives. It provides a framework for a beginning, middle, and an end. The trick is to maintain the comfort for your brain, while understanding how to break free from “group think” when it is not applicable to you. [Click here to continue...]
While most of my posts involve ideas, knowledge or some (rudimentary) form of wisdom, this one is going to focus on a tool. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to sell you some software (unless you don’t have Microsoft Office, in which case I can’t help you). I just want to provide you guys with a tool I use that has given me the motivation to achieve my short and long-term goals.
Whether you are an athlete, a writer, an artist or any other profession that requires a specific skill, achieving your goals is an accumulation of daily tasks. These are practices that you do every single day no matter what happens so that you can be at your best. Sometimes you need a little extra motivation to get these tasks done – this will provide it. [Click here to continue...]
Walking back from class through the narrow Krakow streets, I pondered what I would do for the weekend. With nothing immediately planned and travel on my mind, I decided to visit the main train station near my home and buy the cheapest non-Polish bus ticket that was available. Lviv, Ukraine for $13? Done.
After a couple hours and packing, I returned to the bus station. Surrounded by half-drunken Poles and Ukrainians, I boarded the bus and prepared for what most surely would be the most bizarre and gratifying validation that spontaneity will give you the best memories of your life. [Click here to continue...]
