5 Little Books with Big Ideas
Don’t let their size fool you. “That was the first book I’ve actually finished in nine years.”. My roommate, an attorney who reads fifteen hours per day, flipped beyond the “About the Author” page just to make sure he didn’t miss anything. He laid the book on the table in front of him and spoke.
Read full storyTo Spark Innovation, Give Your Team A Think Break
Why a few hours of idle time can boost worker productivity. With nine people clumped together in a room the size of a two-car garage, it was almost impossible to not hear everyone’s conversations. But this was the nature of a budding startup. Minimize costs on the non-essentials. Space was unfortunately one of them.
Read full storyImplementable Ways to Get Smarter Without Going Back to School
You don’t have to pay for knowledge. “It’s awesome that you’re going back to school to become a therapist. Man, I wish I could do something like that.”. “Why can’t you?” I asked. Miguel looked back at me, shook his head slowly, gave a half smile, then a full one. I couldn’t see from my side of the Zoom call, but he looked over at something in his house. Maybe someone. Then he spoke.
Read full storyAfter 200 Podcast Interviews, These 9 Questions Built the Strongest Connection
From May 2019 to July 2019 I did 90 podcast interviews in 90 days. I wanted the challenge of setting an audacious goal, and I wanted the thrill of achieving it. But more so than anything, I wanted to learn how to become a better interviewee.
Read full storyHow Talking to a Homeless Person Taught Me the True Meaning of Happiness
I’ve had a rough couple of days. The most meaningful relationship I have ever been in came to a screeching halt. The unexpectedness combined with the beliefs about myself circulating through my mind have made it difficult for a guy who writes about, studies, and teaches happiness — to be just that — happy.
Read full storyThe 5 Primary Ingredients of a Story That Sticks
Make them cry like they just reunited with their lost puppy. A couple was on a trip to Ljubljanan, Slovenia. While walking through the narrow streets of this foreign land, the woman spotted a dazzling pair of shoes in the window of a small boutique. A few glasses of wine deep, she broke away from her husband’s grasp and barged into the shop. She needed those shoes. Upon getting a closer look, the woman realized that the shoes were actually quite ugly. She continued to look around while her husband hid in the corner. He was not a shopper. The salesclerk came over to the man who did not want to be found, and he began to open up a box of his finest cologne. Little did the salesclerk know, this man did not even wear cologne. But the man decided to humor the salesclerk while his wife looked around. The salesclerk told the story of a man who once wore this cologne. First letter J. Last letters FK. He told a story of sorrow, joy, and thought. It was one filled with laughter and one filled with great surprise. Without even sniffing or seeing what was inside the box, the man who did not wear cologne was ready to make a purchase.
Read full storyWhy Growing a Long Beard Can Help You Achieve the Unimaginable
There will come a time when you can just no longer take it. That’s when you grow even more. Growing a long beard is a metaphor for sticking to something uncomfortable.So, for women or people in which this is not possible, consider the beard a simple daily challenge you must adhere to for months!
Read full storyHow to Schedule Your Day for Maximum Productivity
One of the primary struggles for entrepreneurs, especially first-time entrepreneurs, is maintaining order in an environment in which you create the inputs and outputs. You create your ownhours.
Read full storyThe 4 Kinds of People Who Redefine a Life of Meaning
A homeless man, a billionaire, a rising track star, and a disabled child showed me different ways to live. I used to believe that there were two kinds of people. There were happy people and there were unhappy people.
Read full storyA Forgotten Life Lesson Shared from a 99-Year Old Filled with Regret
“I walked out of the hospital, and somebody was staring at me, clapping. Then another person was. Then another. As I walked home, I noticed people on their balconies applauding and screaming and yelling. People were popping their heads out of their windows just to cheer. I walked into my apartment, and I got a phone call. Without even saying hello, the person on the other end said, ‘I told you being a nurse would be more meaningful than you ever could have imagined.’ I knew who it was. I broke down into tears and wept on my living room floor.”
Read full storyWhy Actually Starting a Business Taught me More about Business than Business School
It was a blisteringly cold Chicago Sunday evening. I was confined to my couch due to the severity of the snow and ice that covered the streets of my usually walkable Lincoln Park neighborhood. As the intensity of my stomach’s roars heightened to a point in which I could no longer ignore it, I whipped open my laptop and began considering what and how I should order food.
Read full storyWanna Go Viral? Study this Video
Defining what makes storytelling stick in 12 steps. On Sunday, January 21st, 2018 before the NFL’s AFC Championship Game, CBS posted a teaser video starring John Malkovich, so viewers could get hyped up for the game.
Read full storyYou May Be Better Off Consuming Less Self-Help
A little story about a big problem. We’re always told that we should never talk about people behind their backs. But I always thought, if I’m speaking nicely about them, then why can’t I talk about them? I’d like to introduce you to my buddy Jeri!
Read full storyNobody Cares About The Solution. Everybody Cares About The Problem
Why identifying problems is the best place to start when building a business. “Why do there have to be so many options?!” we moaned. “It’s going to take us longer to choose what to eat than it’s actually going to take to eat the food itself!”
Read full storyFix the Awkward Reunions: How You Can Reconnect With Old Friends
Before, during, and after the interaction. The door thrust open and in walked a puffy black jacket with a human face somewhere underneath. She removed her scarf. Then her earmuffs. Then her hat. She unzipped her jacket, only to reveal another huge jacket underneath. She threw that off as well, and finally, I could see her clearly. As cold as she was, she gave me one of the warmest embraces I’d had in a while. This was the first time I saw Lacey in three years.
Read full storyWhat My Mother's MS Has Taught Me About Emotional Intelligence
For most, New Years is a celebration of new beginnings. For most, it is a positive, fun-filled day with family and friends. But, for us, January 1st, 2004 did not provide for this type of experience.
Read full storyHow I Traveled the World, Started 2 Companies and a Charity, Wrote a Book, and Still Managed to Fail 100 Times by Age 24
There are a few secret words in here that are the keys to everything. I’m not sharing this to gloat. I’m not sharing this to impress. I’m not sharing this to garner attention.
Read full story7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Leaders
I was a sports captain who used to lead by doing the little things. No matter the sport, I carried the water jug up and down the daunting hill we had to scale before and after practice. I lined up all the bags, so they looked perfect for the fans and the coaches. I picked up all the cones after drills when nobody else was willing. My demeanor was always the same. I cared about what we were doing, I worked tremendously hard, and I consistently did the tasks I did not believe anybody else would do. That was however, only 95% of the time.
Read full storyI Asked 6 Homeless People “What is the Happiest Part of Your Day?” and the Answers Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes
I believe that studying this question, more than any other, will provide the insight necessary to achieve a certain degree of happiness every single day. I'm an incredibly curious person. I'm the guy listening to an argument between two people, and I'm silently in the background Googling and researching the answer. I don’t do this because I want to be correct, but rather I do this because I want to be informed.
Read full storyThe 5 Lessons I Learned From Messing Up My First TEDx Talk
This is the video I’ve been waiting for. This is the message I get to share with millions. This is my first TEDx Talk! I began to watch. Five minutes in, everything is going well, lots of energy right off the bat.
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