Two simple rules we can all follow
If to think well is to write well, it will come as no surprise that a Supreme Court Justice is masterful at writing. The role of Judge is to persuade with a clear and convincing argument.
What may come as a surprise is to hear a Supreme Court Judge explain writing in terms of singing.
Coming to terms with the immense impact of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life after her recent death, I stumbled upon a lovely post by someone who had worked with her as a Supreme Court law clerk. …
Entrepreneur Naval Ravikant outlines how to get lucky
Meeting the right person at the right time. Experiencing something you weren’t necessarily expecting. Taking a chance in the moment.
You may follow all the rules and work very hard, but does your success come down to something as random as being in the right place at the right time?
Why bother working hard at all, then? Let’s go back to the sofa, you may rightly say, to spend the rest of the day under blankets like a cozy human burrito.
But understanding the unplanned and the unexpected has never been more crucial. …
#3 Talk to yourself like you would talk to a friend
You may not be as tone-deaf as Hollywood stars taking rose-petal baths during a pandemic, but how would you know? If you lack self-awareness, you may keep having the same stupid misunderstandings without knowing why.
It may not be an urgent problem if you are sequestered away in a Hollywood mansion, but if you lack self-awareness, you will find out pretty fast when you find yourself leading other people.
Self-awareness is the ability to realize what you feel, think, believe, desire, and value. You are aware of how thoughts and emotions affect your behavior and others. …
3 ways to let go of sharp words from the past
“You need to get out of your own way.”
That’s what my retail manager said as he stood behind me while I dusted the shelves. I often think about it even though it was over twelve years ago.
In the grand scheme of things, the job does not even make my resumé today. It was the middle of the last recession, and everyone was clinging on to their mealy jobs for dear life.
You may know what I mean when you hold onto a comment for too long. …
What would happen if you inhabited your life entirely
Life happens while you make plans.
My mental snack food: Another anodyne quote on Instagram while waiting for the train to go home. Scrolling on my phone on a windy platform. At times like these, I like to think about being somewhere else, anywhere else.
Have you also felt like everything happening to you now is some half-life? And one day — one day — real life will start.
Once you finish school, once you have the money, once you’re in a real relationship, once, once, once.
Once you (allow yourself to) live.
“Once I’ve done x,y,z and the whole alphabet up to that point, in order and satisfactorily.”
Here is an example of sequential thinking…
What we can learn from the father of science fiction and his lonely childhood
Where do big ideas come from? Those ideas that can change history. What we may consider way out and crazy, such as the ability to travel across time.
What if we could jump into a time machine and have a look around in the future — would we like what we find?
I fell asleep last night listening to an archived radio program on the science-fiction author, H.G. Wells.
What struck me about his life story was his lonely childhood. Walt Disney had a similar story. The extended time alone in recovery turbocharged their imaginations.
We may like to believe…
Beware if you’re the first marketing hire at a startup
If you are a young marketer, it may be tempting to go for any marketing role when jobs are scarce. Even if it’s a short-term fix to a genuine problem: You’ve got the skills, and you need to pay the bills.
But in the long term, taking any advertised marketing job can be disastrous for your career. Let alone your self-esteem.
Taking the wrong marketing role for your specific skill set will burn you out faster than an all-day Zoom call with a bad hangover.
I want to show you how to spot this early on and get as clear…
As if your life depended on it — because one day it will.
Whenever I see the news feature an illegal rave, my ears prick up. Well, maybe all is not lost for this generation after all.
Over Christmas, the news showed a rave in Normandy in Western France. More than 2,500 people attended. I thought to myself, yeah, that looks very reasonable in the circumstances.
If I were 21 today, I’d trek across countries to be there myself. We’ve all spent enough time alone this year.
Hold on. One moment. What?
At the same time, I am furious. Look at all these selfish people, I say to anyone who will listen.
The…
Hoarding ideas is a waste
“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” — Eden Phillpotts
When you leave your house, do you even notice your street anymore? I mean, really see it: The architecture, the curve of the road, the stone of the steps.
Do you ever think about the person that had the original idea for your street? It could have been an architect, a town planner, or a surveyor.
Before your street existed, it began in someone’s imagination.
Someone came up with the vision of your road. …
What a Princess taught me about true wealth
Wednesday, 3rd September 1997
“Find out anything?” he asked as he stirred the pot of tea at the front of the roadside shack on the side of the Himalayas.
“Yes,” I said, distractedly, “it sounds like Princess Diana is no longer a humanitarian it says here.” I put down The Hindustan Times, the Indian english-language newspaper, “But where did she go?”
As I glanced up, I could see he had an amused look on his face.
“I shouldn’t have given you the newspaper to read. Did you only finish your meditation retreat today?”
“Yes, this morning.” I had mud around…
J.R. Flaherty
Unlearner. Essentialist. Writer. Better Marketing. The Startup. CYMCYL. Twitter: @jrflaherty2
