Words to inspire the belief that we have all we need to be the change we wish to see.
I’m reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. He writes, “For instance, we often talk about everything we have to do in a given day. You have to wake up early for work. You have to make another sales call for your business. You have to cook dinner for your family. Now, imagine changing just one word: You don’t ‘have’ to. You ‘get’ to.”
A small but very powerful tweak. Continue reading
Josh Waitzkin, chess prodigy and author, said that before his son was born he remembers hearing parents say, “The weather is bad. It’s raining. We can’t go outside to play.” So when he became a dad, he made it his plan to see all weather as good weather for exploring. Chaos over control. He and his son Jack have never missed a rain storm or a blizzard. Because it’s always a good time to play. Continue reading
I recently heard Will MacAskill on the Tim Ferriss podcast. In his early thirties, Will is likely the youngest associate professor in the world and teaches Philosophy at Oxford. He co-founded a non-profit called 80,000 Hours which helps people figure out how to make the most impact with their career. He is all about effective altruism and donating money to charities that make the most difference. He donates anything he makes above $36,000 to various causes. Continue reading
Women have done some incredible things.
Marie Curie (1867-1934) was a physicist and scientist who discovered radium and was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. Rosa Parks (1913-2005) was a civil rights activist who helped change the world by refusing to give up her seat on the bus. Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) was the United Kingdom’s first female prime minister. Lord Byron’s daughter Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) was a mathematician who was also the first computer programmer. Sappho (570 BC) was the first known female writer and Plato said she was one of the ten greatest poets. Cleopatra (69BC-30BC) was the leader of Egypt when the Roman Empire was trying to take over. The patron saint of France, Joan of Arc (1412-1431) fought for France against the English and led them to a victory at Orleans when she was only 17 years old. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) wrote the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin and was an anti-slavery advocate. Lincoln said her book was a catalyst for the American Civil War. Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) fought for women’s rights and was a key player in the suffragette movement to get the vote for women. Continue reading
Fifty-five years ago, in February 1964, the Beatles landed in New York for their first American tour. There were 5,000 screaming fans at the airport to greet them. Beatlemania had begun. Continue reading
I have been thinking a lot lately about the day my ego died. I mean, we all have an ego. That part of us that doesn’t want to be embarrassed. Doesn’t want to look like we don’t know the answer. Cares about what other people think of us. Continue reading
I read about Sam Kass in Michelle Obama’s book Becoming. He was the head chef at the White House. But I didn’t know his back story. I heard it last week on Tim Ferriss’ podcast and it was so inspiring. He went to the University of Chicago on a baseball scholarship and did a history degree because he was always interested in how we got to where we ended up. He mentioned a tidbit about professional baseball that I found extremely interesting. He said the top professional baseball players have a 30 per cent success rate. So the best players in the league fail 70 per cent of the time. How inspiring is that? They hit more but they also swing more. A lesson for us all. Continue reading
When I do my presentation at schools and corporations about embracing failure and having grit, I start with the Mary Oliver quote, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Continue reading
Two people who made a big impression on me celebrated their birthdays today. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was born 144 years ago on November 30th, 1874. The author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, was born on the same day in 1835, 183 years ago. Continue reading
Worry. It can creep up on you and steal your power. As Corrie ten Boom, who helped many Jews escape the Nazis by hiding them in her house, said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” Continue reading
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