When the world is scary, find comfort in the teachings of philosophers who knew how to handle a crisis
We often think of philosophy as a bookish pursuit or perhaps as the lifestyle choice of bearded old men living ascetically in caves. But Stoicism — an ancient school of philosophy famously practiced by the likes of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius — is for the real world, and as we face the coronavirus pandemic, its teachings feel distinctly relevant right now.
When the future is scary and we don’t know what’s next, we can find comfort in the wisdom of those before us, those who’ve endured famine, plague, and natural disasters. …
You can’t get back the time you spend worrying
Have you ever said words to the effect of If only I knew then what I know now?
You’re not the first person to express such thoughts, and you certainly won’t be the last.
Many of us are convinced that if we could go back in time and have a chat with our 20-year old selves, then we could absolutely kill at adult-ing and beyond.
A lot of growth occurs in our 20s. Yet, at 20, we convince ourselves we know everything we need to know and we’re ready to nail it.
It does beg the question, though, what would you tell your 20-year old self if you had the opportunity to speak to past you? …
“My biggest fear is that people stop trying new things.” — Gary Vaynerchuk
What do you think of when someone mentions wine tasting? What comes to your mind when someone raises the subject of wine culture? Historically, you probably imagined well-dressed rich people swirling wine and pontificating about the notes they were detecting. Gary Vee came along with Wine Library and he changed things up.
Of course, for the first 50-something episodes, he very much presented himself along the lines of how one would traditionally view wine culture. There was a break in episodes and when Gary Vee returned, the gloves were off. …
The courage to do what you love is within you, you just have to reach in and grab it.
If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that the world can change on a dime. Your entire life can be turned upside down through external forces of which you have no control. When was the last time you grabbed life by the reins?
Think about it like this. There’s a good chance that you followed the path as it was laid out before you. You applied for colleges when you were just 16, 17 years old. …
“Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.” — Hillary Clinton
If you have read any number of articles about entrepreneurial success then you have likely noticed something — rarely do these viral articles focus on women. A quick search on your favorite search engine will throw up a ton of articles on entrepreneurs and their success, but the overwhelming majority of those articles focus on men.
Why is that? Sadly, the biggest reason is that the majority of entrepreneurs are men. So, to answer the initial question we first must explore that little fact.
One study, a joint effort from Ethan Mollick of Wharton and Venkat Kuppuswamy of UNC, looked at 90,000 Kickstart entrepreneurial projects. While the focus of their study was after the campaign and the outcomes of crowdfunding projects, their work highlighted some interesting facts. …
Writing can provide a range of benefits to all people. Let’s take a look at four of them.
I’ve been writing online now for just over two years and I can honestly say that I’ve been lucky enough to carve out a healthy side income, in addition to my daily consultancy gig.
Thanks to good fortune and some unforeseen viral success, I’ve come to understand that bestselling author Bonnie Friedman’s words ring true, namely that:
“Successful writers are not the ones who write the best sentences…they are the ones who keep writing.”
There are so many people who say that they would love to write as a full-time job or just as a pastime or “side hustle”. But oftentimes the majority just dismiss the thought, saying that it’ll “never work out” or that they’re “not good enough”. …
“Ego is to the true self what a flashlight is to a spotlight.” — John Bradshaw
“Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, your worst enemy already lives inside you: your ego.” — Ryan Holiday
I know what you’re thinking — that’s not me. I’m not an egotistical person.
That’s probably how most people would react to such a bold quote. You’ve always viewed yourself as a balanced person.
Know Thyself
Would you view yourself as talented? Do you consider yourself brimming with potential? Do you have a strong drive to succeed? Are you ambitious?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then ego is just part and parcel of your life. The most promising thinkers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and doers that reach the top do so because of ego. Their ego protects them from criticism. …
Gaining an edge through corporate wokeness.
The internet has changed the relationship between companies and their potential customers. Today’s customers live online. They consume information quickly and make snap judgments about companies.
Perhaps most importantly, today’s customers are more interested today in politics. In a constantly engaged social media environment, many customers are making decisions based upon the political persuasions of their favorite companies.
With this in mind, those companies that want to appeal to younger customers may be interested in supporting social justice. Being “woke” is not just for individuals anymore. Corporate wokeness is a tool through which companies can improve their brands and earn trust with consumers. …
WRITING & FREELANCING
By even the busiest of editors
“A typical agent in New York gets 400 query letters a month. Of those, they might ask to read 3–4 manuscripts, and of those, they might ask to represent 1.” — Nicholas Sparks
One of the foundations of writing for magazines and blogs is the query letter: a short, persuasive letter that pitches the writer’s expertise as well as a proposed topic.
A query letter is composed of several elements, including a hook, a short proposal of the topic you intend to write, a short description of your qualifications to write the piece (if any), a polite signature with an established time frame (e.g., …
“It’s not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts .” — Mother Teresa
“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
The provenance of the quote above has been attributed to several notable people, but in all reality, who said it first doesn’t really matter. What matters is how relatable it is. At first glance, it’s one of those eye-roll statements that sounds like a cliché. On closer examination, though, you can see the truth in it.
If we were to be even more honest, we would point out that it’s how much you care about them that matters. …
About
