Author Archives: AJ Kessler

Impatience as a Virtue

Posted on February 13, 2012 by AJ Kessler

You’re impatient with everyone else.  You yell at other cars in traffic who don’t move up fifteen feet.  You’re impatient with the old lady who’s writing a check in front of you at the cashier.  You’re impatient with your roommate, … Continue reading →

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Selfish Expression

Posted on February 12, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Certain words or phrases, or demeanors, or attitudes convey certain things.  Your every action makes an expression, either bolstering or betraying you.  Stand up straight, look people in the eye, speak clearly and without hesitation, and people are inclined to … Continue reading →

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Fear and Fire

Posted on February 11, 2012 by AJ Kessler

“Fear is your best friend or your worst enemy. It’s like fire. If you can control it, it can cook for you; it can heat your house. If you can’t control it, it will burn everything around you and destroy … Continue reading →

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Mind Control

Posted on February 10, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Free will exists, right? We are in control of our own minds and thus our own actions? That’s what most of us like to believe, but what if a simple parasitic organism robbed us of at least part of that … Continue reading →

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It Will Be There Later

Posted on February 9, 2012 by AJ Kessler

A quick tip on preventing procrastination: Whatever it is you want to do, whether it’s check email or facebook, or read the news, or play a game, or whatever, recognize that it will be there later.  The news will always … Continue reading →

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Cultivate Failure

Posted on February 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm” – Winston Churchill Failure is part of all entrepreneurial processes.  Even if you’re wildly successful right out of the gate, even if you’re Facebook, … Continue reading →

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How Do I Improve?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Someone wrote to me today asking how to improve their photography.  I wrote back a short reply, and realized it is in no way limited to photography: Hi S., Thanks very much! My advice to you would be to look … Continue reading →

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Sustained Charity

Posted on February 6, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Most people think of charity is something to be done weekly, monthly, or yearly.  A tithe, or a purged closet to Goodwill, or serving Thanksgiving meals to the homeless. But charity can be practiced on a more immediate, more constant … Continue reading →

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The Tim Ferriss Falacy

Posted on February 5, 2012 by AJ Kessler

We’re now deep into the fourth generation of the self-help guru.  This generation shares much with its predecessors, including fondness for the shortcut.  People like Tim Ferriss have  made their name on finding and exploiting these shortcuts, or “hacks” as … Continue reading →

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Shut Up

Posted on February 4, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Michael Bloomberg shares some excellent advice: Always ask for the order, and second, when the customer says yes, stop talking.  I have watched more people make great presentations, whether they’re trying to sell to their family or in business or … Continue reading →

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Authenticity

Posted on February 3, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Inauthentic people are obsessed with authenticity. – Jonathan Frazen

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3.7%

Posted on February 2, 2012 by AJ Kessler

On average, you have 78 years total to live. The first 18-25 are, hopefully, spent learning.   This leaves you with between 53 and 60 years to produce something worthwhile. Spending 2 years doing something you don’t enjoy is 3.4% … Continue reading →

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The Hacker Way

Posted on February 1, 2012 by AJ Kessler

As part of Facebook’s S-1 filing today, Mark Zuckerberg wrote a letter to shareholders.  In it, he outlines the culture and process that helped make Facebook’s phenomenal success possible.  If you notice your way of doing business, or creating art, … Continue reading →

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How To Write A “Fuck You” Letter

Posted on January 31, 2012 by AJ Kessler

You can’t do much better than this, reproduced by the fantastic site, Letters of Note: In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdan Anderson, and requested that he come back to work … Continue reading →

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How To Succeed At Anything

Posted on January 30, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Be so good they can’t ignore you. – Steve Martin Being good is easy to ignore. Lots of people are good. When you’re just good, you give someone else the power to decide your future. Whether it’s a hiring manager, … Continue reading →

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