Category Archives: Inspiration

Mystery

Posted on April 9, 2012 by AJ Kessler

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious — the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. – Albert Einstein It’s no coincidence that we’re so driven by mystery: the unknown is what … Continue reading →

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Create More Than You Consume

Posted on April 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

It’s very easy to consume.  We’ve created a culture that glamorizes it.  Television and internet access alone are unending conveyer belts, delivering as much distraction and escapism as you can possibly guzzle.  But we also have magazines, books, movie theaters, … Continue reading →

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Happiness Obligation

Posted on April 7, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Other people don’t have an obligation to make you happy. You have an obligation to those around you to be happy.  Even if you’re not, you have an obligation to appear happy.  Fake it, if necessary. Don’t bum out your … Continue reading →

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On Luck

Posted on April 5, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Luck is an interesting concept.  Many of the successful people I know consider themselves lucky.  Not just from a “I’m lucky to have been successful” standpoint, but from a “chance events usually seem to benefit me” standpoint.  Part of this … Continue reading →

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Creativity and the Importance of Disappointment

Posted on April 4, 2012 by AJ Kessler

I’m just diving into Jonah Lehrer’s new book on creativity, Imagine: How Creativity Works.  We’ve discussed creativity here extensively, and even addressed how to be creative, but I hope to share some new insights from this book soon.  In the … Continue reading →

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How To Write, Part 2

Posted on April 3, 2012 by AJ Kessler

John Steinbeck, in a lengthy interview with the Paris Review (all of which is worth reading) shares some thoughts on writing: 1. Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just … Continue reading →

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The Most Astounding Fact About The Universe

Posted on April 2, 2012 by AJ Kessler

You may have seen Neil deGrasse Tyson’s quote about what he considers to be the most astounding fact about the universe, but it’s even more impressive when mashed up by Max Schlickenmeyer:

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How To Break A Habit

Posted on April 1, 2012 by AJ Kessler

We’ve talked before about building habits.  That’s important.  But so is breaking habits.  Luckily, unlike forcing yourself to repeatedly do something new and scary, breaking existing habits isn’t nearly as hard.  One of the easiest ways is simply to substitute … Continue reading →

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…But No One Else Is Doing It

Posted on March 25, 2012 by AJ Kessler

It’s scary if you’re the only one doing something.  The immediate thought is that you must be doing something wrong.  Surely, if you were right, someone else would be doing it. Sometimes, that’s true.  Nobody is selling bacon-flavored oxygen because … Continue reading →

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Fear Breeds Superstition

Posted on March 22, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Superstition, then, is engendered, preserved, and fostered by fear.  If anyone desire an example, let him take Alexander, who only began superstitiously to seek guidance from seers, when he first learnt to fear fortune in the passes of Sysis (Curtius, … Continue reading →

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Who Am I

Posted on March 19, 2012 by AJ Kessler

When I see those paparazzi pictures of Fat Kevin Federline, sometimes sporting dopey cornrows, sometimes waddling across some anonymous poolside deck with beer in hand, I imagine a guy who does not know who he is, what he is supposed … Continue reading →

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What You Want

Posted on March 18, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Alain de Botton with a good reminder: One of the interesting things about success is that we think we know what it means. A lot of the time our ideas about what it would mean to live successfully are not … Continue reading →

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Solve The Right Problem

Posted on March 17, 2012 by AJ Kessler

In 1959, long before the X-prize, Henry Kremer offered 50,000 pounds to anyone who could finally build a flying machine powered only by the pilot’s body power.  All an entrant had to do was fly in a figure eight around … Continue reading →

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One Easy Step To Flatter People, Show You Care, and Demonstrate Your Dedication

Posted on March 14, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Don’t be ashamed to need help.  Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish.  And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up?  So what? – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Book 7 … Continue reading →

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Unimaginable Sameness

Posted on March 12, 2012 by AJ Kessler

What’s the worst part about prison? One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich is all you need to know about Ivan Denisovich, because the idea that anyone could live for a minute in such circumstances seems impossible; one day … Continue reading →

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