Category Archives: Inspiration

The Thank You Economy And Your Tribe

Posted on December 22, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Louis C.K. continues to publicly prove the points championed by the likes of Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk: build your own audience, connect with them, interact with them, let them in on the your secrets, and success will follow. And, … Continue reading →

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It’s OK to be Uncomfortable

Posted on December 21, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Sometime in the last two generations, Americans decided that it’s never okay to be uncomfortable.  Any hunger should be sated immediately.  Any pain should be assuaged post haste. Instant gratification not only became a staple of modern life, it became … Continue reading →

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Transparency Erodes, Transparency Builds

Posted on December 19, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Many, many businesses have been snuffed out, and continue to be snuffed out, as the information age matures.  Any industry or producer or provider who relied on a lack of information to succeed has, or will, fail.  People won’t simply … Continue reading →

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On Decision Making

Posted on December 18, 2011 by AJ Kessler

A decision without tradeoffs isn’t a decision. Zappos offers me free overnight shipping and a $10 discount after I’ve already ordered?  I don’t even have to think about it. Decision making requires you to confront tradeoffs.  When you learn to relish … Continue reading →

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A Hell of a Eulogy

Posted on December 16, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Worrying about your legacy is ridiculous.  Fretting over how people you will never meet will come to judge your life is not only rewardless, it’s counter-productive.  It generally inhibits your ability  to focus on how the living, the people you … Continue reading →

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Why The First “Follower” Is The Most Important

Posted on December 12, 2011 by AJ Kessler

A great lesson on how movements start, explained in this video in under three minutes, by Derek Sivers: It’s the first follower that turns a lone nut into a leader.  When you find a lone nut doing something great, have … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Quotes, Relationships, Self-Improvement, Video | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Plant Frequently Moved Never Grows Strong

Posted on December 11, 2011 by AJ Kessler

A plant which is frequently moved never grows strong. People who spend their whole life traveling abroad end up having plenty of places where they can find hospitality but no real friendships. We place a big emphasis, and not wrongly, … Continue reading →

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Hemingway’s Productivity Hack

Posted on December 10, 2011 by AJ Kessler

One of the things I’ve made an effort to get good at is to do the little things as I notice them.  As soon as I notice something that needs to be picked up, or put away, or moved, or … Continue reading →

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Don’t Waste It

Posted on December 9, 2011 by AJ Kessler

There’s roughly 6 billion people on the planet who would trade places with you in an instant.  They wouldn’t even have to think twice. There’s an unlimited buffet in front of us, with anything we could possibly imagine, right there … Continue reading →

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There Are No Shortcuts

Posted on December 8, 2011 by AJ Kessler

If you searched for diet books right now on amazon, how many results do you think you’d get?  Diet books are pretty popular, remember.  Definitely more than a couple hundred, right?  I would have guessed a couple thousand.  I would … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Photography, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Purpose Of Life

Posted on December 6, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. – Dalai Lama This quote has been dredged up again recently, floating around the internet for the last few weeks drawing criticism.  Many people, especially, it seems, minimalists, … Continue reading →

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Choose Your Friends Wisely

Posted on December 5, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Who has a bigger influence on the person you turn out to be: your parents or your friends? Since at least the days of Freud, psychologists believed parents were the overwhelming factor in how their children turned out.  But, it … Continue reading →

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The Best The World Has To Offer?

Posted on December 4, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Most people are satisfied with the best the world has to offer. There’s actually quite a bit of social pressure to be satisfied by the best.  I’ve eaten with people at some of the world’s best restaurants who refuse to … Continue reading →

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For Granted

Posted on December 3, 2011 by AJ Kessler

It’s dark out.  Your windows are steamed over, caused by the temperature differential between your warm bedroom and the cold morning.  Your alarm clock trips, and your favorite song blasts from it speakers.  You wake up, stumble out of bed, … Continue reading →

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Wax-On, Wax-Off

Posted on December 2, 2011 by AJ Kessler

In The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi has Daniel-San spend his first four days of training waxing his cars, sanding his floors, and painting his house.  As Daniel-San is about to quit in frustration, Mr. Miyagi reveals that what he’s really … Continue reading →

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