For Van and Luke, my pals

you may never see this, but it's there just in case.

  • Passion Beats Education

    Someone can read more than you, memorize more facts or have a higher degree, but no one can beat the person who learns from passion. The person who doesn’t give up and is always pushing towards their dreams. Don’t be intimidated by someone who is “book smart”, you’re more driven.

  • Your Ideas Make You Original

    Your ideas are one thing that makes you original. When you have a good one, run with it. People may try to bring you back to the pack. Most don’t want you to think differently then the group or get too far out of the box. That’s ok. Your idea will find the right channels.

    Also, don’t take the shortcut when executing your ideas. As Seth Godin would say, “take the Long Cut”. Make sure when you do begin to bring your idea to life, you don’t shortchange it because you don’t have time to do it right or it seem like too much work. It deserves to be given full effort. And if it doesn’t work out, move on to the next one. The universe wasn’t ready for that one yet. You have an infinite amount of ideas.

  • Mastery-Oriented Response

    You can get anything if you put the effort in. This is a simple anticdote but very hard in practice. If you want to accomplish something, it is within your reach. You just have to practice. And continue to be persistent at practice. To the point where nothing will stop you. If you give a distracted effort, you will never become the best at it. Don’t have a “learned helplessness orientation.” If you take nothing else out of these notes, remember this.

  • Take Care Of Your Body First

    Everything can fall down around you but if you keep your body in good shape, you can recover. You don’t have to go to the gym everyday, just get outside and run, do pushups, lunges, anything you can. There will be a lot of things that try to get in the way of this, ignore them. Your body is the most important thing.

  • Add More Good In The World

    Whenever you do something, ask yourself “is this putting more good or bad in the world”. Show kindness to people, even the ones you don’t think deserve it. Help others, be honest, show humility. We need more good things happening, be part of that change.

  • Do Not Try, Do

    It was said by Yoda and it still holds true. When you say “I’ll try”, it gives you an excuse to quite early, to not go all the way. Lot’s of people want to give themselves and excuse to give up. Don’t be like them, follow through with everything. Finish what you start. If you want it, don’t let anything stand in your way.

  • You Do Not Have To Work A Job You Hate

    There are lots of reasons to work a job but if you hate it, quit. You can find another one. You may not like the next one much better but keep looking. You shouldn’t waste any more of your time at a job you’re not excited about going to. Start doing something you love on the side and keep at it until you have enough traction to leave your job. If you are at a place you love, keep going. But once you start hating it, leave and find something else. I’ve done this plenty of times and it seems scary once you are about to jump but opportunities come if you are paying attention. There are too many people that go through life just getting through the week for the weekend, don’t be one of them.

    It’s fitting I’m posting this on a Sunday, the day most people are dreading going into their mundane job.

  • You Will Not Be Good At It At First

    You are not going to be good at most things when you start. That’s a good thing. If it’s easy, it’s not worth learning. Whatever it is you find you want to do, keep at it. Keep practicing. You will get better, and as you do, you will find the results more satisfying, even if you don’t end up liking the endevor. In the beginning, you will think you’re terrible and not going to improve. This is what Ira Glass calls “The Gap”. You know what should be good but you see your work isn’t there yet. It will be though. Persist.