Tema: Democracia
A democracia fundada sobre a igualdade absoluta é a mais absoluta tirania
via @notiun
segunda-feira, outubro 05, 2015
Espinoza, Baruch
Tema: Activismo
Tenho evitado cuidadosamente rir-me dos actos humanos, ou desprezá-los; o que tenho feito é tratar de compreendê-los
via @notiun
Tenho evitado cuidadosamente rir-me dos actos humanos, ou desprezá-los; o que tenho feito é tratar de compreendê-los
via @notiun
Schiller, Friedrich
O universo desaparece aos olhos da mulher enamorada. Não há no mundo senão um homem para ela; todos os outros limitam-se a acompanhá-lo
via @notiun
via @notiun
Peixoto, José Luís
Mas o que é a felicidade? Se a alcançássemos, seríamos capazes de possuí-la?
@notiun
@notiun
Research Based Relationship Advice From Couples Who’ve Been Together For 40+ Years
Couples today look for relationship advice from many different sources, from celebrities to, unfortunately, clichés. They often follow conventional wisdom like not going to bed angry or that love means never having to say you’re sorry.
In an age where the divorce rate hovers around 50%, the world is running out of couples who have been together for more than a few years. Instead of seeking wisdom from clichés or quitting under even the slightest pressure, couples today should first look to those who have been working on their relationships for several decades.
Rather than looking for inoffensive and fleeting advice about buying gifts or sending flowers, it is better to get solid, working support from people who have been there. Sometimes, collective wisdom from experienced couples is more valuable than advice from anyone else.
Dr. Karl Pillemer is one advocate of seeking the wisdom of those who are older and wiser than his years. He spent most of his career focusing on the setbacks that people face as they grow older. But then he realized was neglecting the wisdom that only those who have lived life can provide.
As a result, Dr. Pillemer has dedicated the last few years to writing “30 Lessons for Loving: Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships and Marriage”.
In his book, Dr. Pillemer compiles all the advice that he gleaned from more than 700 people. These people have been married for an average of 43 years. What he learned after hundreds of interviews is that anyone can end up with someone they love. All you need to do is follow a few simple rules in love and life.
Play Games – The Good Kind
Many of the couples interviewed told Dr. Pillemer that watching a potential partner play board games is a great way to tell whether you would be a good fit. When you can see how a person reacts to winning, losing and high-stakes circumstances, you learn a lot about their personality and how you respond to it.
Knowing how someone responds to these circumstances shows you more than whether or not they are a gracious winner or a sorry loser. It often demonstrates larger patterns in the other person’s personality.
68-year-old Jessica Cruz told Dr. Pillemer, “Young people today search for people in bars. But if you watch somebody play a game like dominoes, you get a good sense of their personality that way.”
Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Getting out of your comfort zone is not just essential for personal growth – it is the key to a great relationship as well. Many of those interviewed for the book suggested that a change of scenery will demonstrate whether you are with a person who you can spend your life with.
Going on traditional dates to dinner and the movies is a pleasant way for two people to talk about mutual interests. But getting out and doing something that scares you both is a great way to learn more about the deeper aspects of each other’s personalities.
Grab A Snickers Bar
Many of us have become aware of the term ‘hangry’, which is that compelling and intense way that you feel when you are so hungry that it begins to affect your emotions. Being hangry is all too real for most of us. According to Dr. Pillemer’s interviews, your hunger may indeed drive fights with your partner.
Many couples reported that remembering that you may need a snack to help calm down is an important part of containing and resolving fights. Being aware of your hunger makes it much easier to say, ‘Sorry for the things that I said when I was hangry.’
Dr. Pillemer wrote that “many seniors talked about how their worst fights came when somebody was really hungry and let’s just say that I’ve used this in my own 35-year-old marriage and it really works.”
Talk About Your Feelings At The Right Time
Some people say that there is no right time to talk about your feelings; others say that the best time to talk is when you feel like talking.
Many of the people that Dr. Pillemer interviewed said that this was the wrong approach. Instead of talking about difficult issues anytime, you should discuss them at a time when both of you are at your best.
Talking about the hard stuff is never easy. But if you can find a time of day where you are both relaxed, that can make dealing with difficult topics a little bit easier.
The only thing that seems harder than finding love is making it last. The number of couples today that have seen a lifetime of love is dwindling. But if couples today learn from their elders triumphs and failures, they can find themselves on a path to life-long love.
Featured photo credit: Miltos Gikas via flickr.com
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These 5 Things Happen To Your Brain And Body After A Digital Detox
Are you addicted to your smartphone?
Do you compulsively check your email daily?
Do you scroll through your newsfeed every spare second you get?
How do you think this might be impacting your stress levels? While spending extensive amounts of time online and on your phone might feel great in the short term, compulsive tech habits can fuel anxiety and stress.
Here are some of the reasons why you should seriously consider undergoing a digital detox:
1. You will be in tune with what’s around you.
When we’re plugged into our devices, it’s easy to live everyday in a digital box and not even recognize what’s around us. I won’t go as far as saying that phones and other gadgets turn us into zombies, but we let the beauty of everyday life pass us by and we are not really present when we become overly reliant on them. We fail to take in the smells, sights, and sounds of life because we are too preoccupied with watching the next episode of a show and we just HAVE to know what Tiffany posted on Instagram this morning.
2 . Better Conversations.
Hashtags and viral videos are not real forms of conversation. I’m talking about sharing your perspective with someone, them giving you theirs, facilitating a deep exchange and learning through face to face interaction, These are the deep conversations that occur when we’re not so plugged in. In a world where answers and points of views are so often influenced by others, unplugging forces YOU to really think about issues and the goings-on of the world and share YOUR ideas.
3. New Mindset.
It’s amazing the changes that occur in people’s lives when they unplug for a while. You will probably find yourself getting back into some of those great things that you used to do like your gym routine. Because you’re not constantly distracted, you will be able to use this time to focus and take care of the things that need to be taken care of. You may find yourself using this offline time to refresh relationships, make career changes, and try other things that usually ranked lower on your priority list than Netflix and Instagram.
4. Memory enhancement.
How many of you know 3 phone numbers off the top of your head? Yeah… I thought so. We are so dependent on our devices to store all of our information that we don’t even realize how we’re negatively affecting our minds. I think of the good old days when I could remember everybody’s number- now that’s down to my parents’ and my sister’s. Apart from phone numbers, unplugging aids us to be a lot more present in interactions, therefore making it easier to remember even the most obscure details about people and things.This is extremely important because those, “Wow, I can’t believe you even remember that” moments are usually accompanied by laughter and stories that aid in the bonding and learning process.
5. Happier and healthier.
We all know of that tech-driven anxiety, that fear of missing out on the latest event, conversation, product or content posting. It can lead to internet addiction (yes, it’s a thing) and unnecessary stress. When you unplug, it allows you to put things into perspective and focus on what’s important in your life. You will start to have better relationships, be healthier, and happier. There have been countless cases and studies that demonstrate nothing but positives when it comes to taking a tech break. Unplug for a while and start seeing positive changes in your life!
There’s much more than just these 5 points but these are the ones that really hit me when I took a 3 month tech hiatus. All of these things manifested themselves almost instantly and got me thinking about what’s really important. I am plugged in pretty regularly because of business reasons and also to be aware of what’s going on in our world. That’s the beauty of tech devices, they bring the world right to you. If your morning ritual involves checking all your social networks and then rechecking them two minutes after, you may be in need of a digital detox.
Unplug to recharge!
Featured photo credit: Victor Hanacek via picjumbo.com
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10 Important SEO Benchmark For Success
Measuring and tracking the SEO benchmarks helps the business owners improve their SEO campaign performance.
Quality content creation is a standout among the best SEO tactics, as indicated by a report from Conductor.
On the other hand, website updating is likewise viewed as imperative to SEO accomplishment, with half of respondents saying it is a standout among the best SEO tactics they use.
What is An SEO Benchmark for Success?
An SEO benchmark is just a beginning stage. You are setting up where your site at present stands from an expository and factual point of view. This permits you to track and compare your development from month-to-month or year-to-year. It additionally gives key insights into what regions you have to concentrate on the most.
SEO benchmarks are very important to measure the success of the SEO project. Like other SEO Companies, Orange County SEO Company also measures its SEO success through these benchmarks.
Read through to learn about 10 important SEO benchmarks for your success.
1. Quality of Landing Page
For SEO, the more data you have, the better off you are. Landing pages permit you to perceive the amount of traffic is expanding in light of the particular themes of each landing page, and how much every page proselytes to traffic or even sales on your site.
Furthermore, having the capacity to demonstrate the landing pages being positioned on Google is an extraordinary metric to track.
Inside Google Analytics, you will discover what pages are attracting organic traffic. For this benchmark, we need to quantify what numbers of pages are really getting natural traffic on a month to month premise.
2. Organic Traffic
One of the most imperative SEO benchmarks you have to build up at the onset of any search engine optimization campaign is the amount of traffic the site is getting naturally. Developing your organic traffic is a moderate procedure and it should be followed through the span of months.
Most sites won’t see touchy organic development, however, rather will see the traffic gradually climb over time. The purpose behind this is that it requires a great deal of time for Google to trust your sites.
You truly need to demonstrate that
- Your connections are genuine and
- Your brand or business is legitimate
3. Indexed Pages
The main pages that ought to be indexed are those that are exceptional and quality pages. You need to benchmark your indexed pages in light of the fact that you will need to increase them overtime
The quality of your indexed pages is based on Google’s diverse positioning components, yet interfaces, user signals and social action are at the highest priority on the rundown.
Checking index could not be simpler. You should simply enter your site name into the Google inquiry bar, and Google will give you each and every page on the domain name that it has indexed successfully.
4. Quantity of Total Page Views
Total views of a page are very important on the grounds that it is a marker of how intriguing your site is. In case you are getting more than one page hit for every guest, then it implies visitors are very interested in
- Learning about your products or
- Reading your content
You need visitors to be seeing numerous pages on your site in light of the fact that it gives you a superior chance to convert your visitors to your customers.
5. Number of Targeted Keywords
Keywords are and will keep on being a fundamental part of search engine optimization. The key is to consolidate top notch content with astutely produced catchphrases.
You can use Google Webmaster Tools to figure out precisely what number of targeted keywords your site is at present ranking.
6. Bounce Rate
If your bounce rate is high, then it is an indication of terrible client experience. That’s the reason it’s important to benchmark it. On the off chance that it is high, then usability should be your primary core interest.
Keep in mind, bounce rates will differ based on your page or even business.
7. Backlinks
Indeed, even with the greater part of the changes made to search algorithm throughout the years, this SEO benchmark has remained an important indicator for SEO success.
Links on sites known for SEO contrivances, or connections to your site that shows up false or spam can really hurt your site’s rankings. So only link your site legitimately.
8. Average Time Spent
On the off chance that your guests do not stay on your website for a long time, then there is an issue with your client experience. Either the site is excessively confounding, poorly structured or content is sharper. The goal of SEO benchmarking is to expand average time.
9. Online Networking
Online networking is progressively critical for good SEO. Google needs to see that people are sharing your posts or content. It bodes well, as this is a really solid indicator of powerful content.
10. Click Through Rate
It is an imperative SEO benchmark. It’s vital on the grounds that Google examines the CTR of the SERP results and mixes the outcomes, taking into account what pages are getting the best CTR.
Now you have 10 SEO benchmarks that you ought to track for SEO campaign. It does not make a difference the amount of traffic you get. It makes a difference the amount of traffic you convert. Fixing SEO issues will make your journey easier than ever.
Featured photo credit: SEO Benchmark For Success via google.com
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7 Clever Responses to Stop Negative People from Whining
You are starting to feel your energy fizzle, as your mood drifts to a dark place. You try your best to stay positive, but ultimately, you end up feeling completely drained and even depressed. You’ve just encountered another negative person that has managed to suck all of the life out of you, with their whining and complaining.
You try your best to be supportive by agreeing with them or even getting annoyed on their behalf. This just seems to get them even more fired up and takes them through the dark cycle of repeating the same stories and the same complaints that you’ve heard many times before. Moods are contagious and you must be proactive to protect yourself from letting negative people bring you down. In order to avoid getting infected by pessimism, you must use clever conversational strategies to redirect their attention away from the source of their negativity.
Here are 7 clever ways to respond to pessimism that will lighten the mood and keep the conversation flowing in a more positive direction.
1. “Wow, you seem really upset. Let’s talk about something else so you are able to cool down.”
This response shows empathy by offering to change subjects with their best interests in mind. When someone is extremely emotional, it’s best to completely change the topic. Their emotions will be way too high to have any reasonable conversation about the subject that set them off.
2. “That sounds like a tough spot to be in. How are you going to get past it?”
With this reply, you are acknowledging their struggle. Negative people have a high desire to feel heard. Once you’ve empathized with their situation you can easily redirect them towards thinking of solutions. They will likely have a lot of pride and want to come up with one on the spot. If they say “I have no idea” then you may offer to help them brainstorm some ideas.
3. “I’m impressed at how well you are handling this situation.”
People who complain are usually craving attention. Most of the time, when someone is negative towards others, they are also very negative towards themselves. If you give them the love and praise they are craving, then this could disarm them and break them out of their negative thinking patterns.
4. “I am so sorry that happened. I wonder if they realize how they made you feel?”
In most cases, people who whine and complain have made a lot of negative assumptions. They sometimes struggle to see things from others’ perspective. They are stuck in a victim mode mentality. When this happens, you can ask questions that get them thinking of possibilities they haven’t considered without directly arguing with them.
5. “What has worked for you in the past when these situations have come up?”
Negative people usually feel deeply disrespected and out of control. By putting them in control of the conversation and asking about their past experiences, you are putting them in the drivers seat. They will love this. This gives them the respect and attention they desire.
6. “Oh no! Is there anything I can do to help you fix this?
With this response, you are showing them that you are on their team. They are likely feeling alone, which is leading to their negative perspective. Most of the time, they will not take you up on this. You will still make them realize you are on their team. That will go a long way with them.
7. “Wow, it sounds like you are having a tough day! What’s one thing going well for you today?”
This is a good response for someone who is complaining about several things at once. Usually they are stuck in a negative mindset and can’t keep themselves from focusing on negative things. This helps them to reflect on what they have to be grateful for today. It’s tough to be bitter and negative when you are in a grateful state.
In the end, it’s tricky to deal with negative people in a way that transforms their mood to a more positive state. You have to think outside of the box. This takes practices and preparation. You can’t simply confront negativity with more negativity because it will add fuel to the fire. On the flip side, you also can’t meet negativity with unfettered positivity because it feels like a slap in the face. The best way to handle a negative attitude is to acknowledge them and then redirect their focus.
This approach works because it isn’t confrontational and it doesn’t kill conversation. You are helping to give them the love and support they need without draining your own positivity. Try this out next time you encounter someone stuck in a mindset some might consider as whining. Turning around someone’s day will give you both a lot of energy and make a positive impact!
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9 Ways Your Credit Card Can Help You Travel for Dirt Cheap
Let me guess…
You see pictures on Instagram of exotic places. Facebook is littered with updates of your friend’s adventures abroad, and every time you close your eyes you picture yourself on a beach in the Caribbean, or exploring the cobblestone streets of France.
Yes, you want to travel. Unfortunately, however, you can’t afford it. A flight alone costs an entire month’s pay, let alone accommodation, travel insurance, and baggage.
Luckily, travel is becoming more accessible to even those of us who need to pinch pennies. Enter the travel credit card.
Now, you can travel for less (or even for free) with your credit card with these nine benefits.
1. Free Flights with Sign-Up Bonuses
If you’ve ever seen a credit card sign-up bonus that seems too good to be true, it’s probably…not.
Yes, you read that right. As more companies begin to offer credit cards (think Home Depot, WalMart) competition is becoming fierce. Consumers benefit through generous sign-up bonuses. Companies are trying to “out-bonus” each other.
A sign-up bonus is simply a generous offer that you get upon signing up for a credit card.
For example, a card might give you $500 in cash, or enough points for a free flight. You can get a free flight, accommodations, and sometimes even an all-inclusive vacation with sign-up bonuses.
Look for cards with generous welcome bonuses and first year annual fee waivers (making it truly free) and make sure you can afford the minimum spend requirement to be eligible for the bonus (i.e. spend $500 in 3 months).
2. Free Flights with Companion Tickets
Companion tickets are another way that credit cards are competing with each other, and it makes it oh-so-good for the user.
With credit cards, it’s simple to save up enough points and use a welcome bonus to travel for free for one person, but what if you want to bring a friend?
Well, that’s where the companion ticket comes in. More credit card companies are offering companion tickets, where you book a flight and get a second ticket for super cheap (or free) on the same itinerary. How can you go wrong with that?
3. Free Hotel Stays
Easily one of the most expensive portions of travel is accommodations. Unless you’re willing to stay in run down hostels with roaches scuttling on the floor, you risk spending more on hotels than you did on your flight.
Unless you use the right credit card, that is. Remember when I said more and more companies are beginning to offer credit cards? That includes hotels, too.
With a sign-up bonus, you can score 5 or more free nights with some hotels. If you are strategic with which cities you use your free stays in, this can cut your costs substantially.
4. Waived Foreign Transaction Fees
If you’ve ever gone on a trip with a non-travel credit card, you’ll know what I mean. It’s painful to get back from your relaxing vacation to see that you were charged hundreds of dollars in foreign transaction fees.
See, many credit cards charge a foreign transaction upwards of 2.5% over and above the exchange rate. But an increasing number of credit cards are now eliminating the fee, making it the cheapest way to spend money out of country.
If you change money at a foreign exchange counter at the airport, hotel or a tourist area, you can get charged in excess of 10% above the exchange rate. Snagging a travel card with waived foreign transaction fees is a budget-conscious move.
5. Free Travel Insurance Coverage
One cost of travel most people forget about is travel insurance. Unfortunately, travel insurance is a necessity but it’s easy to overlook when you’re budgeting for a trip.
However, with the right card you may be able to skip the travel insurance line on your budget.
Most travel credit cards come with free travel insurance, and sometimes even trip protection insurance, as long as you book your trip with the credit card in question. Check the terms of your card for travel medical, trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, lost baggage, car rental, accidental death, and even purchase protection. These travel insurances can easily be valued at over $500 per year, and will be yours for free with the right card.
Make sure to read insurance certificates to make sure you don’t fall into any “exclusions”.
6. Free Checked Bags
Did you know that hardly any airlines that offer free checked bags anymore?
It’s true, and it’s tragic. Now, you have to spend $25 or more just to bring your luggage on the flight. More people try to travel with just a carry on to avoid the cost, but you don’t want to have to resort to that.
Many airlines now are coming out with credit card rewards that include a free checked bag, saving you that potentially expensive surprise at the airport. (Make sure to find out whether it’s free for any flight or just flights you’ve redeemed points for.)
7. Free Access to Airport Lounges
Have you ever had to spend more than an hour at an airport?
If you have, you probably craved somewhere comfortable to hang your hat while you waited for your flight. That’s why airlines have introduced lounges. Lounges are usually reserved for business class tickets and frequent fliers who achieve elite tiers, and they can cost $75 per visit ($25 per guest).
However, many travel and airline cards offer a number of guest passes to lounges – some even allow you to bring a guest for free.
8. Cash Back at the Gas Pump
If you’re more of a road tripper than an air traveler, you can still save money to travel through your credit card. You can get up to 5% cash back at the pump with multiple no fee credit cards, that either offer the promo in the first 6 months, or offer it as a rotating category.
This is great for road trips and RVs. You can find great sign-up bonuses for gas on certain credit cards, too.
9. Avoiding Expensive Security Costs
Many cities are prone to security issues – even the most desirable destinations.
For example, Barcelona is a wonderful city to visit, but there are high security issues with pick pockets and thievery. This is a surprisingly wide-spread problem across not only developing countries, but even first world countries like Spain.
A security issue is one of the most expensive things that can come up on a trip. That’s why travelling with credit cards rather than cash will save you big time.
If your credit card is stolen, you can cancel it right away and you will usually have a level of protection against unauthorized purchases. If cash is stolen, it’s lost forever.
Credit cards are sent from the travel Gods to help people save money on their trips.
And if you’re not American, don’t worry. It used to be that only Americans could benefit from travel rewards, but now Canadians have great travel credit card options, too.
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20 signs that you aren’t getting enough sleep
Life can get busy. Sometimes we’ve got to go for that heart-affirming run, that exciting date with the new guy at the local, or do that all-important paperwork (the utility bill, the NHS forms, those pesky tax rebates). It all adds up and most of the time, it turns out that 24 hours is just not enough for one day’s work (or play…). So what do we sacrifice? The food? God no, quality time with a cheesy pasta bake is essential for sanity. Social time? Nope, because no person is an island. Sleep? Well it’s already midnight and we have to get up at 6am so yep, sleep it is. And then this happens…
1. Your texts look like pocket dials because you can’t spell anymore.
2. Jokes fall flat at your feet because you just can’t get the punch line.
3. You’re all fingers and thumbs and you drop your pen not just once, not just twice but 3 times in a row.
4. You burn your toast in the morning. Toast. You burn TOAST, for goodness sakes. This must end.
5. You call everyone by the wrong names. Jim, I mean Sam, I mean Josh – until the ‘oi you’s come out.
6. You snap at the post man, barge past the tourists on the sidewalk, yell at the receptionist who can’t help you. At least you held back at your manager’s meeting…
7. You forget your cufflinks, your earrings, your pants. If you’re lucky, it’s dress down Friday.
8. You miss your train because you’ve forgotten how to read time, and what time your train arrives, and what time it even is.
9. You binge eat and overdose on caffeine because you think you can replace hours of sleep with sugary crap and five consecutive coffees. You are wrong.
10. You wear odd shoes to work and sit down at your desk all day to avoid the embarrassment of admitting that you can’t dress yourself properly.
11. You yawn at your customers, at the cute guy who struck up a conversation on the bus, at your wife as she updates you on her day (which has been interesting, you massive jerk).
12. You leave your phone in toilet cubicles and on tables and spend the day on treasure hunts following the sound of your ringtone.
13. You miss out on opportunities that you just can’t be arsed to take.
14. You watch 3 seasons of a rubbish sitcom on Netflix just because it’s there, and so is the remote.
15. You make terrible decisions, agree to dates you shouldn’t, organise two events on one Saturday and make a general mess of your week.
16. You spend money on lunches you can’t be bothered to make at home, coffees you’re too lazy to brew and taxis that are way less hassle than buses.
17. You fall asleep on trains and wake up in strange villages in Kent that you’ve never heard of.
18. You get emotional at strange moments and cry in toilets when your friend doesn’t want to share pasta bake for dinner. Who doesn’t like pasta bake any night of the week?! Oh the humanity.
19. You have to write everything down because otherwise you’ll forget. The post it notes on your desk have wiped out a whole forest.
20. You have a constant cold which sometimes verges on a migraine because your body is making this decision for you – GO TO SLEEP OR I WILL SELF-DESTRUCT. And then you definitely won’t be able to sleep, right?
In short, you’re just not on top form and you’re not yourself when your fuel gauge is hitting empty, when your pants are on your head and your jumper’s inside out. Your nose is running and you’re throwing temper tantrums. It’s just not a good look.
Featured photo credit: normalityrelief via flickr.com
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7 Keys To Start Living Your Dream
At 19 I dropped out of college to go live in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn, arguably the most fashionable neighborhood of the most fashionable city in the world in order to work on my dreams of being a music journalist and promoter. Here I am sitting on my couch, maybe everything isn’t perfect – but I still get to talk to high powered music executives all day and party with rock stars all night and I don’t need a “Real job” to support it all. One question I get asked all the time is “How did you manage to do this at such a young age?” Here are seven keys I used to unlock this kickass lifestyle!
1. You Don’t Need A Plan From The Start
When I started blogging at 14 I didn’t really have a grand vision. I knew I liked hard rock and heavy metal and was all about 80s pop. I wasn’t sure what I could ever do with that. All I knew was that it was fun to write about it on weekends. As it grew I realized that one of the best strategies in life is to throw ideas against a wall and see what sticks. This is a lesson I still use today, I regularly attend concerts or industry events with no real goal in mind beyond “meet X individual” or just “hang out with Y band and see what happens” and on a surprisingly regular basis, things turn out well.
The thing is – people like people who are, (in the words of that Bud Light commercial:) “Up for whatever happens”. If someone invites you to an after party at 2 in the morning you have to go – not just because you’ll probably have a good time and get to do cocaine with a bunch of hookers, but also because of the connections you’ll have a chance to make. If you’re willing to just go out and play it by ear mighty forces will come to your aid unexpectedly – and it will be glorious.
2. Be Ready To Improvise
Building on that previous point is the notion that you have to know how to improvise. This goes far beyond being “up for whatever;” it means that you also have to know when to use caution when deciding a new course of action. Being able to improvise has gotten me through many a sticky situation – it helps you find your way into exciting new situations that can advance your career and give you a great story for your grandkids.
The point being – improvisation is an incredibly valuable tool and not one that is easily learned. But when you learn to apply it and use it on a regular basis then you can rest easy with the confidence that no matter what you should be able to handle the struggles of day to day life in whatever dream you want to live. No one said this would be easy, and a key aspect that many of my mentors have emphasized to me is that you need to be flexible and ready to take life as it comes if you want to get anywhere.
3. Habits Lead To Results
Now this next point is obviously far removed from improvisation but is just as important. I’ve mentioned in other articles on here that you need to place discipline over motivation, but perhaps even greater than that – you need to form habits. This is key for several reasons. First of all – it allows you to do something every day that you know that will help build towards your dream. For example, if you want to be a guitarist this might mean practicing two hours a day no matter what, if you want to be a runner then it means you go running five times a week. What I’m trying to say is I know from experience that if you do anything long enough and with enough dedication eventually you will become good at it!
Furthermore – when other people see your habits they will be impressed with your work ethic and want to work with you. People are drawn to individuals who they see can regularly produce results – and if you prove that you can produce results (or better yet, multiple results!) every day then the more potential partners you will find. No one wants to work with someone who hasn’t proved themselves to be reliable – it is those individuals who have proved their dedication that end up getting the most offers and taking their work to brave new worlds.
4. Prove You Want It Most
Building on the idea of habits leading to results is the notion that you have to prove that you want it most. In all honesty – most people don’t know how to build habits like this and being able to makes it easier to prove you want something the most. Kanye West once spent an entire summer locked up in his apartment making beats because he wanted to succeed so badly. Hunter S Thompson would type up entire novels from his favorite authors to become a better writer. Obama would wake up at 4 in the morning to learn English. It may not seem like it at the time, but these things pay off.
The fact of the matter is that with concrete proof that you want something more than anyone else things will start to fall into place for you. There’s a difference between saying “I really want to live the rock and roll lifestyle” and “Here’s 4,000 posts I’ve made about rock and roll”. My entire vetting process for potential employees basically relies on them coming out and showing me not credentials, but rather concrete evidence of the work they’ve done. This is perhaps the hardest of these keys to pull off but it is also one of the most valuable.
5. Remember To Be Nice To EVERYONE
I don’t think that anyone wants to be thought of as an asshole by the masses. There’s an easy way to remedy this – be kind and respectful to everyone. This doesn’t mean being weak – you should be able to set limits – but it does mean that you should always be willing to help people and guide them forward. It means that you shouldn’t call people out on social media and it means that you should be very cautious before putting out any sort of controversial opinion into the public sphere.
Am I saying you have to be politically correct? No. I literally talked about doing cocaine with hookers earlier in this article – clearly that’s not a priority. What I’m saying is that resorting to ad hominems and poorly thought out opinions is the place of the Republican party (You saw the last debate – I’m not being partisan) it’s not for someone who is trying to live their dream. So be encouraging – give advice to people getting started and try to find mentors who also ascribe to this philosophy.
6. Enjoy The Ride
This is one of the most important parts and something I used to forget. At times you may feel like you’ve hit a brick wall and you’re not going to get any bigger. But always remember to take a look around and realize “Huh, I’ve been able to do a lot to achieve my dreams” There are plateaus in everything you do, that’s how life works. The trick is to embrace those plateaus as quiet times in between the madness that so often defines day to day life. If you’re not enjoying the ride why bother? As Lemmy Kilmister of the legendary band Motorhead once said “The chase is better than the catch!”
And I know as well as anyone that desire to succeed can be crippling. You reach those moments where you feel like everyone is against you and won’t let you reach the next level and you start to suffer. But here’s the thing – if you keep going people will respect you. If they see that even in a tight spot you kept your cool and decided to plow forward and not give up and did so with a smile on your face then they will know that you’re the real deal. In a world where you’ve to to fake it until you make it you might as well enjoy the madness.
7. When You Get To The Top Of The Mountain – Keep Climbing
One of the most important books in my life is Timber Hawkeye’s Buddhist Boot Camp. One of the books key ideas is: “When you get to the top of the mountain – keep climbing.” I’m not being facetious when I say this is perhaps the greatest of all these keys. In my rise to living my dream every time that I thought I had reached the peak I decided to keep going, and things ended up even better than I possibly could have imagined. As far as I can tell, short of marrying Pat Benatar, there is no actual upper limit to what can be done in this world and you need to take full advantage of that as you push your way forward.
To tie into this, Jack Kerouac, in his book The Dharma Bums writes, “You can’t fall off a mountain” And this is the final message I want to leave you guys with. No matter what you do – as long as you maintain your honor and integrity it’s pretty hard to screw up badly enough that you get sent back to square one. Always keep pushing and know that with these keys you might just be able to do something great!
Featured photo credit: Unsplash via flickr.com
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