Borrowed wisdom for a better life.
Today I turned 33. On my most recent lap around the sun, I collected a few more pieces of knowledge I’m trying to turn into wisdom. What’s the difference? As far as I can tell, knowledge is information, and wisdom is application. With every passing year, I learn a little more, and slowly, I'm able to apply pieces here and there. That's the trick to growing wise—learning and applying. These are…
The more I read about history’s greatest leaders, the more a single defining habit stands out: writing. Being a great writer helps you become a great leader for two main reasons. The first—the obvious—is the ability to communicate clearly with others. Clear Communication General James Mattis, a four star Marine General, CENTCOM Commander, and Secretary of Defense, preaches decentralized…
Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of D-Day. In honor of that monumental event, I want to share some of the best quotes I've found while reading The Guns at Last Light . The book tells the story of the D-Day invasion and the ensuing campaign in Europe. If you want to learn more about WWII, this is an excellent—albeit dense—read. Operation Overlord (the D-Day invasion & battle of Normandy) was the…
I have a simple rating system for books. A scale of one to five in half point intervals. One is trash. Five is treasure. I’ve honed my selections enough that I rarely read anything below a three. I often read fives. How do I consistently pick great books? It’s a simple practice, and it improves with time. Like a 401k account, the outcomes are more impressive the longer you invest. These are the…
At 32 years old, I’m more raw chunk of marble than statue. But little by little, I’m chipping away to reveal what’s underneath. What follows is a list of reminders, ideas, and lessons—the stuff I’ve learned in the process. They’re mostly notes to myself, but maybe you’ll find them useful too. Being an adult is less about knowing things and more about being able to figure things out. School is the…
I’ve learned more about life from Dr. Seuss than all the great philosophers combined. In Oh, The Places You’ll Go! , the hero grinds on for miles toward a most useless place: The Waiting Place. …for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go Or a bus to come, or a plane to go Or the mail to come, or the rain to go Or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow Or waiting around for a Yes or No Or…
Late last year, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Bear by Andrew Krivak. Both came highly recommended, but neither were particularly good. The Road is about a father and son journeying through a post-apocalyptic world, avoiding cannibals and heading south to warmer winter weather. The Bear is about a father and daughter, also making a journey through a post-apocalyptic, albeit brighter,…
If you’ve ever sent a paper ball flying from your fingertips toward the trash while yelling, “Kobe!” this article is for you. Kobe was the Black Mamba of basketball, but it was his techniques more than his talents that made him great. It was his approach more than his athleticism. It was his mental drive more than his drive to the hoop. None of us are Kobe on the court. But we can apply his…
Last weekend, I had the unique disadvantage of filling my kitchen drawer with cow’s blood. No, you haven’t stumbled upon the site of some satanic cult. Read on and I’ll explain. I was making beef stew, and it was time to brown the beef. I sliced open the package and plopped the pieces of beef into a pan of bubbling butter. With the meat sizzling safely on the stovetop, I moved back toward the…
Too many people want credit for things they’re supposed to be doing. As the Chris Rock bit goes: “I ain’t never been to jail!” “Whatchu want a cookie? You ain’t supposed to go to jail you low expectation having mother*****r!!” Of course, he’s exaggerating for comedic effect, but how many times have you seen the same mindset? “I passed the class!” “I got to work on time!” “I exercised today!”…
The more I read about President Truman, the more I wish I was alive during his presidency. Luckily, his life and leadership were well documented, so we can all learn from his example. Harry Truman was an accidental president. He never dreamed of sitting in the Oval Office. He simply followed the path of duty until fate sat him there. Then he demonstrated—with grace, care, and tact—exactly who a…
I recently fixed my mother in law’s dryer. It brought me more satisfaction than anything I’ve done in my ten year career. Why did a simple appliance repair mean more than money made and promotions achieved? Most importantly, it made a clear, immediate, positive impact. I got to see the smile on her face when the dryer worked and she realized she didn’t have to buy a new one. It didn’t involve…
In September of 2020, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong made an uncomfortable decision. The company town hall meetings had devolved into open mic takeovers where the goal was to make the executive team squirm. A small number of vocal employees were asking challenging questions about social justice issues—questions Armstrong wasn’t prepared to answer. Some of the employees even staged a walkout. “Of…
Life has two types of problems, the ones we create and the ones we encounter. Camping comes with the same problems, so it’s the perfect training ground for the rest of life. Let me give you an example. The Problems We Create Before I took my first step on the trail, I already knew I’d be having an uncomfortable night. And it was 100% my fault. When you decide to take a three day backpacking trip…
My friend’s hairdresser smokes weed every night and supports gay marriage, even though she’s pro-life and a passionate supporter of the Heartbeat Bill that Texas passed. I also know of a gun-carrying Greenpeace advocate, and an uber-masculine, tatted-up ranch-owner who’s super into psychedelics. These are a few of my favorite lines from David Perell’s essay on Austin . They outline my favorite…
Last week, I watched a grown man throw a temper tantrum on a golf course. In our second round of the day, my friend and I were paired with two other golfers. Getting paired with strangers is one of my favorite parts of the game. It’s a chance to meet new people and connect over a common goal . By the time we finished the first hole, I knew there would be no connecting during this round. One of the…
Life is a never ending maze of decisions. I’d love to make the right decisions all the time. I’d also like to have George Clooney’s charming good looks. Those two outcomes are equally likely. Instead of obsessing over the right decisions, which is hard, we can simply avoid the worst decisions, which is easy. Nassim Taleb talks about a concept called via negativa. It’s basically the idea of…
I collect books like the last one was printed yesterday . I can never have too many. When my wife and I moved to our new home last year, I decided it was time to buy new book shelves. I wanted a matching set, and I wanted enough shelf space to hold my ever expanding collection. When the shelves arrived off the Ikea truck, my wife was surprised to learn I had ordered three. She was even more…
The thermometer read 19 degrees. The wind whipped louder than waves crashing on a beach. And I was zipped tight in a sleeping bag on top of a mountain. Action carried me away from comfort, and it was the only thing that could bring me back. I wanted nothing more than a hot breakfast by the campfire. Scratch that. I simply wanted to be warm. Forget the food. Forget the fire. I wanted to feel my…
Today I turned 30. I wanted to share 30 lessons from 30 years of living. But you know what? I’ve actually learned more than 30 things in 30 years. So here’s 47 life lessons. Some I live by. Others I re-learn often. Maybe they’ll save you a little trouble. Or maybe they won’t. Either way, they’re mostly a reminder to me. Sometimes getting what you want is as simple as asking for it. Closed mouths…