Tools, Fuel, & Steering Instructions
to Make a Life You Believe In
Passion
“I can’t get your face out of my mind and the taste of your skin lingers still. I want you to meet me tonight just outside your backdoor. Bring your haunting imagination, your big laugh, and your silky eyes. I’ll bring my open chest cavity and a fist full of spice. Make sure you level
read on ...
Find your purpose! Follow your passion! Really? Fuck you! I’m sick of reading, hearing, and seeing that advice. It’s not helpful. In fact it hurts. I have too many big important interests that draw me in so many exciting directions. Having a single purpose is preposterous. Plus, there are days when I have a crapload of
read on ...
It may be a little late for the season, but I figured out what we can give each other. First, a story. The old pickup truck was no match for the slippery hill. The back wheels spun a dozen times for every inch they gained, and the fresh coat of snow only made the ice underneath
read on ...
There is no doubt we live in a brutal world. When someone else says, so well, what I am trying to say as well as I can, I have only to point you to it. Watch this video.† It’s one of the most beautiful, truthful short films I’ve ever seen. It has become a prayer
read on ...
I’m not a big fan of making random magical connections between pleasure and profit. I’ve written before about how “Do What You Love” is Bullshit Advice for Financial Success. I’d be willing to bet that, “love what you do and the money will follow” is more accurate than the standardized reversed slush. As a small
read on ...
“What are those for?” Lisa asks, pointing at the pilot goggles around my neck. We’re both waiting for Vietnamese tacos at a crowded a food truck in Portland, Oregon. I’m experimenting with answers to that question, and what comes out is pretty simple. “These are magic goggles that show you the path to your future.”
read on ...
It’s a simple question, “What do you know you want to do before you die?” Most people have something that comes to mind, but how many of us are working on it right now? Giant goals like Scott Harrison’s hope to solve the world’s water problem nestle neatly between personal needs like Sijartha Shaff’s, an
read on ...
I spent last weekend with 1000 people planning to take over the world.† It’s impossible to sum up what happened in this longish article, so I’ll make this the first of a series. What follows is a presumptuously, conspicuously reductive digest of the key speakers’ presentations plus some words of wisdom from one surprising sage. The theme
read on ...
The 80/20 rule is one of the most inspired legends of the modern age. There are several versions, and I whip it out pretty regularly as a generic aspiration. It comes from the Pareto Principle which states that for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. One aspirational version goes
read on ...
My Love— We’re together forever it seems. We know how good we are for each other. You love my ambition, and I revel in the peace you bring me each day. Run with me this time. Don’t stay at home in your ethereal daydreams and your sad safe bliss and your fresh cut tomatoes
read on ...