At 30,000 Feet

I bet those guys up there are looking down at our world and thinking, "That must be heaven."

Taking Responsibility

The worst (and easiest) way to pull yourself out of the race, is by not even running it. If I don't share my thoughts, I don't have to face someone disagreeing with them. If I don't apply for that dream job, I don't have to take responsibility for my career not going in the direction I want it to. That's easy. The meaningful (and hard) thing to do is to jump right into the fray and find something unique about yourself that enables you to swim.

Don't overestimate your weakness. It is just that - a weakness. Everyone has one of these. If you can't change them, find a way to work around them such that they don't paralyze you.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Wise words I heard today: When something doesn't go as expected, either you can over-analyze the situation, slice and dice it in many ways, go on and on in your head about what you coulda, woulda, shoulda done. Or, you can move the heck on.

Three Things in Life That Matter

Kids.

Music.

Nature.

Kids show you how not to be self-conscious, afraid or have the adult need to be correct all the time. And they are super brand ambassadors. Being a kid is always in.

Music has transformative capacity. A rock star's maniacal jumping on stage or a lovesick teenager's misty-eyed rendering of Halo behind closed doors - the rhythm just could get you. No matter what happens after that last note, in that moment, you are transformed.

Nature is humbling. It makes you feel at peace with yourself and the world around you. And if you're really lucky, glancing down the mountainside as you climb through icy peaks or feeling the rush of water as you swim through the twists and turns of a river, brings to you a moment of absolute lucidity about your life. Like breaking through thick foliage for the first glimpse of light.