Audiophile

Every single misfortune you’ve had up until now is about to start paying dividends. Just use Judy Carter’s advice.

Listen to this old chinese tale which highlights the importance of our work and our purpose on this earth.

The public has no choice but to respect you when you put expose your personality and story to the world.

The strategies for creating that worked back then don’t work today. Two words: fine-tuning and spontaneity.

For all the creatives and entrepreneurs out there, don’t be afraid to say “Today I suck, tomorrow I’ll be better.” This one little phrase is liberating and empowering at the same time.

What holds us back from shipping our work to the public? Why can’t we get over the hump of testing our approach? Stephen King and Ira glass have some insight into this…

Authenticity makes you better at what you do and it makes you more attractive. Find out why.

Let life happen and what happens will be destiny. A Gladwellian outlier lies in all of us But the lay of the land does not lie. The variables are too many, our environment too strong For an individual to control what fate already has in mind. You can go left trying to avoid the upcoming swamp, But then usually you’ll notice a few rights are needed To continue moving forward in the fight. And four rights later you’re back on the original path, The dreaded swamp now not so scary since you have no choice. What serves you best now is to make yourself light In preparation for the journey and the fight. In doing so you leave all that’s extra. And what’s extra? The monkey on your back in the form of worry, A tool as useless as a gun with no bullets Help destiny with actions not with thought, Actions are the fuel, thoughts are the built-up residue in your engine That drag you down and can cripple you if untamed. The destination is ahead, at what time does the train arrive?

Splat! Face down, bruised up, left for dead Right where you never expected to be. The fall just a blur by now but the reasons clear as day. Hubris, huge ego, self-centeredness Whatever you call it that was just the tip of the iceberg. You saw it coming but hoped prayer could save you, Hoped drastic measures weren’t necessary, Dissed the blue collar hoping for the white. Point is, there’s nothing sexy about stumbling all the way down. But while you’re here know one thing: Rock-bottom is a great place to start building. The distance dropped now irrelevant since it was effortless for you. Planning can help but good old sweat is the silver bullet. Shoot to the top or shoot back to the middle, but just shoot. The destiny you envisioned can still be attained But no one said the journey would stay the same.

I know greatness is in all of us I know the second you think you can’t go any further, you can go a liitle bit longer I know the sweetest drug is acceptance by others I know if you let yourself be consumed by this acceptance you’ll soon be miserable with no other recourse but to start not giving a fuck I know our time on this earth is limited, yet we spend it wishing we were somewhere else And when we’re somewhere else we wish we were right back here We all ask ourselves, what’s the meaning of life? Why are we here? But the answer doesn’t exist because the answer is whatever we choose it is The important thing is that we choose, and head in that direction. Because the movement is what will put the monkey mind at ease, inching towards that final choice is the only thing that calms our conscience, our breath, and our voice.

What’s your craft? You have one and so does anyone who’s walked this round earth. Each one of us is the master of a small slither of metaphysical land, A slither that is at our mercy for the brief time we breathe energy into it, and free of fear or doubt, but full of joy exhibit our creation. An artist lives inside you, create and we’ll pay attention. Not because we’re forced to but because that joy captivates us. Not because it’s new, but because it’s new through you. Make it as good as you can, but don’t stress it. Let it go before it’s ready. Don’t undercook it, but don’t over-season it. The joy will let you know when its time has come. Serve it and we’ll eat it. Pour it and we’ll drink it. Build it, and yes we will come. You remember that time you got real happy because you taught your parents something, and they listened, or when your rambling neighbor shut up for two minutes as you told them everything you know about playing chess. That joy that you got is all you need to create, all you need in order to teach. That’s all an artist, yourself, really wants. A moment of attention. And we want to learn, we want a little bit of that joy rubbed up on us, so we can rub it on someone else down the line. Gifted are those who will teach, and gifted are those who will learn. Gifted are the artists who will create, and gifted are the admirers who witness the joy.

We’re a generation of lonely souls amidst a million neighbors. We want bochinche, we want a savior From what we call “mundane” but is really just us with us, You with you, me with me. Nothing thrills like feeling in the center of it all. The fringe now just chopped liver, expired, and forgotten, Mob mentality is chic, always has been, now more than ever. The fear of alone hitting a pitch of fever. It all leads us to agreeing with things we don’t care much for, Finely tuned to our neighbor’s choices, a quick sideways glance for safety As if back in grade school cheating our way into a higher score. Hoping to not be weird, hoping to not be alone. It’s all fine and dandy, connecting is precious and exciting And is what we were put here to do until the end of days. But skipping the moments of loneliness makes bonding harder, How can you know your voice if it’s always drowned by chatter. Next time your mind is on an island cherish the conversation, Forego swimming to the nearest crowd in a panic, listen to the one for a bit Then notice how easy it is to associate with the world after this. The cloud of anxiety towards solitude evaporated and dismissed.

How much are ideas worth? How much is the actual work that you put into the ideas worth? Ideas are worthless until they clash with the real world.

Although it sounds contradictory, asking others for favors makes us more likable. It's an oft-studied psychological glitch that allows for this.  But why do we still find that asking is so difficult to do?

What marks the difference between those who ultimately accomplish their goals and those who fall short? What did Muhammad Ali do that put this winners' attitude on display?