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All of my relationships have failed, but here's what you should do about yours.
I've never written a book, but here's a list of everything that's wrong with yours.
My business failed, but here's how you should run yours.
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Because when you leave behind the familiar, you can't help but be changed by the foreign.
Because comfort zones become constricting zones over time.
Because the world was meant to be experienced, not imagined ...
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I've spent much of the past four months interviewing unconventional entrepreneurs for my next book, and throughout the process I learned what kind of questions solicit the best answers. For example, I often asked people whether their venture was "worth it," which might sound simplistic. Of course it's worth it! I've learned, though, that this question often leads to a good story, so that's why I ask. I also learned to ask if there was a specific moment when they knew for sure they would make it. These "moment they knew" stories can be fun and inspiring.
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When you begin to share your important work with the world, a funny thing happens: some of the people closest to you don't understand it. They damn you with faint praise, or they point out something trivial that could be improved. Sometimes they never say anything at all, which of course is the worst thing.
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A lot of people mentioned that they liked the "hell yeah" test for making decisions mentioned here and condensed as follows:
We all have to make decisions about opportunities. When you think about any opportunity, if it’s not a “hell yeah,” don’t do it.I’ve modified this a bit in my own life to be: if it’s a “hell yeah,” why not do it?
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I talked with someone who was in the process of calling fifteen people to get their opinions on a project. Why was any one of our opinions worth so much effort? I'm not sure, but someone had told her she should seek out as many opinions as possible before deciding what to do. The standard line is: Listen to what other people have done and avoid making the same mistakes.
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One year ago, I began planning last weekend with a small group of trusted friends. As the time drew closer, we transitioned from a planning team to an Action Team. Then, as the weekend really drew closer, we expanded to a much larger Action Team. When the big day finally arrived, more than 40 people worked closely together to provide a gathering space for the 500 awesome people who came to town, more than half of whom were visiting Portland for their first time. Everyone involved was a volunteer—no speakers were paid, and attendees themselves contributed much of the weekend as we went along.
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Over the past weekend, I've been with 500+ people who came to Portland for the inaugural World Domination Summit. I'll be sharing a detailed wrap-up on Thursday, but for now, here are a few initial photos to illustrate the occasion. Later in the day you'll be able to see hundreds more over here. Video will be forthcoming at some point as well. But first, world domination does sometimes require a nap ...
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I talked with my seatmate Rachel on the flight to Singapore. She was 6G, I was 6H—Cathay Pacific Business Class. I was sitting up front thanks to my Platinum status and a big stash of Frequent Flyer Miles. Rachel was up front thanks to the global bank she worked for, which after a brief display of frugality was now back to flying even its junior employees in Business. Rachel was the same age as me. She had traveled to much of the world, but hadn't really seen anything. It was always running back and forth, flying to meetings, going to business dinners, arriving late at night back in the big Asian city where she was based before getting up early for more meetings.
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I'm not a minimalist. I think it's good to be intentional about what you own and how you take up space in the world, but I have no desire to move to a 300 square foot apartment and religiously track the number of socks that I own. I'm not a lifestyle designer. As far as I can tell, I've been designing my lifestyle since 1978—that's part of never having a real job, pursuing the goals I've been working on for ten years, and non-conformity in general. Technically I'm location independent, but I have a home in Portland, Oregon. I could live entirely out of my carry-on bag if I wanted to, but I don't want to ... so I don't.
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I recently had the chance to participate in the 99% Conference, a gathering of creative professionals produced by Behance. The team put on a great show at the Times Center in New York, and my (small) part was to conduct a 90-minute “master class” on the topic of Redefining Risk: Increasing Confidence in Your Unconventional…
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Last week I went to see Ani DiFranco at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. It was a great concert, filled with high-caliber musicianship and passion. Ani has built a life and career over the past twenty years as a musician and activist. These days it’s not unusual or especially difficult for a musician to go…
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The second-best advice I ever heard about writer's block came from a quote in last month's Atlantic Monthly, where Sandra Tsing Loh said, “When faced with writer's block, lower your standards and keep going.” The best advice I ever heard is to pretend it doesn't exist. There's no such thing as “plumber's block,” right? Just sit down and do what you need to do.
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Amy returned from a working trip abroad. “Welcome home!” her boss said on the first day back at the office. Amy was a little disoriented, thinking of her days in Rajasthan instead of the office at home. “I want to hear all about India,” the boss said, although it seemed the boss mostly wanted to hear all about work. The boss said she had done a good job on the trip, which is always nice to hear. But then the boss said something else. “We've been talking while you were away, and we've got plans for you, Amy.”
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Several times on the never-ending book tour, people came up to me with multiple copies of my book for signing. “My family doesn't understand me,” they said, “So I'm giving them your book.”
"Thanks," I always said ... although I worried a little about signing books for people who didn't necessarily want them. I learned to invent a specific inscription for these copies:
"To Barbara: I'm not sure you'll like this book, but your daughter isn't crazy."Read More