The Power of 100% Dedication

When is the last time you gave everything you had to make something happen?  By that I mean putting a ton of time into a goal with extreme focus and determination.  It means becoming so passionate that you start to obsess. If I had to pick one personality trait that helps me succeed, it would […]

How You React to Failure Determines How Quickly You’ll Succeed

Show me the person who has never failed and you’ll be showing me a person who has never accomplished anything. Failure is a natural part of life. We all have to go through it at one point or another. It can’t be helped. You may not be able to change the fact that failures and […]

How to Negotiate a Month of Travel from Work

A few months ago I got back from Morocco where I had been living and traveling for two months.  Rather than quitting my job, I took a leave of absence so I could go back to my position when I returned. This is the fourth time I’ve had an employer let me take time off […]

Why Do So Many Billionaires Drop Out of College?

Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg both dropped out of Harvard.  David Geffen went to college for only three semesters before leaving.  Ralph Lauren, Ted Turner and Steve Jobs are others who dropped out before getting their bachelor’s degrees. All are billionaires; all are college dropouts. The actual list of billionaires has even more college dropouts.  […]

How to Pursue Your Dreams When Surrounded by Unsupportive People

That moment you decide to follow a dream is magical. It’s so exciting.  Not everyone finds a dream they truly believe in.  Even less people take action to pursue them. There’s no doubt it’s a risk, but what dreams come easy? Besides you’d rather go for it and fail than let it pass you by […]

The 5 Principles for Achieving Greatness in Anything

A reporter once asked Muhammad Ali how many sit ups he could do. The great boxer said he didn’t know. He only started counting when it started hurting. This is the story I like to think about when I think about reaching greatness. Muhammad Ali is generally considered one of the greatest boxers of all […]

The Last Day of Your Life

I know it’s a rather morbid idea, but every once in a while I like to imagine what the last day of my life will look like.  It’s more a matter of intellectual curiosity than grim preoccupation. I can actually trace back to the moment when I started doing this.  It all started with a […]