Day 165 – The Best Value is 4th Best
The Best Value is 4th Best In the quest for excellence, it’s common to aim for the pinnacle of quality or rank, but my experiences have led me to a somewhat unconventional conclusion: when it comes to getting the best value, the 4th best option often strikes the perfect balance. This notion may initially seem […]
Day 164 – When I was a child I had a fever
Discovering “The Wall” When I was young and riding a school bus to elementary school, the album by Pink Floyd called “The Wall” hit the market. The songs were not as popular as “Call Me,” by Blondie or other songs by Michael Jackson, Queen, or KC and the Sunshine Band. However, by the time school […]
Day 163 – Paying for Clarity: A Worthy Investment
The Bias Against Paying for Advice We often hesitate to pay for advice, clinging to the belief that we can figure things out on our own. This mindset leads us down a rabbit hole of endless searching, which more often than not, results in confusion rather than clarity. In an era overwhelmed with quick fixes […]
Day 162 – Success Flows Like Water
When I was a child, I spent much of my time inventing small games to play in the fields surrounding my family home. This was before the advent of console video games. In later years, I would find myself playing Asteroids, Pitfall, Maze-a-Tron, and, of course, Pong. However, during these early days, I was left […]
Day 161 – Above All, Be Different
Discovery in the Wild I crested a tough climb. The air was thin, and the change in altitude hit me hard. After trudging through a mile or so of switchbacks, I was winded. My pack was uncomfortable, and my water bladder, which I had been pulling from, was now bleeding dry. I rounded a few […]
Day 160 – Hope is Not an Excuse
Hope is a wonderful concept. It helps you get out of bed in the morning. It helps you see the silver lining on the worst of days. Hope can keep you motivated and also can serve as the first small seedling in a new venture. Hope is one of the big three of human aspirations, […]
Day 159 – Open Your Mouth
A Chance Meeting with Wisdom In my early twenties, during my initial foray into the business world, I had the fortune to meet a retired banking executive. This individual wasn’t just successful in his career; he emanated an infectious energy and enthusiasm for life, coupled with a profound understanding of the power of positivity. He […]
Day 158 – The Near Death Experience
There’s a surprising amount of literature, stories, and even artwork dedicated to near-death experiences. The brush with our mortality appears to exert a profound impact on us, often precipitating significant changes in those affected. I encountered my own near-death experience in my first year of college. At a debate tournament in the Newport Beach area, […]
Day 157 – Revenue Solves All Problems
In the early days of my career, I found myself working at a company with a bustling call center. One particularly early morning, I arrived at the office to discover a salesperson, already hard at work in his cubicle. His unchanged attire from the day before led me to surmise he had labored through the […]
Day 156 – Life Design Flaw – Overengineering
I once had a software contract early in my career, requiring me to expand our team of developers to hasten our project’s completion. Although the client was pleased with our progress, they desired a quicker turnaround. Thus, I onboarded new developers to boost our output, leading me to confront two significant flaws in my management […]