25 March, 2013

TOP 5 WAYS TO A BETTER LIFE



Top 5 Ways to a Better Life According to Dave Grohl

(An interpretation of his Keynote speech at SXSW last week in Austin,TX)

1. No one is you and that is your biggest power.

“It’s YOUR VOICE. Cherish it. Respect it. Nurture it. Challenge it. Stretch it and scream until it’s f**king gone because everyone is blessed with at least that, and who knows how long it will last . . .”
“Who’s to say what’s a good voice, and what’s not a good voice? The Voice? Imagine Bob Dylan sitting there singing ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ in front of Christina Aguilera.”

2. Don’t be afraid of not fitting in.

“I can truly say out loud that ‘Gangnam Style’ is one of my favorite f**king songs of the past decade. Is it any better or worse than the latest Atoms for Peace album? Hmmm… paging Pitchfork! Come in, come in, Pitchfork! We need you to help us determine the value of a song! Who f**king cares.” Don't be someone who designs their lives to impress others.

3. Give a damn about yourself.

It’s about taking care of yourself so you can be a better human being. A 2.0 version of you is way more equipped to help others in need. Take up yoga if you’re stressed. Ask for a big raise. Walk away from a relationship that is abusive or draining. Or just take a nap, for Christ’s sake.

4. Be humble.

No one wants to go to lunch with a supermodel who says things like, “My cheekbones, if you’ve noticed, have a similar incline to an escalator.” One thing I’ve noticed is that if you are good at something, people will acknowledge it. Appreciate the hell out of those people. Should you be blessed enough to have the fortitude to work so hard at something that people celebrate you, your first reaction should be gratitude. And know that there’s a ton of people out there from all races and socioeconomic backgrounds who can still teach you something. I don’t care if you’re Bill Clinton or Jay-Z – always be learning; always be improving.

5. Spark a revolution.

Always have the highest bar for yourself. Wake up everyday and no matter how crappy you feel, want to change something for the better. Do something that makes someone happy. Create something that inspires someone. Be someone’s light when they are hopeless.

22 March, 2013

LESS STUFF, MORE HAPPINESS

Living with less. It's an idea that I really would like to embrace... but it's hard. It's hard to change anything about ourselves - and it's especially hard when society is beckoning you in the opposite direction. But when I start to think about my own personal debt (which we are working hard to eliminate by using some of the methods on this website) and our country's national debt (which is comically explained in this video) I often start to wonder if I really need all of this stuff.

These two videos inspire me. Graham Hill made more money by the time he was 30 than most of us will make in our lifetime - yet he currently lives in NYC in a 420-square foot apartment. Granted, it's a pretty awesome, highly individualized apartment that was probably very expensive to create. He's on a mission to change the way we think about stuff and his TED talk "Less Stuff, More Happiness" makes me want to join his bandwagon.



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17 March, 2013

WHAT FINLAND'S DOING RIGHT


Thanks to Shane's Blog for the image (source: slowrobot.com).
This article from The Atlantic is also an interesting look at Finland's education ideas.