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There are exactly zero scientific studies that have shown any evidence behind the accuracy of horoscopes.  For entertainment purposes only, as the disclaimer says.  Of course, we all see what we need to see. Why not let the placebo effect have its way with us? Sometimes it’s just more fun to believe.  I once read my horoscope from a trashy tabloid left behind on the train. And the message…

Tracy’s book on leadership reinvention offers a sobering reflection.  Life won’t follow the pattern of controls we try to put in place. Life never works out the way it should work out, only the way it does work out. It pays no attention to what we require for it to be meaningful. Even if we do try some kind of aikido approach, to stop seeming to strive for life to turn out as it should while still…

I once knew a guy whose chief complaint about his career was: I’m too good to be this broke.  It’s a sentiment that always struck me as deeply entitled and sad. Because the truth is, the world doesn’t owe any of us a living. Nobody held a gun to our heads and forced us to start a business. And it’s not the universe’s responsibility to underwrite our deepest career…

I read a devastating obituary about a celebrity drug addict who relapsed after twenty plus years of sobriety.  The writer made an powerful point about how addiction isn’t a state of mind that wears off over time, but a permanent change in the shape and chemistry of the brain.  He says that if you’re counting your sober days, months, or even years, don’t forget to watch your step. You may have…

Everyone has potential crying out to be engaged. It’s what it means to be alive.  Rollo’sbookon man’s search for himself states it best: Every organism has only one central need in life, which is to fulfill its own potentialities. However, the task is never automatic. A person’s development must be to some extent chosen and affirmed by himself.  And so, if we are to overcome the limited view of our…

No matter how much attention I got, the loneliness still returned.  And I couldn’t take it anymore.  Because deep down, I knew there was a whole life unlived by me. I knew that if I took a moment, I would find a beautiful new world waiting for my participation. And so, I forced myself to look at what was blocking me from including and working with others in my…

What if menacing gray curb snow became popsicles? What if augmented reality eliminated littering? What if we sold psychographically analyzed microwave scraps? What if we shorted the secondary market for karma? What if doctors could take toot samples? In this episode of Steal Scott’s Ideas, Alex, Eli & Alexandra gather at Metric Collective for some execution in public. **Sponsored by the Schmuck Parade Music Festival Execution Lesson 107: Charisma is…

There’s a mantra that I use to remind myself about the power of fear. Once you’ve seen a ghost, you’re always afraid of the dark.  That’s the nature of trauma. Big or small, we all suffer deep mental and emotional scars from our distressing experiences. And from that point forward, we have to stay attuned to the many reminders of that trauma.  Because any stimuli can become a trigger….

When I was on jury duty, I learned that one of the most common types of lawsuit damages is called the loss of ability to enjoy life.  Unlike pain and suffering, which compensates the defendant for the physical pain they feel, loss of enjoyment damages compensates someone for the things they can no longer do because of the pain they are feeling, like playing sports, hobbies, vocations, or any other…

Altman’s book on mindfulness reminds us that letting go doesn’t mean we don’t care, it’s just that we’re no longer invested in building a brick wall to keep things from changing.  We’re not giving up, we’re being honest about our situation. We’re not throwing something away, we’re merely stepping outside of its shadow so that things may be seen in a different light.  It’s an act of mercy toward ourselves. Each…