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The average person knows what they should be doing. They know that they want to do it.  But the problem is, they’ve already convinced themselves that they can’t. They’ve gone under hypnosis.  And so, the only remaining route to real change is through tension. Because it possesses its own generative drive, which gives rise to an impetus to move toward a resolution.  Louie’s comedy special perfectly summarizes his version of this…

Nobody has a monopoly on joy.  It hides everywhere. Often in plain sight. Following us like a shadow.  Life is bursting at the seams with it, and each one of us has the ability to extract this most precious gift from the world, even from sources that were not intended for us at all.  But we have to orient ourselves toward it. We need agency over it. We must…

The most valuable skill is learning how to concentrate.  Mastering the ability to lock in at a moment’s notice, anytime, anywhere, and get to work.  That’s what you notice about high performers in almost every industry. They have control over their psychic environment. They take extreme responsibility for the energy they bring to the world. And they take little time to bring their brain up to operating temperature.  That way,…

The further down the road people get in their commitment, they just buy the whole package.  They fill in the blanks with their own biases.  Because as that point, it’s not about the data, it’s about being consistent tribal members. Keeping the spirits happy, keeping the nest warm and showing allegiance to the clan.  It doesn’t matter if we’re wrong, we’re together. Disaster is coming and we, the chosen…

One of the happiest days of my life was when a renowned peer reviewed physics journal conducted a scientific study that found there were too many scientific studies.  This was not a joke. According to the researchers, the exponential growth in the number of papers was making it increasingly difficult for researchers to keep track of all the publications relevant to their work.  They even coined a term for the phenomenon, attention…

Carlin’s nineteenth and final album, recorded four months before he passed on to the great comedy club in the sky, centered around a simple, circling chorus. It’s all bullshit folks, and it’s bad for ya.  That’s the one thing he hoped the audience would walk away with. A little asterisk in the back of their brains. A helpful reminder that most of the world is full of shit.  Not…

Most people don’t finish things.  They’re too blocked by perfection and procrastination and permission and fear and doubt and disappointment and unworthiness and distraction and guilt and apathy and whatever other form of resistance shows up to knock their projects off the rails. Interestingly enough, the word finish derives from the term finire, which means, to set boundaries. And maybe that’s the problem. People don’t finish things because they’re afraid to…

The auditioning process can be an exercise in humiliation.  Sitting in a cold waiting room with seventeen people who look exactly like you, overhearing demoralizing conversations between casting directors and network executives, panicking over making your looks and lines perfect, running scenes with idiot readers who have the emotional range of a teaspoon, driving home with a migraine and then binge eating ice cream until you hate yourself… It’s…

I’ve always had a strong opportunity agenda.  My second order imagination, which is the inherent enterprise to notice creative openings, apply force and propel them into interesting directions, is one of my greatest strengths.  But as the ancient warriors remind us, every strength has its corresponding weakness. What we’re good at, we’re bad at.  That’s why I allow myself to get animated by new opportunities, but I’m careful not to get…

Spielberg is number one on a database called the numbers bankability index.  If you’re not familiar with this system, it’s a service that helps assess the value that different individuals bring to the film industry, from actors to directors to screenwriters to producers to shooters to anyone else involved in the creative process of making a movie.  Of course, the list isn’t perfect. The algorithm has limitations. And there are…