by Kyle Brennan
Recently, someone posed a question at a group dinner: What is the best $100 purchase you ever made? Damn, I thought, that’s a great fucking question… Items started popping into my head rapid fire. But amidst the stream of $100 purchases I’d amassed over the years — nice shoes, cool t-shirts, snazzy accessories, and an …
A couple of years ago for my 29th birthday, I wrote up 29 of the best lessons I had learned over the previous year. The lessons seemed to be popular, and were widely shared by friends and family -- so I followed it up with 30 more life lessons on my 30th birthday. For as …
What’s something you used to believe that you have since changed your mind about? It’s an interesting question to ponder, forcing us to come face to face with the ways in which we (and our beliefs and values) have changed over time. I used to think breakfast was the most important meal of the day. …
Continue reading "In Politics and Life – Love Your Beliefs, but Don’t Put a Ring on Them"
We've all seen commencement speeches extolling the same old hackneyed advice: Follow your dreams! Be the change you wish to see in the world! Remain curious! It's often logical advice that sounds hollow coming from some billionaire tech entrepreneur or a famous Hollywood actor. Easy for you to say. Charlie Munger, the Vice Chairman of …
I’ve read more than 50 books on self-help, growth, and personal development. Over the years of reading, I started to notice a common thread amongst all of them, and as a result, I’ve been working for the last few weeks to write a summary of the main ideas, sort of like Sparknotes or a Self-Help …
Continue reading "Ignore All the Self-Help Books. Just Follow These Two Principles"
In this digital age, we're constantly bombarded with inputs - most of them negative and/or anxiety-inducing: Movie trailers, iPhone alerts, Instagram notifications, billboards, emails, new music, podcasts, and news of the world collapsing around us. Cal Newport, author of Digital Minimalism has called this style of living Solitude Deprivation - a state in which you …
80% of happiness is body chemistry Some days I wake up drowsy, others I feel energetic and jump out of bed. Some days I crash at 3 o'clock, other days I get a random burst of energy at 5. Mentally, it's exhausting. I'm constantly living between "Maybe I'm burnt out" and "Maybe I feel this …
Mindfulness, by many, is thought of as a stress-reducing activity. “If I just sit calmly and breathe slowly for five to ten minutes a day I will be less anxious.” While it’s certainly a start, that’s not the inherent point of mindfulness practice. Instead, the “goal” (although having a goal kind of defeats the purpose) …
I never imagined myself being someone who would seek therapy. I held the same mindset as older generations tend to have about it. "What do you need therapy for? I went to Vietnam. I didn't need therapy." We're so quick to prioritize regular check-ups for our physical health, scheduling dental appointments, and picking up prescriptions …
I like trying different hobbies and activities to see what I enjoy. I do a bit of everything: drawing, music, golf, lacrosse, basketball, reading, writing, running triathlons and marathons, fitness, podcasting, and firefighting. I've tried them all to learn more about myself, and I want to get good as quickly as possible. But sometimes our …
Continue reading "From Pressure to Pleasure: How to Make Your Hobbies Fun Again"