It’s not where you’ve been, what you’ve seen, or what you've tried that makes traveling so special. It’s not the visiting of famous tourist destinations and crossing countries off the passport bucket list. It’s the people you meet that make traveling so special. It’s the conversations you have. The relationships you build. The exposure to … Continue reading Traveling is all about the people you meet
Why you should give more hugs
When you give a hug to someone, have you ever paid attention to the way that you FEEL while giving it? Have you ever tried to notice if you’re tense, uptight, resistant in some way? Not fully relaxed? I know I was when I first started paying attention to this. In Brazil, people are big … Continue reading Why you should give more hugs
I’m a different person in a different language
The other day I had a moment where I thought to myself “I’m a better version of myself in Portuguese”. In English I talk too much. I have a strong tendency to go on rants. When you get me going, it’s hard to get me to shut the hell up and listen. In Portuguese however, … Continue reading I’m a different person in a different language
How to become a better listener
I’m a horrible listener. Like truly horrible. If you’ve ever had a conversation with me, you’ve probably noticed what I like to call “Squirrel Syndrome”. You said something that had the effect of a dog seeing a squirrel and then running off to chase it. That’s what happens in my mind when someone gives me … Continue reading How to become a better listener
Daily Experiments in Mental Discipline
How learning a new language helped cultivate discipline in other areas of my life... Teaching myself to learn Portuguese has been a great lesson in mental discipline, and the levels of intensity with which we can try to learn something new. Self admittedly, I’ve been pretty lazy about it. Or better yet, I should say … Continue reading Daily Experiments in Mental Discipline
How I learned to become a better decision maker
I am someone who allows my emotions and intuition to dictate my decisions, rather than letting the data decide for me. This is something that has backfired more times than I can count. While operating off of intuition can yield great results, it’s not always reliable. Emotions can get in the way of seeing the … Continue reading How I learned to become a better decision maker
Cut yourself some slack
For the last few years I’ve experimented a lot on myself. I’ve experimented with diets, exercise routines, work schedules, creative scheduling, you name it. When it comes to improving my life in small ways, I’ve become very disciplined with implementing new habits. I’m also proud to say that I have had fantastic results and these … Continue reading Cut yourself some slack
Treat People with Respect (Even if you don’t respect them)
The other day I was thinking about the phrase “respect is earned”, and how many people use this as justification for treating other people like shit. Many people take the approach of, "if I don’t respect you, or if you haven’t “earned” my respect, you don’t deserve to be treated the same as people who … Continue reading Treat People with Respect (Even if you don’t respect them)
The Melting Man
I become an unproductive piece of crap when I’m having sex all the time. I recently was swept off my feet by a beautiful brazilian woman. For six straight weeks I woke up to the best sex of my life every day. And during that time, I’ve been a lazy piece of shit. I wake up … Continue reading The Melting Man
Cultivate hobbies to cultivate a love life
I believe that there is an important paradox in life - the more comfortable you are spending time alone, the more capable you are to be in a relationship. Seems contradictory, but your ability to be in a healthy relationship is directly correlated to how comfortable you are spending time alone doing things that interest … Continue reading Cultivate hobbies to cultivate a love life