This is Sammy. He belongs to my dad’s friend Dan. Sammy is simultaneously the friendliest and most well-behaved dog I’ve ever known. I came to love Sammy despite spending my whole life as, frankly, not a dog person. I’ve always been a cat person. Cats make sense to me, and we have a natural affinity for one another. I’m the kind of person who befriends random cats that I see… Read More »Can You Choose to Like Something?
It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary. Deal with it anyway. Face it head-on. The boring task. The difficult work. The necessary learning. The frustrating setback. The obstacle in your way. The uncomfortable conversation. The anxiety-inducing performance. The fear that you’ll do it wrong. The dreaded diagnosis. The painful treatment. The inevitable tragedy. These things don’t get easier when you avoid facing them. This is the ultimate message of Stoic philosophy:… Read More »Face Reality Head-On
Long-time readers (or fans of Cal Newport) will recall that there are two kinds of work: deep work and shallow work. Deep work is difficult and important; it requires your full attention. Shallow work is easier and less important; it can be done amid distractions or interruptions. Both are necessary, but deep work is more meaningful and creates more value. We often neglect deep work because shallow work is easier.… Read More »Deep Fun vs. Shallow Fun
James Clear (author of Atomic Habits) recently wrote something that I disagreed with: “You will rarely outperform your self-image.”1 Actually, this is precisely how you improve your self-image, but you can only outperform it incrementally, improving your self-image bit by bit via self-perception. Your self-image is partly the result of your thoughts – what you think you’re capable of. But a larger factor is your actions – what you’ve seen… Read More »How Your Self-Image Improves