Benjamin Franklin was arguably the most successful person who lived in colonial America. There are many lessons to learn from his biography, but the following nugget of wisdom about choosing principles over luxury is timeless.
The story goes that a man came to Franklin wanting to publish an article in Franklin’s newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette. Franklin thinks the article is malicious, and so he subjects himself to a little test:
“To determine...
Holbox is a tiny island in the Gulf of Mexico.
I was there on holiday in 2009 and liked it so much I returned ten years later, but discovered the sleepy fishing village had transformed into a packed tourist trap.
At dinner one night I overheard a guy complaining how congested the island had become. “This is our second time here, but last year there weren’t many tourists. It’s completely changed!”
That got me thinking about perspective....
Does it seem like everyone but you is becoming fabulously rich and famous?
It makes for a good story. Someone goes from living out of their car to driving a Ferrari. The problem is when they go on to say their success is a result of their morning routine or this one book they read or some random tactic.
You’ve probably heard business icons or celebrities giving this advice. It typically goes something like: “Look, all you need to do is this one thing,...
I don’t own a car anymore, and so I’ve been riding a 12-year old bike. It takes a lot for me to buy anything.
Like I’m writing this on a two-year-old laptop, which replaced a laptop that was six years old, which replaced a laptop that was six years old.
I’ve been wearing the clothes in my closet until they’re worn out, and then not replacing them. I’m down to just a few pieces of clothing.
It’s not about living like a monk, or being...
What’s the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery? Like anyone posing with a door-sized check says, “I’m quitting my job!”
That’s why I really admire anyone who loves what they do, who can sit there doing the same thing for half a century, because in reality 85% of people hate their job. So while lottery tickets are one way to escape the rat race, isn’t there a more practical strategy?
Well, I can tell you like 99% of...
