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October 31, 2018

How to Live as if Everything is Rigged in Your Favor

Who am I?

Who can escape this question unscathed?

Oftentimes, we limit who we are out of fear—out of fear of what others will think, or feel, or how they’ll react—out of fear of what it would be like to be free.

We place the lid on our dreams because maybe they’re “too difficult” or they overwhelm us. Our dreams make us feel small and impotent, so we shut them down.

When we face ourselves in the mirror, we end up asking: Is it really other people I fear—or is it myself? All the demons and witches and ghosts I see—are they merely figments of my imagination? Are any of them real on any level?

Surely we can see that we live in an illusion, in a conceptual dream that has no beginning and no end, and we will keep meeting ourselves again, and again, and again.

Surely, we can see the intelligence within every particle is not cruel, it merely asks us to look, to observe without judgment, to experience life to the fullest without limitation.

To be extraordinary is to see the world as it is: limitless.

This is not “positive thinking,” this is realism.

You merely have to look at a cell or a molecule under a microscope to see the vast wonder of it all, the magic within each part.

The holographic self realizes it projects its reality outward onto the world and then hopes to receive something back it did not expect. It will receive everything back it expected, as that is what it created. The power of consciousness is that it’s telepathic, instantaneous, and travels at the speed of thought.

The quantum perspective of being in a pond is that we can gain the awareness that there is a whole world, a whole reality outside the pond, and with courage, we can break free of the self-limiting ecosystem of the pond and adventure forth into the world.

We begin as humble tadpoles and will emerge as frogs when we free our minds to believe we can jump. This is our opportunity to liberate our fears and achieve empowerment—this empowerment is self-awareness, it is an end to escaping from having to face this question, “Who am I.”

Our greatest power is to know ourselves.

Not every day is the same, not every pitfall the same. So many levels, so many factors, and dimensions, ways we can look at something. A great starting point is simply to be aware that we have a perception. We have a choice in how we perceive things, and we are able to change that perception. We can decide to see something differently.

Rumi teaches us that we don’t need to look on the outside, we can take ownership of our world. We can decide to create fertile soil and to plant beautiful seeds so they may grow: “The universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you already are.”

This vision of seeing the world within is important. We can shape our reality with this. It is not that the sky will become green to another person, it is simply that our sky will be blue. And that’s all that’s important within our world. We can see and accept the passing birds in the sky, or simply choose that they disappear.

How we envision this blank canvas is up to us—it is merely a game of consciousness, and there are multiple games, not only one (and all are occurring instantaneously).

If we won’t accept negativity in our sky, then no negativity will exist in that reality. It is ours to choose. Essentially, we are able to imprint our intent onto the universe.

We are also able to live as Rumi wrote, “as though everything is rigged in your favor.” What a liberated perspective.

It really is a task of making love with our perspective, a statement of intent that instead of seeking the answers, creates them.

Life contains inevitable challenges and difficulties along the path, sometimes dotted with signposts, gateways, portals, awakenings, and stepping stones.

It is true to say that every fork in the road contains new opportunities for learning and growth. So, the more forks you hit, the more you are being gifted opportunities for learning. Yet, each fork in the road may seem challenging—it may feel painful, daunting, stressful, draining, and more. Or, it may seem a wonderful moment of ignition; a test of magical proportions, a spontaneous dance of love spreading across your consciousness.

It is not easy to hit tension, to hit up against a wall. How do we navigate through the points of tension, how do we learn as spiritual beings, how do we awaken?

These are some of the questions one has. But, essentially it always starts with: Who am I?

We no longer need to answer this question so much as create it.

I am who I seek to create.

October 31, 2018

6 Soulful Steps to Get Reconnected with Your Higher Self

Have you ever misplaced something? Like your TV remote, your car keys or EVEN… your connection to your Higher Self?

Your Higher Self is remarkably wise. Different forms of psychology, religions, and disciplines describe this highest aspect of you with a variety of “labels.” And since you’re on your path, and I’m on mine – I would prefer we overlook the various “labels” and simply agree that there is a “higher aspect” to you and me.

Your Higher Self is without limitation, possesses ageless wisdom, and is an intricate and masterful co-creator who can help unlock the floodgates of financial prosperity through the contribution of your unique gifts.

You are an aware and evolving individual seeking your highest truth, and deep down, you realize there is a tremendous and earth-altering gift resting within you just longing to for discovery.

If found and shared with the world, this gift can benefit humanity and bring you great prosperity. Money, in essence, is energy. The greater your creation and contribution, the greater the potential for wealth and of course, fun and adventure.

Your Higher Self holds the keys, knows the path and has a plan – but it is up to you to “listen and receive.”

You’ve felt this connection from time to time, and yet, sometimes, it is very challenging to find, restore or keep. Why? Well, as a wise man once said: “In losing your life you shall gain it.”

Losing your connection with your Higher Self requires you to remember it. If you can remember how to remember, you become a master. In essence, each time you lose and regain this connection with your Higher Self – the bond is strengthened. Just as an athlete trains the body by working hard and then resting, your spiritual training is fortified by your desire to restore this connection, and your willingness to receive it through the six steps I’m about to share with you:

1. Release

Release the illusion that you must find or seek your Highest Self. This suggests a separation that does not exist. Instead, just sit back into stillness, smile faintly, and allow yourself to accept the truth that your highest self is here, now. This divine aspect of you is never lost or elsewhere, it is here, now, by just being. It is effortless. All is well.

2. Be at Ease

As you settle into the stillness, remember that your body is your friend and ally – it has allowed you to experience this physical world, it has worked tirelessly to keep you healthy, and it looks to you for guidance.

Try focusing on your non-dominant hand and allow it to relax. Let go of any tension that is hiding in your hand. Then allow this relaxation to flow into arm, neck, shoulders, torso and the face. Stay with this simple relaxation and let go of any unnecessary stress.

3. Expand Your Heart

Envision a bubble around your heart, and with each deep inhale, feel the bubble expanding more and more. There is no limit. As it expands, feel it lifting you upward as if the heart bubble is floating all around you. Imagine it to be a very holy and pure white light lifting you and connecting you with your Higher Self.

4. State the Truth

“I am that which I am.”

Here is a powerful and subtle mantra that acts to calm and center the mind, quiet the ego’s unquenchable need to tell you stories of how you should and shouldn’t be and bring you into an energy field that resonates with your Higher Self. As you repeat it, feel the earth below your feet grounding you.

5. Receive

Your Higher Self is always present. It works with angels, guides and all of creation to aid you in this experience so you can learn what you need to learn. In each moment, there is an inner knowing – a voice that is very patient, loving and utterly without fear or doubt that is whispering you guidance. It is not forcing; it is receiving. Not listening with just your ears; it is listening with your entire being.

6. Observe

The sixth sense is a sense entirely different from every other sense. All of your senses are recruited with this advanced form of guidance. When in tune and connected with your Higher Self, your body and brain attempt to relay the connection and message through your senses in different ways at different times.

Therefore, observe body sensations, colors, sounds and thoughts. The telltale sign of the sixth sense is a warm love and sense of peace. Love and light cannot be faked.

In summary, trust in yourself my friend, the Universe loves you, and you’re never alone. Be at ease as your journey unfolds.

If you feel that you’re experiencing a disconnect from your Higher Self what usually helps you re-establish this important connection? Share with us below what makes you feel grounded and aligned with your true, inner self.

October 31, 2018

How to Tune Into the Spirit World

We are all psychic.

Whether you believe it or not – you were born with this deep-seated intuitiveness. Having said that, we can all learn to play the piano but we may not all reach Mozart’s level.

However, it’s not about being a medium or psychic. Rather, it is about self-actualization and your own spiritual growth and advancement.

Ask yourself:

“What am I learning about myself?”

The ability to talk with a spirit and/or be psychic is like a muscle. It absolutely gets stronger with time and practice. The challenge for most is not being psychic but rather believe that they are.

Connecting with the spirit world is much like tuning into a radio frequency. When tuning into the spirit world you will be raising your vibrational frequency as spirits then lower theirs — so you both meet in the middle.

Golden rules for tuning into the spirit world:

This journey is unique and highly individual. Honor that.
Say what you see. Too often students are afraid to say what they are seeing or recognize it as truth. In so doing they lose valuable and meaningful information. What you are receiving always has meaning.
First-come, first truth. As you open this door, trust what comes first. This will be what is most accurate.

Here are five steps to connect with the spirit world:

1. Set your intention

State out loud your intention to open the door to speak and receive messages from the spirit world, be it on a personal level or in a formal reading session.

The Universe has heard you.

There is a divine plan much greater than you in this intention. Now, let it now be brought to you.

2. Meditation

In your daily meditation be sure to quiet your logical, analyzing, left brain. Say “hello” and then “goodbye” to your left brain. Make an agreement with your left brain that you will reconvene another time.

Meditation and quieting your mind will assist in quicker and clearer connection with spirit.

3. Listen

Listening for signs, symbols and messages throughout your day is the next step in this journey. These may come in your dreams, in song, in synchronistic-like events in your day that strike you as coincidence.

But coincidence is non-existent.

Have you ever been thinking of your loved one and reminded of the very special favorite song you two shared, then later that day you heard it on the radio?

Indeed, this was your loved one.

4. Create a reading screen

Let’s start with your clairvoyance ability.

The reading screen is your viewing receptacle. It is where will receive images and pictures through which spirit may communicate. Using your mind’s eye, imagine a large movie screen out in front of you. Give it a grounding cord and secure it to the center of the earth.

Now, ask your question. Or, ask for a message from spirit.

Don’t demand, just ask. Let the answer come. Did you get black? Great! Black is a color. The first image that comes will be your answer, be it symbolic or literal.

5. Use your “clair” abilities

Connecting with the spirit world requires the use of all of your senses: taste, touch, smell, hear, and see. We have what is known as “clair” abilities. This involves us taking our physical senses to a higher spiritual level. I call this heightened sensing. We have seven clair abilities:

Clairvoyance – Clear seeing
Claircognizance – Clear knowing
Clairauditory – Clear hearing
Clairgustance – Clear tasting
Clairolfactory – Clear smelling
Clairsentience – Clear feeling
Clairkinesthesia – Clear touching

I highly encourage seeking out of specific meditations to assist you in opening these abilities. This will be the doorway through which your connection with spirit becomes stronger.

Some things to remember…

As your connection to spirit grows, your dreams will be one of the best ways to receive messages. Before you go to bed at night, simply ask the spirit to come.

Then, expect and intend their arrival, albeit on their time. Pay attention to the last dream before you wake and notice any colors, symbols, words and people that present.

You will know it is your loved one present because the dream is very colorful and vivid.

You are the vehicle – the mechanism – that is making this be.

It is invaluable to spend time in development with others of like-mind, learning and growing. Find qualified teachers. Learn about how energy works. Understand chakras and auras. This all becomes your foundation.

Good luck and have fun with this! Opening this door will change you in many wonderful ways!

Want to learn more about energy cleansing? Join one of Mindvalley’s most loved teachers, Jeffrey Allen in his upcoming FREE Masterclass:

Discover 4 powerful energy techniques to tune your energy for success in this FREE Masterclass.

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Have you opened the door to the spirit world? Please share your experiences below.

October 31, 2018

10 Ways to Make Life Happen and Get What You Want Today

Ever tell yourself that as soon as the kids leave home, you’ll start that one course you’ve been dying to take? Or when you have more money, you’ll start the business you’ve been dreaming of?

Well, that all sounds nice, but the risk here is that these dreams might stay just that way unless you start living the life you want… right now.

So here are 10 steps to help you live in the moment and fulfill your goals and aspirations, starting from today.

1. Start Now, Right Now

When you say, “I’ll do it tomorrow… later… next week,” what you really mean is that you’ll do it never!

You don’t have later, tomorrow or next week – you only have now. Deciding on something and then taking a small action right there at the moment breaks the barrier of going to start something later.

If you decide you want to become a business owner the first step would be to do some research. Read books, search the Internet and perhaps do some courses.

You can say you want something all you like, but until you do the work, it’s not going to happen!

2. Know What You Want and Set Goals

We often look at the bigger picture of what we are trying to achieve and become overwhelmed and think, “Forget it! How will I do that?” At this point, procrastination may also kick in resulting in nothing getting done. So my advice is this:

Dream big. It doesn’t matter what it is. If you think it’s achievable, plan your first five steps towards it. If you think your dream isn’t realistically possible, perhaps focus on another of your other dreams that is.

The important this is that you begin to take steps to attain your dreams… immediately.

3. Write It Down

This technique really works.

By writing down your goals, you’ll gain:

Focus and direction
Clarity
A guide to staying on track
A visual glance at the bigger picture

4. Who Are You and What Are You About?

Set some quiet time to think about who you are. Are you living someone else’s life? For example, your parents, spouses or society’s?

Check in on your values by looking at what activities you like to do versus the things you are actually doing. Are they in line? Does what you want to achieve in life match with what you are currently working towards?

You might be surprised. So take some time to figure out who you are, and what you’re about.

5. Develop Courage & Take One Step at a Time

By taking one step at a time to accomplish what you want, you’ll gain the courage to keep going because the more fears you face, the more courage and confidence you’ll have over time.

6. The One Thing

What is the one thing that is the most important to you right now? How will it make a big impact on your life if you did it?

Do it! Take the first step – now!

7. Realize

Regardless of the magnificent things other people have done, realize that you too have it in you to do amazing things – and even better.

Consider what you love to do, and start to discover your gifts and talents, and then put your all into making these dreams happen!

8. Make a Decision and Follow It Through

Decision making can be difficult at the best of times. We worry that we will make the wrong choice (so never decide if we don’t have to), or we let others make our decisions for us.

If you want to have great things happen in your life you will have to begin making your own decisions, so you can grow, learn and achieve what you want. If you make the “wrong” choices, learn from the mistakes and keep going.

9. Be Grateful

Being grateful will lead you to become a happier person filled with joy. Being grateful involves more than just joy; it’s an emotion that will attract many good things and more opportunities and blessings into your life.

10. Do Your Best

In all you do, do your best. You don’t need to do more than your best. Your best is all it takes – regardless of what it is.

With this as your guide, have the confidence to move forward and begin living the type of amazing life you deserve right now.

October 31, 2018

8 Tips to Make You a Great Communicator

“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” – Anthony Robbins

Communication is one of the most vital skills of a person. Being talkative does not necessarily pertain to effectiveness in communicating your message. To be counted as an effective communicator, you have to be articulate to influence your audience.

Here are eight tips that are guaranteed to help you improve your communication skills.

1. Think Before You Speak

People will understand you better if you have formed your words in your head with concrete meaning before putting them out. So it is important to think or plan first for ideas to say.

If you have problems in organizing your thoughts, one good suggestion is to write or jot them down into an outline. Then take the most crucial parts of your notes. Make sure to elaborate on the points and highlight the main ideas.

2. Be a Good Listener

You may be wondering why this has to be the second step in improving your communication skills. And that’s okay.

Be reminded that communication is not all about talking and speaking but is mostly also about listening to what others have to say.

Communication should be two-way traffic between two or more individuals. Part of this is avoiding distractions to make a good response.

3. Maintain Good Eye Contact

Focusing on the person with whom you’re speaking is very important as part of your communication skills.

Shift your eyes to them to reach their hearts and catch their attention. Holding their gaze is one way to feel them as you speak.

4. Speak Clearly

It’s embarrassing when you cannot pronounce certain words well, especially if they are tongue twisters. They make you sound like mumbling.

To correct this, you can practice enunciating them. The more you do, the easier it will get. The trick here is to try to speak lower than usual. No one and nothing is running behind your back like a horse. So you don’t have to hurry. Else, you might lose their interest as they are trying hard to understand you.

5. Speak with Gestures

No rule says you only have to use your voice box when communicating. Use your hands and body in making gestures to illustrate your points further. Without these movements, you may look like a robot in front of them – without gracefulness and emotions.

Gestures may keep your approach from being from being monotone if you use gestures. Just make sure that gestures and your body language are appropriate according to the circumstance and background of your listener(s).

6. Don’t Tell Inside Jokes

Know a little about the background of the person you’re talking to – their culture, language, and interests. Know what tickles their funny bone and know the things you have to be careful about.

Watch your words. Some sensitive ones may be subject to different interpretations for different people.

7. Prepare Visual Aids

If you are to speak with children, you may need to have flash cards to tell stories more effectively. If you’re speaking publicly, presenting to an audience and are talking about a serious issue that requires statistical data, it would be better if you can present with slides.

The visual data will help you remember the facts to disclose and also set the pacing for your presentation.

8. Interact with Your Audience

Don’t just talk and talk like you’re the only person present in the room. Encourage response. If whomever you’re speaking with is not shy and if it’s okay with you, allow them to butt in whenever they feel to do so to clear misunderstanding and miscomprehension. Their interaction can be a close measure of how your communication has been effective to them.

Developing good communication skills requires that you build your confidence first. These tips will not be as effective if you’re feeling unconfident.

Be as honest and as authentic as you can. Try to move them by being yourself. You need to observe yourself in many situations – know what works for you and be aware of how you communicate verbally and non-verbally.

One of the best pieces of advice is to also learn from others. Notice how they communicate and strategize on making their way better for your own.

October 31, 2018

Scott Belsky — How to Conquer the Messy Middle (#336)

Photo by Eric Einwiller

“In the startup world, resources are like carbs. Resourcefulness is like muscle. When you develop it, it actually stays with you and impacts everything you do going forward.”
— Scott Belsky

Scott Belsky (@scottbelsky) is an entrepreneur, author, investor, Chief Product Officer of Adobe, and venture partner with venture capital firm Benchmark. Scott co-founded Behance in 2006 and served as CEO until Adobe acquired the company in 2012. Millions of people use Behance to display their portfolios, as well as track and find top talent across the creative industries.

Scott is an early investor and advisor in Pinterest, Uber, and Periscope among many other fast-growing startups, and his new book, The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture, hits the shelves October 2nd.

I urge you to check it out, but until then, please enjoy this interview!

Want to hear another podcast with someone who wears many different hats? — Listen to my conversation with actor, filmmaker, artist, musician, and entrepreneur Joseph Gordon-Levitt! (Stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is the #1 cloud bookkeeping software, which is used by a ton of the start-ups I advise and many of the contractors I work with. It is the easiest way to send invoices, get paid, track your time, and track your clients.

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Right now you can get a free month of complete and unrestricted use. You do not need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month and see how the brand new Freshbooks can change your business, go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim Ferriss” in the “how did you hear about us” section.

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Scott Belsky:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture by Scott Belsky
Behance
Evernote
LinkedIn
Everyday (Grand Piano) by Carly Comando
Cadbury Flake Chocolate Bars
AppDynamics
Slack
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss
Dribbble
Matte Leao Cha Mate Natural (from Brazil)
Doling out the Placebo Effect by Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
Airbnb
When to Quit — Lessons from World-Class Entrepreneurs, Investors, Authors, and More, The Tim Ferriss Show
Alibaba
The Real Story Of Twitter by Christian Wolan, Forbes
Pinterest
“E.L. Doctorow said once said that ‘Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’” -Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Amazon’s Leadership Principles
This Original Letter From Jeff Bezos to Amazon Shareholders Teaches Some Extraordinary Lessons in Leadership by Justin Bariso, Inc.
Alphabet
Amazon Web Services
Stratechery (Ben Thompson)
25iq (Tren Griffin)
Lux Capital
Josh Wolfe’s Tesla-Related Tweets
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
The Truth Barrel Sauna
Rambo: First Blood
Rick Rubin on Cultivating World-Class Artists (Jay Z, Johnny Cash, etc.), Losing 100+ Pounds, and Breaking Down The Complex, The Tim Ferriss Show
“Don’t Make Me Angry. You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry.”
The Sunk Cost Fallacy by David McRaney, You Are Not So Smart
Rhode Island School of Design
MIT Media Lab
The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Obama Reacts to Osama bin Laden Joke Night Before, Chicago Tribune
The “Wizard” of Hollywood, Robert Rodriguez, The Tim Ferriss Show
Google’s Skybox Imaging Has New Name, Business Model by Jeff Foust, Space News
Underwater Dreams
Carl Jung on Accepting the Darkness of Self and Others, Opravdovy Clovek
Walker and Company
What It’s like to Sell Your Startup for ~$120 Million Before It’s Even Launched: Meet Twitter’s New Prized Possession, Periscope by Alyson Shontell, Business Insider
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Leadership Coaching: The 360 Degree Review Process by Bea Fields, Fast Company
The New Toughness Training for Sports: Mental Emotional Physical Conditioning from One of the World’s Premier Sports Psychologists by James E. Loehr
Stripe
Trulioo
del.icio.us
Uber
StumbleUpon
Adobe
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

SHOW NOTES

Scott elaborates on how eclectic his career has been thus far — from starting Behance to becoming an investor and everything in between. [07:02]
Scott keeps hundreds of ideas in Evernote. Here’s why he started to organize them and what he learned in the process of breaking them down into three themes: endurance, optimization, and the final mile. [10:47]
What were Scott and his team trying to create and sell when they started Behance? [13:14]
What a venture capitalist taught Scott about salaries, heroin, and the occasional need to short-circuit one’s reward system. [15:02]
What recommendations does Scott have for founders, CEOs, or any kind of leader who needs to keep their team motivated through times of lean rewards? [16:58]
How Scott would play out best and worst case scenarios for his team. [18:28]
How helping a team accept the burden of uncertainty is akin to merchandising. [19:47]
How Scott short-circuits his own reward system, and the music and snacks he allows himself when he’s on track with his goals. [20:56]
Other methods for getting through tough times in the middle. [23:42]
What did Scott gain by looking back at old photos from five years of bootstrapping? [25:13]
It’s easy to get stuck in the mire of what’s not ideal about life without little reminders to keep us going, but sometimes we just have to do the job, regardless. [27:26]
What emotions does Scott experience by default in times of stress? [30:07]
What Scott discovered during times when fear would take the driver’s wheel. [31:39]
How Scott tries to maintain lessons learned from mistakes made under the sway of fear — even though the struggle is still quite real. [33:51]
How does Scott go through “what if” scenarios? [37:44]
Suspending disbelief as a tactic towards endurance and what Scott’s father taught him about generating hope in a New York City emergency room with 100cc of Obecalp. [40:24]
What increasing expectations of a current project by a hundred does to near-term doubts. [41:27]
The empowerment of naivete. [42:11]
Self-talk for founders experiencing self-doubt in their industry of choice. [43:44]
How do you know whether you should quit or persist? [45:18]
How does Scott assess conviction? [46:49]
Why Scott believes timing in investing is more about the present than the future. [49:20]
Building and perpetuating patience into a company’s culture with examples from Amazon and Alphabet/Google. [50:28]
What online resources does Scott reference for investing and entrepreneurship? [54:54]
What non-investment content is Scott reading these days? [57:52]
A leadership lesson from Ernest Shackleton. [58:17]
This part of the podcast brought to you courtesy of the truth barrel. [1:00:27]
What anger management wisdom can even-keeled Scott impart to me so I can have a relaxing weekend after a particularly frustrating Friday? How might this apply to someone managing a team? [1:01:11]
For post-conflict resolution and coping with slow progress, Scott asks what designer and thinker John Maeda would do. [1:09:48]
Okay. But what should I do? What will I probably do? [1:13:22]
Compartmentalizing uncertainty. Is a honeymoon irresponsible when your startup isn’t exactly prospering? [1:16:15]
Admiring people on both sides of the spectrum: from fully professional to emotionally authentic. Toward which side of the spectrum does Scott aspire? [1:17:34]
Sometimes the job you think you signed up for isn’t the job at all. [1:18:53]
Sweating and half-naked in a sauna is a perfect time to address optimization. How is resourcefulness like muscle? How did Behance’s first operations leader deal with teams who requested more resources than they really needed? [1:20:40]
How do I resist the urge to strain my resources? [1:23:44]
Real-life examples of innovative resourcefulness. [1:25:05]
In Jack Ma’s counterintuitive view, a startup’s lack of resources is an advantage. [1:26:58]
Why is initiative more important than experience in the resource-deprived startup world, and what does this look like? [1:27:14]
How observing initiative in others can make us take better initiative ourselves — and, as a result, better lead by example. [1:28:48]
What might hiring someone who has experienced adversity bring to your company’s culture? [1:30:51]
What the Periscope founders impressed upon Scott and why he tries to interview promising senior role candidates twice before deciding who to hire. [1:32:35]
After a cool-off break, we talk about everyone’s true blind spot, the context of reaction, and the role Scott once played in a Lord of the Flies style scenario. [1:34:38]
Scott’s experience with something called the mirror exercise and the question it prompted him to start asking others. [1:37:09]
What a 360 review entails, and why I recommend it to everyone even though it will probably make them feel — as I did — like a broken human being. [1:40:53]
Is the voice in your head you identify as you really your voice? [1:46:01]
Escaping the sauna to enjoy the outside world, we engage in product talk and the 30 seconds when all customers are lazy, vain, and selfish. How does not having faith in people seeing the genius of your product inform its improvement? [1:46:57]
How does Scott’s team stress test a product’s first design and guide its customer’s initial, first-mile experience? [1:51:18]
A first-mile experience going perfectly doesn’t guarantee a smooth second mile. Early adopters tend to be more forgiving than later waves of customers. [1:52:38]
“The Devil is in the default”: The most important decision you have to make about your product. [1:54:47]
Is empathy more important than passion when an entrepreneur needs to make the best choice between two or more products to launch? How does Scott recommend such a choice be made, and what does this choice mean for the team’s work that follows? [1:55:05]
What’s wrong with putting out a minimally viable product with the intention of making the next iteration better? For what kinds of products might this be a grudging exception? [1:56:25]
Are you proud of your company’s email address? Why this is often a consideration in the stages of designing a brand before a product has even been developed. [1:59:41]
The skills and decisions that get a leader through the beginning stages of a product launch are different from the skills necessary to keep it going and see it through acquisition and IPO — if that’s the end game. [2:04:00]
How one of Scott’s senior staff subconsciously worked to sabotage his own success before the company’s big pay day, and what Scott did to connect and correct the situation. [2:06:44]
My own experiences with “last-minute churn.” [2:08:35]
How do you make sure you have a successful final mile? [2:09:55]
Why I found it necessary to move on from what might have been the lucky success of my first book. [2:11:31]
What to expect from The Messy Middle, Scott’s upcoming book. [2:13:46]
Parting thoughts. [2:16:41]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Posted on: September 13, 2018.

Please check out Tribe of Mentors, my newest book, which shares short, tactical life advice from 100+ world-class performers. Many of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs, athletes, investors, poker players, and artists are part of the book. The tips and strategies in Tribe of Mentors have already changed my life, and I hope the same for you. Click here for a sample chapter and full details. Roughly 90% of the guests have never appeared on my podcast.

Who was interviewed? Here’s a very partial list: tech icons (founders of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Craigslist, Pinterest, Spotify, Salesforce, Dropbox, and more), Jimmy Fallon, Arianna Huffington, Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York), Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ben Stiller, Maurice Ashley (first African-American Grandmaster of chess), Brené Brown (researcher and bestselling author), Rick Rubin (legendary music producer), Temple Grandin (animal behavior expert and autism activist), Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Dara Torres (12-time Olympic medalist in swimming), David Lynch (director), Kelly Slater (surfing legend), Bozoma Saint John (Beats/Apple/Uber), Lewis Cantley (famed cancer researcher), Maria Sharapova, Chris Anderson (curator of TED), Terry Crews, Greg Norman (golf icon), Vitalik Buterin (creator of Ethereum), and nearly 100 more. Check it all out by clicking here.

October 31, 2018

9 Basic Principles to Finding Happiness

Happiness is not tangible. It can’t be bought.

Happiness is a state of being, and it arises when our awareness is open, full and receptive. No one and nothing can make us happy or unhappy, as hard as it might be to accept – happiness is a choice.

Happiness is also transitory. No one is happy all the time, and you don’t need to be happy all the time. Moving in and out of states of happiness is normal.

Emotions are energy in motion: they come and go. There is often a strong view in society that our entire aim in life ought to be the pursuit of happiness – which is often measured by material abundance – although; this pursuit serves only to make us unhappy.

Unhappiness is also often fueled by our ego’s reaction when it doesn’t get its own way, or when our happiness is too dependent on external forces.

Cultivating happiness is both simple and difficult. It’s not esoteric, but it is very hard for us to practice on a daily basis. So for the benefit of those who could use a little help with how to get happy, I humbly offer these nine steps:

1. Embrace Silence

You can’t begin to find anything in yourself in the midst of chaos and noise. Find some quiet and alone space, without anything that has a battery. If you instantly start to think of all the tasks you have to do, this is very normal. But also a sign that incorporating regular quiet time into your day is exactly what your mind needs.

2. Release Toxins

This means the stuff you put into your body as well as the stuff you emit, like anger, fear, negativity, and worry. Toxins cloud the invisible realm of the spirit and make it hard for happiness to come in.

3. Cultivate Self-Love

Spend some of your quiet time contemplating who you really are. Appreciate the person that exists irrespective of the body you have, your job, your cash flow (or lack thereof) and love what is alive and pondering inside of you.

4. See Everyone as a Teacher and Release Judgments

If you imagine that everyone you meet is there to teach you something about yourself – rather than judging them based on your initial preconceptions or qualities they exhibit that does not mirror yours – you’re on your way to happiness.

5. Express Gratitude

For every negative thought, think of one thing for which you’re grateful. Focus on the positive: it’s just as real and present. It’s a metaphysical law that what you focus on increases.

6. Practice Generosity

There is nothing that makes you happier faster than giving yourself to others. Try it.

7. Live in the Present

If you catch yourself thinking about the past or traveling to tomorrow, reel yourself back to right here, right now. You may have to do this a hundred times a day. I do it a thousand, but I still do it.

8. Simplify

The less stuff you have, the fewer obligations you have and the easier it is to live from a place of contentment.

9. Go with the Flow

It’s far easier to be happy when you are not running from, or fighting what is. The difficult things don’t get easier by running or fighting; they get easier when you accept them, feel them and remember that these, too, are part of life.

These nine principles without a doubt make me happy, what are some of yours? Please share them below.

October 31, 2018

Hamilton Morris on Better Living Through Chemistry: Psychedelics, Smart Drugs, and More (#337)

(Photo: Danilo Parra)

“It’s good to take things seriously. You don’t want to be afraid, but it’s a serious experience. I would say it’s no less serious than being reborn.”
— Hamilton Morris

Hamilton Morris (TW: @hamiltonmorris, IG: @hamiltonmorris) is a writer, documentarian, and scientific researcher who currently studies the chemistry and pharmacology of tryptamines at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

His writing has been featured in Harper’s Magazine, Playboy, and Vice, and he is the creator of the television series Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia, which recently completed its second season, and it is absolutely one of my favorite series of the last five years.

Hamilton is exceptionally good at explaining complex subjects simply and making science sexy, as you’ll discover in this episode.

Enjoy!

Want to hear another podcast discussing psychedelics?— Listen to my conversation with Michael Pollan, author of How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. Stream below or right-click here to download.

This episode is brought to you by Inktel. Ever since I wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, I’ve been frequently asked about how I choose to delegate tasks. At the root of many of my decisions is a simple question: “How can I invest money to improve my quality of life?” Or “how can I spend moderate money to save significant time?”

Inktel is one of those investments. They are a turnkey solution for all of your customer care needs. Their team answers more than 1 million customer service requests each year. They can also interact with your customers across all platforms, including email, phone, social media, text, and chat.

Inktel removes the logistics and headache of customer communication, allowing you to grow your business by focusing on your strengths. And as a listener of this podcast, you can get up to $10,000 off your start-up fees and costs waived by visiting inktel.com/tim.

This episode is also brought to you by Leadership: In Turbulent Times by the ever-amazing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin — who you may have heard on this podcast recently (if not, I recommend checking out our conversation at tim.blog/doris).

Leadership: In Turbulent Times is a culmination of five decades of acclaimed studies in presidential history, which offers an illuminating exploration of the early development, growth, and exercise of leadership drawing from the experiences of four presidents — Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ. Goodwin asks and answers questions like: Are leaders born or made? Where does ambition come from? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? Does the leader make the times, or do the times make the leader? This seminal work provides an accessible and essential roadmap for aspiring and established leaders in every field. I highly recommend Leadership: In Turbulent Times, and you can find out more about it at doriskearnsgoodwin.com.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Hamilton Morris:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia
The Last Interview With Alexander Shulgin by Hamilton Morris and Ash Smith, Vice
PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved): A Chemical Love Story by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin
TiHKAL (Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved): A Continuation by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin
The Healing Journey: Pioneering Approaches to Psychedelic Therapy by Claudio Naranjo
Alexander Shulgin Research Institute
Mexacarbate (Zectran), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Shulgin Notebooks and Lab Books, Erowid
This Genius Chemist Spent 50 Years Creating Psychedelic Drugs in His Home Lab…for a Good Cause by Ahmed Kabil, Timeline
MDMA (Ecstacy), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Dimoxamine (Ariadne), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Methylone, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Dr. Ecstasy by Drake Bennett, The New York Times Magazine
Goethe on the Psychology of Color and Emotion by Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
Does Cannabis Use Lower Your IQ? by Jeremy Kossen, Leafly
A Protocol for the Evaluation of New Psychoactive Drugs in Man by Alexander T. Shulgin, L. Ann Shulgin and Peyton Jacob, III, Methods & Findings in Experimental & Clinical Pharmacology (PDF download here)
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Victorian Era Medicine: Strychnine by V.L. McBeath
Organic Chemistry As a Second Language: First Semester Topics by David R. Klein
Organic Chemistry As a Second Language: Second Semester Topics by David R. Klein
Khan Academy Chemistry Courses
Learn How to Make Your Own Essential Oils by Debra Maslowski, DIY Natural
Piperine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy by Cynthia Kuhn Ph.D. and Scott Swartzwelder Ph.D.
The Garage in Harvard Square
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), U.S. National Library of Medicine
LSD Now: How the Psychedelic Renaissance Changed Acid by Jesse Jarnow, Rolling Stone
Salvia: What Are the Effects? by Kathleen Davis, Medical News Today
YouTube Videos about Salvia
Erowid Experience Vaults
Dipropyltryptamine (DPT), U.S. National Library of Medicine
“The Dose Makes the Poison” Infographics Gallery, Chemical Safety Facts
Adderall (Amphetamine, Dextroamphetamine Mixed Salts), RX List
The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale: How Ayahuasca, an Ancient Amazonian Hallucinogenic Brew, Became the Latest Trend in Brooklyn and Silicon Valley by Ariel Levy, The New Yorker
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), The Mayo Clinic
Psilocybine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Magic Mushrooms Around the World: A Scientific Journey Across Cultures and Time — The Case for Challenging Research and Value Systems by Jochen Gartz
Neuropsychedelia: The Revival of Hallucinogen Research since the Decade of the Brain by Nicolas Langlitz
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan
Shamanism and the Sacred Cactus: Ethnoarchaeological Evidence for San Pedro Use in Northern Peru by Douglas Sharon
The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios: 45 Years with Shamans, Ayahuasqueros, and Ethnobotanists by Marlene Dobkin de Rios
Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, Their Plant Sources and History by Jonathan Ott
A Clandestine Chemist’s Tale, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S2 EP6
Methaqualone (Quaalude), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Gaboxadol by Hamilton Morris, Harper’s Magazine
Magic Mushrooms In Mexico, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S1 EP4
The Lazy Lizard’s School of Hedonism, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S1 EP6
Shepherdess: The Story of Salvia Divinorum, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S1 EP3
The Cactus Apprentice, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S2 EP8
Murray and Lanman Florida Water
Wizards of DMT, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S2 EP4
Marinol (Dronabinol), U.S. National Library of Medicine
What Is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and What Does It Do? by Adam Drury, High Times
5-MeO-DMT, The Drug Classroom
UR-144, The Drug Classroom
What is Crohn’s Disease?, The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
The Psychedelic Toad, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S2 EP1
Teen’s Quest for Amazon ‘Medicine’ Ends in Tragedy by Tricia Escobedo, CNN
Is Ayahuasca Tea Legal in the USA? Answered by Grant Eaton, Quora
‘Hello, Newman’ Compilation, Seinfeld
Moclobemide, U.S. National Library of Medicine
The Serpent and the Rainbow: A Harvard Scientist’s Astonishing Journey into the Secret Societies of Haitian Voodoo, Zombis, and Magic by Wade David
The Serpent and the Rainbow (film)
Scopolamine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Tetrodotoxin (TTX), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Overview: Lichen (Dictyonema huaorani) in Ecuador Might Produce Psychedelic Drugs, The Drug Classroom
Ibogaine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Howard Lotsof Dies at 66; Saw Drug Cure in a Plant by Dennis Hevesi, The New York Times
Methadone, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Buprenorphine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Glial Cell Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms and Causes, The Mayo Clinic
Levodopa (L-dopa), U.S. National Library of Medicine
In the News: Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Mescaline (Peyote), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Alkaloids: An Overview, ScienceDirect
Terpenoid, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Case Histories of 2CD Smart Pill Usage by Darrell Lemaire, Erowid
The Dunning-Kruger Effect Shows Why Some People Think They’re Great Even When Their Work Is Terrible by Mark Murphy, Forbes
Omberacetam (Noopept), U.S. National Library of Medicine
PRL-8-53, Wikipedia
Fonturacetam (Phenylpiracetam), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Are You a Synesthete? by Darya L. Zabelina, Psychology Today
The Mind of a Mnemonist: A Little Book about a Vast Memory by A.R. Luria
The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide — Risks, Micro-Dosing, Ibogaine, and More (with James Fadiman), The Tim Ferriss Show
Nicotine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Caffeine, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Methylphenidate (Ritalin), U.S. National Library of Medicine
Adam Gazzaley — The Maverick of Brain Optimization, The Tim Ferriss Show
Neuroracer
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
Ketamine: Realms and Realities, Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia S2 EP5

SHOW NOTES

Alexander Shulgin: man or myth? Hamilton gives us a brief synopsis of the amazing life of the late “godfather of ecstasy” and his contributions to science. [07:05]
What chemists and non-chemists can get out of reading Shulgin’s books. [14:20]
Like Goethe, it was Shulgin’s unique perspective that made him nearly peerless. [16:10]
Examining how Shulgin mitigated the risk of testing his newly synthesized compounds prompts another question: how much do we really know about the long-term effects of substances already in wide use? [19:37]
Resources Hamilton suggests for anyone who seeks basic literacy in chemistry. [23:28]
Where did Hamilton’s interest in psychedelics originate? [27:10]
The 12-year-old Hamilton was a discerning consumer of street psychedelics. [27:45]
What was Hamilton’s first experience with salvia like? [29:55]
Why are consciousness-altering substances so culturally misunderstood, and how might this change in the future? [30:40]
Does Hamilton consider himself a spiritual person? What’s the value in substance-induced spiritual experiences for those who don’t consider themselves spiritual? [33:18]
Weighing the experimental approach of a scientist toward psychedelics versus the traditional, “shamanistic” approach within a cultural framework. [35:06]
The difference between a medicine and a poison is the dose, and the method for finding the right dose varies from person to person. [39:21]
One hitch in pinpointing an ideal dose: not all substances (particularly those deemed illegal) are measured consistently, and there can be a variation of potency even between two specimens of the same species of mushroom grown in the same substrate — or between the cap and stem of the very same mushroom. [41:53]
Recommended reading on psychedelics. [43:35]
What inspires the journalism behind Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia? [46:02]
Which episode of Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia would Hamilton recommend to a scientist? [50:02]
Which episode of Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia would Hamilton recommend to a non-scientist with an interest — and maybe a fear — of psychedelics? [52:26]
Which episodes seem to have the most popular appeal — and why does Hamilton think this is the case? [54:00]
Which episode would Hamilton recommend to someone who doesn’t have a healthy respect for the potential dangers of psychedelic substances? [57:56]
The attitude Hamilton finds most effective for covering his subject matter with journalistic integrity. [59:07]
The seed of most negative experiences Hamilton has had under the influence of substances — and how he’s talked himself out of them. [1:01:02]
A cautionary tale for anyone wondering “What’s the worst thing that could happen under the influence of 5-MeO-DMT without lucid supervision?” [1:05:23]
Should a documentary show things the way they are — even when they’re potentially unsafe — or should it strive to set an example for people who don’t otherwise know any better? [1:07:31]
Why hasn’t there been an episode of Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia about ayahuasca? Hamilton addresses elitist attitudes, manufactured traditions, and media frenzy surrounding this tea — and why you don’t have to go all the way to the Amazon to experience it. [1:08:55]
Why do people cling to interpretive, conceptual frameworks for psychedelic experiences, and are these experiences enhanced or diminished by the presence of a guide (such as a shaman)? [1:14:02]
What self-talk helps Hamilton keep his experiences from being negative or overwhelming? [1:16:13]
Is watching Seinfeld really the best way to cap off a profound session of reconceptualizations? [1:17:09]
How has Hamilton found ayahuasca “almost cartoonishly” practical for finding internal motivation, and in what way do such experiences have an anti-addictive effect? [1:18:33]
Who is Wade Davis, and did he prove that zombies are real? [1:21:44]
What is ibogaine, and how might it be useful for recovering addicts and Parkinson’s disease sufferers? [1:25:32]
How sustainable is the harvesting of natural compounds, when is synthesis a reasonable alternative, and what might we be missing in the long run? [1:31:25]
What is (and isn’t) an alkaloid? [1:37:26]
Hamilton’s take on nootropics, the Dunning-Kruger effect, and the difficulty with self-assessing and defining intelligence. [1:38:58]
Pondering 2CD and the induction of synesthesia-like effects for memory retention. [1:42:41]
Sometimes solving a problem just takes seeing things from a different — not necessarily better or smarter — perspective. [1:44:33]
If nicotine gum is in Hamilton’s pole position, what are in second and third place when he needs to get his brain in motion? [1:45:05]
Assessing before and after effects on cognition and parting thoughts. [1:46:32]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Posted on: September 20, 2018.

October 31, 2018

Howard Marks — How to Invest with Clear Thinking (#338)

Photo by Peter Murphy

“It’s not what you buy. It’s what you pay.”
— Howard Marks

Howard Marks (@howardmarksbook) is co-chairman and co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, a leading investment firm with more than $120 billion in assets. He is the author of the new book Mastering the Market Cycle: Getting the Odds on Your Side, and his previous book on investing, The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor, was a critically acclaimed bestseller. Warren Buffett has written of Howard Marks: “When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they’re the first thing I open and read. I always learn something.” Marks holds a B.S.Ec. degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a major in finance and an M.B.A. in accounting and marketing from the University of Chicago.

In this conversation, we discuss:

How his firm was poised to capitalize on the bubble in 2008 and put massive amounts of capital to work.
His thoughts on understanding market cycles for making better decisions.
The three stages of a bull market.
Newsletters he reads.
Thoughts on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
Much, much more…

Studying what Howard says transcends the world of investing—it’s really a study in clearer thinking. I hope you enjoy and learn as much as I did!

Want to hear another conversation with an investor whose thoughts transcend finances? — Check out my interview with Adam Robinson, who was mentored in chess as a teenager by Bobby Fischer and is now a global macro advisor to the world’s most successful hedge funds and family offices. (Stream below or right-click here to download.)

This podcast is also brought to you by Helix Sleep. I recently moved into a new home and needed new beds, and I purchased mattresses from Helix Sleep.

It offers mattresses personalized to your preferences and sleeping style — without costing thousands of dollars. Visit Helixsleep.com/TIM and take the simple 2-3 minute sleep quiz to get started, and they’ll will match your sleep preferences to a mattress you’ll love.

Its customer service makes all the difference. The mattress arrives within a week, and the shipping is completely free. You can try the mattress for 100 nights, and if you’re not happy, they’ll pick it up and offer a full refund. To personalize your sleep experience, visit Helixsleep.com/TIM and you’ll receive up to $125 off your custom mattress.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Howard Marks:

Website | Oaktree Capital Management | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

Mastering the Market Cycle: Getting the Odds on Your Side by Howard Marks
The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor by Howard Marks
All of Howard Marks’ Memos at Oaktree
More Poems VI by A.E. Housman
The Wharton School
Mujo, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Memo to: Oaktree Clients, Re: You Can’t Predict. You Can Prepare. From: Howard Marks
Northwestern Mutual
Market Crashes: Housing Bubble and Credit Crisis (2007-2009), Investopedia
20 Awesome Things People Saw at the 1964 World’s Fair by Amy Plitt, Mental Floss
Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted by Garson O’Toole, Quote Investigator
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Memo to: Oaktree Clients, Re: Pigweed From: Howard Marks
A Short History of Financial Euphoria by John Kenneth Galbraith
Memo to: Oaktree Clients, Re: It’s Not Easy From: Howard Marks
Citibank
What Are FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google) Stocks?, Investopedia
S&P 500
What is the VIX — CBOE Volatility Index?, Investopedia
Howard Marks — The Poor Man’s Guide To Market Assessment by Johnny Hopkins, The Acquirer’s Multiple
Picking Warren Buffett’s Brain: Notes from a Novice by Tim Ferriss
The Warren Buffett Way by Robert G. Hagstrom
Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
Memo to: Oaktree Clients, Re: It Is What It Is From: Howard Marks
Memo to: Oaktree Clients, Re: Risk From: Howard Marks
Memo to: Oaktree Clients, Re: Risk Revisited From: Howard Marks
Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter L. Bernstein
Grant’s Interest Rate Observer
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger by Charles T. Munger
Lessons of History by Will Durant and Ariel Durant
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rˆnnlund, and Ola Rosling
Benchmark Capital
Kleiner Perkins

SHOW NOTES

We kick things off with an A.E. Housman poem. [05:49]
What is mujō, and how did it become a part of Howard’s life philosophy? [06:53]
According to Howard (and a prominent insurance company): you can’t predict, but you can do this. [09:22]
In what ways did Howard’s company prepare for 2008’s bubble to burst when a lot of others were pulling out of the market, and how did he reassure investors eager for a return to take the long view? [11:09]
How does someone get the odds on their side, and what did it take to get Howard to turn 20 years of memos into a book? [14:40]
Most of us are essentially cautious or essentially aggressive. Is either bias particularly good for choosing when to invest? [18:13]
Is it possible to develop stoic resilience in the face of a mercilessly fluctuating market, or is this something with which one is born? [23:06]
Howard talks about the synergy of his 31-year partnership with Bruce Karsh and what each brings to the table. [24:35]
To what does Howard credit the fact that there have never been any serious arguments over the span of this 31-year partnership? [32:14]
Is there a secret formula to getting along with business partners through emotionally trying times? [33:03]
How might someone vet a potential partner as a good fit before going into business with them? [34:56]
Howard elaborates on why, in addition to an opinion regarding what’s going to happen, people should have a view on the likelihood that their opinion will prove correct. [37:37]
According to Henry “Dr. Doom” Kaufman, it’s these two kinds of people who lose a lot of money. [42:36]
What reading does Howard recommend for people looking to expand their awareness of limited knowledge? [43:23]
Can dumb money become smart money? [47:08]
Howard says his life is pretty calm and he tries to keep it that way. But what might disrupt this calm and what would he do to reel things back to reason? [49:02]
How does Howard maintain a balance between the confidence of experience and an understanding that all knowledge is incomplete in order to take action? [50:35]
The case to be made against stop-loss orders and other templated approaches to investment. [52:50]
To Howard, superior judgment outweighs any process or rule. But what is it? [54:27]
The one simple question Howard would ask of each investment under consideration. [57:44]
It’s not what you buy, it’s what you pay. [58:17]
Expressions too absolute to be useful in a world beset by uncertainty and randomness — like the stock market. [1:01:31]
How does Howard check the market’s temperature? [1:02:27]
The three stages of the bull market (and, conversely, the bear market). [1:05:27]
Currently, what has Howard hopeful and what has him worried about the economy? [1:07:17]
Why it’s important for people to invest only at a level that makes them comfortable. [1:12:20]
The twin risks of investing and the case for finding a comfortable middle. [1:16:26]
In what ways does Howard most disagree with Warren Buffett’s style and strategies? [1:18:08]
Do the games people play accurately determine their risk tolerance for investing? [1:22:57]
Investment misconceptions that prevail and what a lot of otherwise smart people miss about the nature of cycles. [1:26:21]
We can’t expect the market — or life in general — to accommodate our needs or desires. Patience is essential. [1:29:20]
Lessons Howard learned from financial historian Peter Bernstein. [1:31:21]
Newsletters, columnists, economists, or writers who Howard finds himself excited to read these days. [1:35:19]
The book Howard is reading now and recommends. [1:38:15]
What is Howard’s take on cryptocurrency, and how do we measure its intrinsic value? [1:40:46]
Growth or venture investors Howard admires. [1:45:33]
Mental models or heuristics that Howard has used in his investing life that are particularly valuable across the board in life. [1:49:11]
Final thoughts. [1:51:26]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Posted on: September 25, 2018.

October 31, 2018

All Transcripts From The Tim Ferriss Show!

Lo and behold! Please find transcripts for all current episodes of The Tim Ferriss Show below!

They go all the way back to episode #1 with my dear friend, world-class investor and entrepreneur Kevin Rose, who nicknamed the show “TimTimTalkTalk” in the first few minutes of its existence. Ah, the early days…

There are more than 300 episodes below, ending on episode #336: “Scott Belsky — How to Conquer the Messy Middle.”

Going forward, transcripts for newer episodes will be posted in the following category on the site: The Tim Ferriss Show Transcripts.

Each link below will take you directly to that episode’s transcript.

Enjoy!

###

Before you dig in, please read the below, which applies to every transcript, and which I sadly need to post due to previous legal headaches and related misbehavior…

Tim Ferriss owns the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, with all rights reserved, as well as his right of publicity.

WHAT YOU’RE WELCOME TO DO:

You are welcome to share the below transcript (up to 500 words) in media articles (e.g., The New York Times, LA Times, The Guardian), on your personal website, in a non-commercial article or blog post (e.g., Medium), and/or on a personal social media account for non-commercial purposes, provided that you include attribution to “The Tim Ferriss Show” and link back to the tim.blog/podcast URL. For the sake of clarity, media outlets with advertising models are permitted to use excerpts from the transcript per the above.

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED:

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Tim Ferriss’ name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services. For the sake of clarity, media outlets are permitted to use photos of Tim Ferriss from the media room on tim.blog or (obviously) license photos of Tim Ferriss from Getty Images, etc.

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Episode 1: Kevin Rose

Episode 2: Joshua Waitzkin

Episode 3: Kelly Starrett and Dr. Justin Mager

Episode 4: Ryan Holiday

Episode 5: Jason Silva

Episode 6: 6 Formulas for More Output and Less Overwhelm

Episode 7: Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics

Episode 8: Chase Jarvis, Master Photographer

Episode 9: The 9 Habits to Stop Now — The Not-To-Do List

Ep. 10: Brian Koppelman, co-writer/producer of Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen, The Illusionist, etc.

Episode 11: Drugs and the Meaning of Life