Three Ways to Finally Pursue Your True Calling

Odysseus returns to Aeaea for Elpenor's funeral rites. First the Greeks must get past the Sirens whose irresistible songs lure sailors into their island's coastal reefs. Next they must avoid the Clashing Rocks, which only the ship of the Argonauts ever escaped.

As he sets sail, Odysseus passes Circe's counsel on to his men. They approach the island of the lovely Sirens, and Odysseus, as instructed by Circe, plugs his men's ears with beeswax and has them bind him to the mast of the ship. 

Even though he knew that the Sirens would lure his sailors to danger in the island's reefs,
Odysseus was curious and wanted to listen to the Sirens. However, he had plugged the ears of his men, so they would not hear the Sirens songs or Odysseus' requests to turn towards the island's reef. 

The Sirens voice is Resistance. Resistance is the fear of failure or success. It is that seductive voice that lures you away from finally starting to live your dream or what you were meant to do in life.

Learn to beating Resistance and find your true calling.

Have you ever bought one of those abdominal crunch machines and brought it home only to let it collect dust? Or perhaps joined a gym and end up not going to the gym? Or stop short of starting a business you wanted to do? What about some kind of philanthropic thing you said you'd do in the future but never got around to it? What is stopping you is called Resistance.

Awareness of this negative force called Resistance helps you tremendously in battling Resistance. Resistance is that voice in your head telling you that today is NOT the day to do it because it's either not the best time, your kids soccer match is today, or you aren't completely financially comfortable.

Once there is such a thing as Resistance and you realize that it is not a real voice, it is easier to dismiss it at and just keep going.

What happens if you just ignore Resistance and let it win?

You lose your entire life. The resistance is the negative opposite reaction to what your soul's calling is. If you were born to be a warrior or coach then you will feel resistance to that. If you listen to that voice and you don't do it then you lose your calling. How many people work jobs where they are only in it for the money? Then when they look back, they realize they just wasted all that time pursuing something they didn't care so much for.

A well-known therapist has a theory on patients that are diagnosed with terminal cancer. Their whole life image changes and suddenly they focus on what is really important and what isn't. They have some kind of prolific realization of when they were a kid they enjoyed painting or arts. But, instead they put their dreams on the shelf and became a lawyer or got their MBA. The therapist would encourage them to follow their dreams. Surprisingly enough, some  of the cancers actually go into remission at that point. Is it possible that we get cancer because we don't do what we were born to do?

Have you heard of the authentic golf swing? The idea that your golf swing is already there as a kid and is different from everyone else. Take a look at Tiger Woods' golf swing and how it looked when he was kid compared to how it looks now. It's nearly the same style. Similarly, kids are born into this world with their own personalities and everyone is difference from one another.

The idea of that you can be anything you want to be is a bit crazy. If you are 4'11 the chances of you becoming a professional basketball player are slim. But you can be great at a lot of other things. The idea is to become the best version of your authentic self. Find that calling and then get out of your own way. Go for it!

Ask yourself, what is your thing? Embrace that and then cultivate that. What brings you joy? What is your unique ability? What are you called to do? What is your true calling? The answer goes back to is what do you feel resistance to? What activity produces the deepest terror and that's what you need to do.

Learn the concept of turning professional. 

Make that mental shift from looking at something as an avocation and turn it into a vocation. This is the shift from the point of view of a weekend warrior versus a real warrior. The professional attitude keeps you from becoming impatient and taking things too personally failures or successes. The professional goes at it hardcore with a no BS attitude. As a professional, you go at it day in and day out. That's what you do and you are not dependent on external praise. You can fail, but just keep going. Follow your views and stars. There will be a lot of resistance, but embrace it. This is normal and the more you feel resistance then the more important it is for you to do it. 

Stay in a place where you are putting yourself in a place of discomfort. Not a place where you are safe and be like oh I've done this before and I know how to do this. Jump in like you would do when you were in your early twenties and abandon everything, give it your all, and hope for the best. It gets harder as you get older because you know when it's not going to work out. But so what? What do you have to lose? You may have a lot to lose but be willing for the pitfall. 

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There's More to Life than Being Happy - Emily Esfahani

Like Emily Esfahani, I also used to think the whole purpose of life was to pursue happiness.

My initial pursuit of happiness had led me to search for the ideal job, the perfect companion, and the best house or condo. However, when I finally got all of that, I was still left feeling empty. What was I missing inside that I couldn't explain?

I turned to books and would spend countless nights reading books on how to become happier. These books ranged from topics on Psychology of Optimal Experience to books written by the Dalai Lama and even a book written by arguably the "happiest person in the world" in Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill. While I did learn a tremendous amount from reading these books, I didn't feel any happier than when I first began reading. How ironic. 

So what truly makes people happy then? 

It turns out that the data shows that chasing happiness can actually make people unhappy. The suicide rate has been rising around the world. Even though life is getting objectively better by every conceivable standard, more people feel hopeless, depressed and alone.

Sooner or later we all wonder, is this all there it is? According to research, what predicts this despair is not a lack of happiness. It's is a lack of having meaning in life.

What's the difference between being happy and having meaning in life?

1. Being happy often means being in a state of comfort and feeling at ease in the moment.

2. Meaning is deeper. Meaning gives a sense of belonging. You end up serving something beyond yourself. Seeking meaning is the more fulfilling path. It helps you become more resilient and do better at school/work and has shown that you can even live longer. 

Q: What is the power of having meaning?
A: When life is really good and really bad having meaning gives you something to hold on to. 

How can we live more meaningfully? 

Here are the four pillars to a meaningful life that Emily Esfahani had described in her TED talk (linked at the end of this post)

1) Belonging - Being in a relationship where you are valued for who you are intrinsically and where you value others as well can create a sense of belonging. If you are valued for who you hate and what you believe those do not create a true sense of belonging. True belonging springs from love. You can choose to cultivate love. Lead with love and you'll create a bond. 

2) Purpose - Finding your purpose is not the same thing as finding the job. It is about less what you want, and more about what you want to give. The key to purpose is using your strength to serve others. That's how we contribute and feel needed.

3)  Transcendence - These are the rare moments where you are lifted above the sense of self and you feel connected to a higher reality. It happens through being at church and sometimes you feel in the zone. Again it's less about you and more about others.

4) Storytelling - Creating a narrative from your events of life helps you create meaning. You can edit and interpret your story. You can reflect on your life and what you lost and what you've gained. You won't change your story overnight. Embracing your painful memories and defining the good that sustains you.

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Seven Tips on How to Act and Become an Alpha

An alpha is the dominant figure in a social or professional setting. The main role of the alpha is to be the leader of the group and with it comes responsibilities to protect, inspire, and motivate the group.

What does it take to be an Alpha?

First things first, it is no surprise that as an alpha you need to be confident in yourself. After all, how can you expect others to look to you as a leader, if you yourself are not sure in yourself.

Confidence comes from believing in yourself. But there is a difference between blind confidence and true confidence. Blind confidence is a false belief in your abilities, which can also be construed as overconfidence. True confidence is when you exude the will, persistence, and have the ability to instill confidence in others.

Why is the person with the most knowledge rarely the alpha?

The reason is because you have to have the ability to lead. To put it in another way, you have to have the influence to protect, inspire, and motivate the group. Suppose you know what to do in a pressure situation, but can not get your team to help you do it. What good does that do if you can't rally the team? Compare that to a motivator or influence, who can determine who is good for what role and get the team to the end zone. If you know what needs to get done in the group, you have the knowledge and know how. Then you just need the presence and influence to become the alpha.

What are ways to show you are more confident in yourself?

1. Hold your head up high 

If you look down that shows you are giving up your "dominance". Why do you think people used to bow in the presence of kings?

2. Place your hand on top when you shake

This one can come off a bit rough, so use this with caution. If you look closely at Donald Trump's handshakes, more times than not, he places his hand on top showing he is "in charge".

3. Keep steady bold eye contact

Don't confuse this with and deep creepy stare. When you talk to someone, look at them in the eye. If you look elsewhere, people will think you are not paying attention.

4. Take oversized steps

Small steps are associated with cute things. Small puppies take small steps. Take big steps like a big gorilla does.

5. Take up more space

What position does a kid assume when he is afraid in the dark? He or she cowers and rolls up in a "fetal position". Do the opposite. Spread your wings and take up more space.

6. Use a deeper tone 

Are you afraid of a mouse that squeaks or a 400 lb lion that roars?

7. Fake it till you make it

Studies have shown that expressing the victory pose actually lowers cortisol stress hormones and helps you react differently to stress. You are more calm under pressure.

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Big Game Hunting - Networking with Billionaires, Executives and Celebrities - Book Review

About Christopher Kai

Christopher Kai is the founder and CEO of KGL, a strategic-consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs build their businesses. He is an international speaker and bestselling author. Christopher is also the founder of Mondays at the Mission, the only homeless youth program of its kind at the largest private shelter in the United States. Their 240 program speakers from 26 states and 28 countries (Elon Musk, Moby, and TED speaker Diana Nyad) have been featured on CNN, People, ABC, Time, the Ellen Degeneres Show and Oprah. Christopher has been featured on ABC, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Buzz Feed, and Huffington Post.

Overview and Thoughts about the Book

In Big Game Hunting - Networking with Billionaires, Executives and Celebrities, Christopher Kai shares his in-depth knowledge of how he went from growing up in a middle class home in Woodside, Queens to rubbing elbows with Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Paris Hilton, and many other "Big Gamers".

I first discovered Christopher Kai when he spoke at Google on how to "Catapult Your Career Opportunities". One of the biggest key points he brought up was networking. ABC News Reported in 2012, 80% of people's jobs come from networking.

A friend of mine quit his accountant job in 2012 and started his own e-commerce business. After four years of ups and downs he decided to get back into the accounting industry. How was someone out of the industry for almost half a decade supposed to find a job? Employers questioned his outdated knowledge, qualifications, and feared he would only stay short-term and leave to start another company. Luckily he still maintained his network of people in the industry. Through his relationships, he had a signed job offer letter within a week.

Most people think of networking from a quantity perspective. The more events you attend the more people you meet. The problem with that is, if you attend the same events you are going to meet the same people. Right from the get go of his book, Kai introduces a huge piece of advice on how to meet "Big Gamers" and focus on the quality of relationships. If you want to meet comic book fanatics, you attend to Comic Con. If want to meet people in the electronics and tech space, you attend CES. What if you want to meet "Big Gamers"? Where would you go? How do you approach them? What do you say to them? What do you do after the event?

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” —Michelangelo, Italian painter and sculptor

Finding where to meet who you want to meet is only part of the battle. Kai goes through a simple four step process of preparation, what to do before the event, during the event, and action items for after the event. The biggest thing he brings to the table is the fact that he's been through it before, so he is able to relate to the reader much more easier. It is one thing for someone to talk about how to meet "Big Gamers", but never having done so and another thing to have someone who has been in our shoes before providing insight and steps. 

While most networking books are rather bland or wordy, Kai uses relevant personal stories and experiences to illustrate his points. For example, he describes how he reached out to Elon Musk and was able to get Elon to come and speak at Kai's homeless youth program. He also provides stories from others who have used similar techniques to meet "Big Gamers". 

Final Word

Let's say you don't want to meet "Big Gamers". If you want to start a business or meet an executive in your field, advice from Kai's book, Big Game Hunting - Networking with Billionaires, Executives and Celebrities, can be used to meet just about anyone you want to meet. Kai's life experiences on networking is boiled down to a concise yet comprehensive 100 pages. He is an amazing speaker and motivator. So much so, that he has inspired myself to aim higher than what I believe I could achieve. 

Life is about living it. Living it means aiming higher and realizing your fullest potential. You can't always do this by yourself. But if you find a mentor or someone to help you along the way, you'll give yourself a good chance to reach your fullest potential. Build your network. 

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Arnold Van Den Berg - Exponential Wisdom - Google Talk Summary

Arnold founded Century Management in 1974. He is the CEO and chairman of the CM Advisors Family of Funds Board of Trustees. Born in 1939, Arnold survived the Holocaust as one of Holland’s “hidden” Jewish children. His parents both survived Auschwitz and the family immigrated to America when he was 10. These struggles led him to an extensive study of the subconscious mind, which he believes is the key to unlocking an individual’s potential.

Arnold Van Den Berg's parents hid for two and a half years in an attic during the Holocaust. However, they developed one major problem. The problem was that they kept two small children. Arnold was two and a half years old and his brother was five and a half. It was difficult hiding with children. If Arnold's parents kept the children and were caught they would be sent to Auschwitz concentration camp, which they eventually were. At Auschwitz, they didn't keep women and children. It was a big risk if the children were caught with the parents because it usually meant the end of the parents.

Another alternative was to send the children through the German lines to get on a train to an orphanage. The only problem was you needed a German passport. But if you were Jewish you didn't have a passport. They had fake passports, but they weren't very good so it was sort of a last resort. Arnold's parents got with the Dutch underground and they worked out a plan that there would be a 19 year old girl who would bring him on the train and there would be an individual situated in front the Nazi to keep the officer busy until the whistle blew. So, that was exactly what happened. It was just the most dramatic moment when the whistle blew because the girl knew she would be okay. 

"The most important thing to achieve anything in life is to be totally focused."

Years later, Arnold would ask himself why would this girl who didn't even know him risk her life to save his. How could the girl's whole family risk their lives? If caught, the 19 year old girl would have had to spend her entire life in an concentration camp. What would motivate her to do this? Later in life, he found his way to a psychiatrist. He decided to ask the psychiatrist why anyone would do that. The psychiatrist said, well the answer is very simple.

It's all about principals; these were people who had deep beliefs and their principals were more important than life. If your life is more important than your principals then you sacrifice your principals. 

Arnold Van Den Berg eventually found his way to mutual funds. He was curious about why during the stock market crash in the early 1970s, some funds went down less than others. Eventually, he discovered that the funds that were down less were doing better because they focused on value investing. The secret to understanding value investing is figuring out what a business is worth just like when you buy real estate. Then you basically buy that at a "wholesale" or discounted price.

The most important thing to achieve anything in life is to be totally focused. Arnold Van Den Berg's father explained the most difficult thing in an concentration camp was when they had to go on these death marches from one camp to another. It was a 20 mile walk and you would get two slices of bread and then you would march for 24 hours. If you went on your knees, the Nazi officers would whip you and if you didn't get up then they would shoot you. His father was 5'7 and 85 pounds - all skin and bones. You really have to focus to get through all of that.

What Arnold's dad learned was how incredibly powerful the mind was when you are tested in extreme circumstances. When your life is on the line, you have to clear your mind. You couldn't think about how cold or hungry you were. You can think of nothing else but to move forward and to keep your focus. You'll realize you have strength that you don't even understand. When asked what his father could attribute that to, he said the subconscious mind. There is no way you can keep moving one leg after the other in that type of situation without extreme focus.

Five Lessons from Arnold Van Den Berg 

1. Always seek the truth

2. Develop your own set of principles for which you are willing to make sacrifices

3. Be totally focused

4. By practicing your principals you will develop the faith and courage to carry on during tough times

5. Never give up 

What do you do with your cash when you don't have any good value stock options? 

Over the 40 years, Arnold's average cash position was 20% of his portfolio even when there was good value because there are great opportunities. Even if cash doesn't make money, it's better to hold cash then to lose money. Patience pays off. You will always find value if you are patient. You might have to wait a year and a half or two years.

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How Do You Tell Better Stories or Become a Better Storyteller Tips from Carmine Gallo

How did Google Start?

Google's roots sprouted from two Ph.D. students working on a research project back in 1996. It's initial aim was to license its search technology to other Internet companies and enterprise and not to make money off ads. After a few years had passed, the founders of Google quickly discovered they needed more cash to grow. It's early efforts to raise capital drew them to Sequoia Capital a venture capital fund. 

This happened in 1999 during a time where the dot-com boom had spawned a boatload of new business ideas that the world had not seen before. Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital had seen his fair share of structured and bland PowerPoint presentations. Focusing on predicting what new concepts or technologies would catch on was hard enough, but the added agony of trying to sit through PowerPoint presentations just worsened the investing situation. 

What Sergey Brin and Larry Page brought to the table was a breath of fresh air. They came into the meeting with Moritz with a working search engine superior to anything that was out there. Instead of a PowerPoint presentation, they presented a story with a solution. Needless to say, this kicked off a $25 million round of venture capital funding.

Benefits of Becoming a Better Storyteller

Being able to tell a story can make the difference between landing that job or losing the trust of your coworkers. It isn't enough to have the facts on your side, you have to do the storytelling. How do you become a better storyteller? Let's take a step back and think about why certain lines from songs and speeches stick with you even many years after. Do you remember the first four words of Martin Luther King's famous speech? The reason you do is because we are wired in our brains to want to process in story mode. Ideas that catch on are those that are wrapped in a story. 

Everyone likes to hear stories about people who overcome struggle, especially those that "shoot for the moon". For example, Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, often tells his rags to riches story as he watched throughout his childhood as his father struggled to make ends meet to support his family. Stories that show where you've faced an intense struggle and come out better are inspiring. 

For all of you chemist or biologist out there, did you know that storytelling actually triggers the same parts of the brain between the listener and the storyteller. So you actually do sync up emotionally through brain chemistry. A compelling story with an emotional trigger alters our brain chemistry and makes us more understanding and trusting. Now that I think about it, this might explain why my mother enjoys listening to my long and drawn out work stories once a week.

Everyone knows the best grapes come from vines in the steep hillsides because they are "stressed" and that build character.

Three Main Parts of a Great Story (Not Beginning, Middle and End)

In the movie the Martian, the set up is the backdrop whereby Matt Damon and his team embark on a exploration journey to Mars. Once you set the stage and background of your story, you'll need conflict. After a huge sandstorm, Matt Damon wakes up to find that his team have left on Mars en route to Earth. He has limited resources and supplies that were not meant to last for long periods of time on Mars. Psychologically, we can only imagine how it must have felt to be trapped on a planet by yourself. Finally, in every great story there is a resolution. Matt Damon figures out how to make water from hydrazine, communicates with his team back home, and is able to plant potatoes as a result of all of this. You'll have to watch the Martian or read the book to find out what happens at the end. 

Great storytellers are made and not born. You have to believe your own story. If you don't believe your own story, how can you expect to inspire others to believe it? Here are four tips to becoming a great storyteller. 

1) Practice your story. Great storytellers on TED have practiced their stories over 200 times.

2) Provide details and illustrate your story as best you can. Illuminating your story helps it become more memorable versus strictly providing facts. 

3) Appeal to the emotions of your audience. 

4) Remember good storytellers instill hope. 

Elon Musk has become are great storyteller. In his recent presentation at Tesla of the Powerwall, which is essentially a battery, he showed slides of pollution. In the next slide, he showed the picture of the sun. Using simple language and pictures, he indirectly conveyed to his audience the solution of harnessing the sun to lessen pollution. In doing so, he offered a solution to a problem via his Powerwall or in other words he provided conflict and resolution.

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3 Secrets to Finding Confidence Within Yourself

The Surprising Secret to Speaking with Confidence with Caroline Goyder

All of us have confidence within us. If we knew where to look, we can find confidence within us. In today's society, we spend a lot of time working on our outward appearances. But, I'll have you know that confidence doesn't exist outside.

Caroline Goyder is a public speaking coach and the author of Gravitas: Communicate with Confidence, Influence and Authority. Her work has been featured on BBC TV's The Speaker and The Voice, and BBC R 4's Word of Mouth, as well as in the FT, Telegraph, The Times, The Sunday Times and CNN.

Goyder presents three secrets to speaking with confidence. She draws from anecdotal stories and experiences of both actors and public speakers alike.

1)  Practice your voice by singing in the shower

The voice is the most amazing instrument. How often do you think about how yours works? Like a guitar the strings of the voice is your larynx, which is just underneath your vocal cords. The hitter is the air. If you know your voice is an instrument and those who are great at playing other instruments become good at through practice, all you have to do to be great with your voice is practice. The best way to practice is singing in the shower or in the car on the way to work.

2) Breathe slow and controlled using your diaphram

Who is the most confident person in the room? How can you tell? Think of when actors play kings in movies, how do they behave? When an actor is playing a king, the king stays still and other actors move around the king. The most powerful person in the room has the most relaxed breathing pattern.

The good news is that the unconscious system can be controlled through your breathing. What is within you is the key to a relaxed and confident path.Calming yourself down when standing in front of a crowd starts with focusing on the diaphram. This is the secret of what most actors and singers do.

Breathe using your diaphram. Place your thumb below your "bra strap" area of your chest. When you breathe in, push your thumb out with your diaphram. On the out breath, push your thumb in. If you put your hands on the side of your ribs you can also feel breathing. If you are ever nervous, do what we just explained.

3) Your last thoughts dictates your next speech 

When we breathe in, we breathe in thoughts. When we breath out, what comes out is speech or song. Try this, think of someone or something that excites you, then talk about that person or thing. Did you notice your voice of excitement? If your last thought is positive one, your speech will come out as positive as well.

Romans understood that we breathe in our thoughts. Just look at the words inspiration and the respiration as they both have the same root! "If you want confidence in speech all you have to do is know when to shut your mouth." Think confident, be positive, and exude energy.

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Bill Gross: Single Biggest Reason Why Startups Succeed - Ted Talk Summary

Creating a start-ups is a great way to unlock human potential. You get a group of individuals together with the right equity incentive and you can achieve a great deal. But, what is the biggest reason why startups succeed? In other words, what matters most in a start-up?

Bill Gross has founded a lot of startups, and incubated many others — and he got curious about why some succeeded and others failed. So he gathered data from hundreds of companies, his own and other people's, and ranked each company on five key factors. He found one factor that stands out from the others — and surprised even him.

After starting and been a part of over a hundred businesses since the age of 12, Bill Gross sought out the sole reason why startups succeed.

"Everybody has a plan, until they get punched in the face." So much about a team's execution is its ability to adapt to getting punched in the face by the customer. The customer is the true reality.

What five factors did he take into account?

1) Idea - The "ah-ha" moment.
2) Team - Team execution and their ability to adapt to the customer's demands.
3) Business Model - Does the company have a path?
4) Funding - Do they have enough money?
5) Timing - Do you need to educate the world, is it too late, or just the right time to release your product? Are there too many competitors?

Number one thing that contributed to a success or failure of a start up was timing. Team and execution came in second. The idea itself was third. Business models and funding were fourth and fifth as these were things you could add later on in the business.

Airbnb came out during the height of the recession and people needed money, so people were not hesitant to rent out their places. Uber was perfect in getting drivers extra money. Z.com an online entertainment company, signed Hollywood talent, but broadband penetration was not good in the late 90s. In other words, the timing wasn't good. Years later a similar company, YouTube started and by that time the market was ready. It was timed perfectly.

Are customers ready for your product or service?

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Five Tips on How to Most Efficiently and Effectively Use Email

Nowadays, email is the primary form of communication in business. Email has replaced in many respects the use of a phone as it is much easier to send emails than to pick up a phone and call someone. Though these are two different methods of communication, there are some people who expect an immediate response from an email much like a SMS text to a friend or an update to social media. There is certain business etiquette that comes with using email as a form of communication and if you use it wrong it can come off as unprofessional. People spend a fourth of the day reading, writing, and replying to their email box, don't contribute to each other's email clutter.  

Here are a number of email etiquette and guidelines that can go a long way in helping minimize email clutter and actually will help your chances in getting your emails read.

1) Email shall not be used to scold or discipline people

Consider a situation whereby your coworker just dropped the ball on a project and now you are suffering the consequences for something you didn't have full control over. Your first instinct is to rip your coworker a new one. Tell him or her off and then flip the bird perhaps. You decide to draft an email with all your anger directed towards that individual. Wait a second. Before you do that, cool down and step away from your desk. Remember that email will be stored on the company server somewhere. Refrain from sending out that email.

2) Send relevant email content to your recipients

The last thing you would want is to receive an email that has nothing to do with what you are doing or related to you in any way. Make sure if you are sending something to someone, it is relevant to them. Have an objective, actionable point, and make sure to address your recipient personally.

3) Limit the number of emails you send related to a discussion

Sending an email should not result in playing email tag. In a professional setting, emails should not be used to banter back and forth or left to right. Be concise and offer solutions in your email, which will help keep long email chains at bay. If your "discussion" ends up going past three emails, perhaps you should pick up the phone or schedule a conference call.

4) Add the email address last

How many times did you accidentally send an email that was not ready to be sent? Maybe on second thought, you didn't mean to send out that email. Take your time to write the email, proofread it, make any changes and attachments, add the recipients, and then fire it off.

5) Only expect the 'to' recipients to respond

Common practice has been those who are CCed typically will not respond to the email or they may merely skim over the emails. If you want a response from someone, make sure you address them in the 'To' field or direct the email towards them. For example, "Jim, will you please take a look at this? In the meantime, Barbara, if you could help set up a call regarding this with Jim, myself, and you that would be helpful." In this case I would still send the emails 'to' Jim and Barbara rather than 'CC' them.

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How to Be a High Performing Intern

Three Tips to Becoming a Stronger Intern

Be Positive, Be Friendly

As an intern, you might be asked to do certain things that you would rather not do. Such as making photocopies or even making a coffee run. Resist the urge to complain. All of us had to do this at one point in our careers. It is called paying your dues. Just know that one day you will be giving the orders. Until then, suck it up.

Find Out what Impresses your Manager

While most of the time we don't expect much from interns, taking initiate to solve issues or improve practices will wow your manager.  If you are complaining about a certain way you've been asked to perform a task and believe there is a more efficient way of doing it, bring up your solutions. Each manager has a unique way of doing things and by asking your colleagues whether or not your manager prefers in person communication or email, can make all the difference. Make a concerned effort to learn your manager's preferences.

Be Proactive

From time to time you may find yourself with nothing to do. You've completed what was requested of you and everyone else is busy with their own work. They are either too lazy to train you or don't have the time. Be proactive in your own job training. Pick up the company's manual or guide and start familiarizing yourself with the business and company procedures. This will help you get an edge against other interns. Think about when someone gives you a task and every minute he or she is spending with you is time he or she can be spending doing their own job. The more familiar you are with the task the less time they need to spend with you and the more impressed they will be.

Other Tips and Tricks

1) Have you checked every possible resource to look for information?
2) Have you looked at all the different possibilities?
3) Am I providing a recommendation or asking more questions?
4) Am I making my manager's life easier or more difficult?
5) Because I already know my manager's preferences, is this presented in such a way that will impress him or her?
6) Have you explained yourself clearly and quickly? Are you thinking in bullets?

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Secrets of Power Negotiating: Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator Book Review

Book Review: Secrets of Power Negotiating

About the Roger Dawson, Author

Before becoming a full-time speaker and training managers and salespeople from all throughout the world in business negotiations, Roger was the president of one of the largest real estate companies in California. The company had 28 offices and four hundred and forty sales associates with over $400 million in volume a year. His previous business training clients include managers and salespeople from companies like 3M, UnitedHealth Group and Oracle.

What is great about it?

Recently I became interested in buying investment real estate due to current state of the economic cycle. However, I felt like a fish out of water when I began submitting offers on real estate. The seller's agent would come back with counteroffers and after six months and numerous offers submitted, I still did not have a house. My boss also offered me a lateral move in the company. I knew I had to come in with a game plan if I wanted to have a chance at a higher salary. In years previous, I just took what they gave me, which had also been below the market rate. I felt cheated.

Roger's book entitled Secrets of Power Negotiating is not just for salary negotiation or how to get the best price when buying a piece of property. It applicable in just about any business negotiation. He goes through real world examples and leads you to shape a deal that ends up looking like a "win-win" situation for both parties. His emphasis is on negotiating everything you want and still being able to convince the other side they have also won. It's an interesting take on the psychology behind negotiations.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

The Vise is a very effective negotiating Gambit and what it will do for you will amaze you. The Vise Gambit is the simple little expression: "You'll have to do better than that." Here's how Power Negotiators use it: Let's say that you own a small steel company that sells steel products in bulk. You are calling on a fabricating plant where the buyer has listened to your proposal and your pricing structure. You ignored his insistence that he's happy with his present supplier and did a good job of building desire for your product. Finally, the other person says to you, "I'm really happy with our present vendor, but I guess it wouldn't do any harm to have a backup supplier to keep them on their toes. I'll take one carload if you can get the price down to $1.22 per pound."

You respond with the Vise Gambit by calmly saying, "I'm sorry you'll have to do better than that."

An experienced negotiator will automatically respond with the Counter Gambit, which is, "Exactly how much better than that do I have to do?" trying to pin you down to a specific. However, it will amaze you how often inexperienced negotiators will concede a big chunk of their negotiating range simply because you did that.

What's the next thing that you should do, once you've said, "You'll have to do better than that"?
You guessed it. Shut Up! Don't say another word. The other side may just make a concession to you. Salespeople call this the silent close, and they all learn it during the first week that they are in the business. You make your proposal and then shut up. The other person may just say Yes, so it's foolish to say a word until you find out if he or she will or won't.

What is the not so great about it?

Without a doubt, Roger offers a lot of techniques to help in negotiations. For example, 1) asking for more than you expect to get, 2) flinching at proposals, 3) play reluctant, 4) use the "vise technique", 5) reference higher authority, 6) never make a concession unless the other side reciprocates, and 7) tapering down concessions. These are all great techniques that frankly if you aren't aware of will put you at a disadvantage. If you are not aware of these you risk them being used on yourself.

In Secrets of Power Negotiating, there is a section on some grey area negotiating techniques. These are techniques that are usually used by sleazy business or salespersons. I'd stray away from these because they can ultimately burn bridges (break trust) with your business partner, employees, etc.

What is your final recommendation?

While Roger may provide tips and techniques for you to employ in the boardroom, many times it is a lot more difficult to execute than you might think. His examples definitely make it seem as if you already have an idea of what the other side might do. When in fact, in real life that may not always be the case. In any event, he does give you a number of counters depending on what the other side might come back with.

Ultimately, if you are willing to walk away from the deal and the other party needs what  you have to offer more than you need what they can offer, in most cases you will have the upper hand. Be prepared to walk away, many times they might just come back with another offer. I can say from personal experience, I've employed many of Roger Dawson's techniques and have had positive results.

Conclusion: Secrets of Power Negotiating: Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator is a recommended read for those who at some point in their career think they will need to engage in negotiations.

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Excel Tip #15 - Macro to Pull Information from One Excel Workbook into Another

In accounting sometimes we download GL detail from the accounting system or pull information from a third-party source and then we dump that data into an excel workbook. Often times that information is used in multiple excel workbooks. But it becomes cumbersome when you have to manually copy and paste that information from one spreadsheet to another. Why not just have a macro do it for you? Yes, we've created a macro that will copy data from one spreadsheet (doesn't have to be open) into another spreadsheet instantly.

Here is the solution. Though you will need to make some changes to the code below.

a] Get_Copy_Data - This is what you want to name your macro. Leaving it as is will not affect the code.

b] CopyDataSheet - This is the name of the sheet you would like the data copied to.

c] C:\Users\z3n\Desktop\hapy.xlsx - This is the file path of the excel workbook that already has the data. Make sure it is in the first tab.

d] hapy.xlsx - This is the excel workbook that has the data already

1) Hit Alt + F11 (this will open the VBE Window)
2) Select 'Module' from the 'Insert Menu' and paste the code below.

 Sub Get_Copy_Data()
    Sheets("CopyDataSheet").Select
    Range("D7").Activate
    Selection.ClearContents
ThisWorkbook.Activate 'start in THIS workbook
 Sheets(1).Select 'switch to data import sheet
'Opens source file (this filename never changes)
 Workbooks.Open Filename:="C:\Users\z3n\Desktop\hapy.xlsx", ReadOnly:=True
Workbooks("hapy.xlsx").Activate 'switch to source workbook
 Sheets(1).Select 'switch to source data sheet
 [a1].CurrentRegion.Copy 'Copy data to clipboard
ThisWorkbook.Activate 'Return to THIS workbook
[G7].PasteSpecial Paste:=xlPasteValues 'paste data to import start cell
[a1].Select 'cancels highlighted paste region
Workbooks("hapy.xlsx").Close 'close source data workbook
Sheets("CopyDataSheet").Select
    Range("A1").Select
    ActiveSheet.Paste
End Sub

At the moment, you'll have to save this in your "Personal" macro book. It has trouble when you save the macro in the workbook itself.  

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Charlie Munger's Psychology of Human Misjudgment - Part 2

Psychology of Human Misjudgment - Cause of Irrational Behaviors 

It's amazing how many of these psychological tricks are played out on a day to day basis. All this time I thought I was rational, but like most everyone else my actions and decisions have been swayed by these psychological phenomenons.

Here are the other twelve of the twenty-four causes of irrational behaviors. 

13) Bias from Substance Abuse 

A chemically dependent individual is in denial of their alcoholism and addictions. Drugs change chemicals in your brain, which can ultimately affect judgment.

14) Variable Reinforcement Can Enforce Behaviors

Near misses of three 'bars' on the slot machine will get you to keep putting money into the machine because you feel as if you've been deprived of a win. If you are rewarded sometimes and not others, you'll have that rewarded behavior pounded into you time after time. Furthermore, the moment you feel you have committed to something you feel like it has to be good. For example, if you pick numbers for a lottery, the moment you pick them you get extra validity that you feel like you can win. The odds have not changed since you picked your number, but what has changed is that you've committed.

15) Tendency to Like Oneself, One's Kind, and Own Ideas and Structures

This is a very strong subconscious psychological tendency. You like yourself and your ideas and when other people validate them you agree with them. You are attracted to those who are similar to you and this is good, but also bad. This means you can be misled and not appropriately learn from someone disliked.   

16) Human brains are Non-Mathematical in Nature.

We have a tendency to use crude heuristics and generalizations to compare and contrast information, which can lead to putting more weight on information that is conveniently available. As a result, we will misdirect our thinking tendencies. The solution is to train yourself to run down a list logically instead of jumping on information that is available.

17) Extra Vivid Information Distorts Reality

Being overly influenced by extra vivid information can sometimes result in skepticism. Have you ever played two truths and a lie and your lie was too vivid that people picked it out? Charlie Munger had a chance to buy 1,500 shares of a company that would've made him $30M. But the person convincing him to buy it described the deal in such vivid detail, Charlie was skeptical. In reality, the situation was foolproof. But swayed by the extra vivid information, Charlie turned down the offer and lost out on $30M.

18) Mental confusion Caused By Information Not Arrayed in the Mind and Theory Structures

Purely memorizing information for a test that involves application will not help you pass the test. If you want to convince someone of something you have to explain the "why". Just remember the "why".

19) Normal Limitation of Sensation, Memory, Cognition, and Knowledge

Not knowing and remembering everything limits what we can factor into our decision making process.

20) Stress-Induced Mental Changes Whether Temporary or Permanent 

Everyone is susceptible to stress-induced changes. On the golf course by yourself, you will not feel the pressure to sink a five foot putt. Picture yourself on the 18th hole of a major tournament, throw in a crowd of 10,000, and the fact that if you miss this putt you will lose the tournament by one stroke. Without a doubt you will start to feel stressed. Even Olympic and professional athletes crack under pressure. Those who are able to overcome such mental induce changes usually prevail.

21) Common Mental Illnesses and Declines

Nature is such that if you don't use it then you will lose it. Our bodies and minds work towards efficiency. Like a muscle, if we do not work at it or build it up, the mind will deteriorate or regress. Inevitably, as we age our bodies and minds will regress, but exercise will keep it strong for a long time.

22) Say-Something Syndrome

People behavior irrationally in organizations because they feel the need to say something in a meeting or discussion, but they do not know what to say. As a result, they try to communicate something just for the sake of communicating something.

23) Change Actions to Fulfill a Role 

You should act your age. Have you heard that before? The moment you hear that you perk up and start to act more mature. You are basically acting as other expect whether or not that is rational or irrational.

24) Emotional Appeals Can Led to Irrational Behaviors

I once met a girl who sold to me the story of a tragic childhood and an unfortunate life. My instinct was to help her and give her what she needed. I would go out of my way to make sure she was happy and take her to places she had not been before. After a couple months, I realized that I had been played and she was actually well off and her life was not as tragic as she made it seem.

Check out Part I  of Charlie Munger's Psychology of Human Misjudgment.

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William McRaven's Ten Navy Seal Training Life Lessons - Summarized

Admiral William H McRaven has been a Navy Seal for 36 years. He recently spoke at the University of Texas at Austin about life lessons he learned years ago from six months of basic SEAL training. Training that involved "long, torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacle courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable."

"It matters not your gender, ethnic or religious background, your orientation, or social status. Our struggles in this world are similar and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward - changing ourselves and the world around us- will apply equally to all." - Admiral McRaven

1) Start your day off by making your bed.

Completing the first task of the day will give you a small sense of pride that will carry on to your second task. Eventually, that task will lead to you completing another task. The little things matter in life and making your bed reminds you of that. If you can't make your bed, then how can you expect to do the big things. If by chance you have a terrible day, at least you'll come back to a bed that has already been made.

2) Find someone to help you paddle.

Nobody does anything alone. We need our friends, family, colleagues, and the goodwill of strangers to get through life. When Adm. McRaven was in SEAL training, every day he and his boat crew paddled through high waves. If he and his crew were not synchronized in their paddle strokes, they would end up going nowhere in the water.

3) Measure people by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.

The boat crew that finished first and beat out everyone else was not the boat with the biggest guys. They were actually all less than 5 feet 5 inches and were all of different ethnicity.

4) Get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.

Just because you do everything you are suppose to do doesn't always mean it will turn out the way you expect. Part of SEAL training was uniform inspection. No matter what you did, the instructors would always find something wrong. When they did, they asked you to run into the water with your clothes on and then roll around on the beach until you became a "sugar cookie".

5) Don't be afraid of circuses.

Nobody wanted to be put on the circus list. The circus list is where you have to do an additional two hours of calisthenics (sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, etc.) designed to wear you down and break you down. But, those who went through that extra training over time became stronger, faster, and more resilient.

6) Sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head-first.

Dare to do something different or take a path less traveled. The obstacle course record had stood for many years until someone in Adm. McRaven's SEAL training course decided to slide head first down the slide, which was seemingly foolish. That and a combination of other time saving techniques broke the obstacle course record.

7) Don't back down from the sharks.

Midnight swims were not uncommon in SEAL training. Of course sharks infested the waters. Should a shark swim up to you, punch him in the snout and he will swim away. There are a lot of sharks in the world that will try and push you off your path. You'll have to deal with them if you want to succeed.

8) You must be your very best in the darkest moments.

Underwater ship attacks against enemy ships was one of the jobs of a Navy SEAL. It required you to swim underneath the ship to the deepest part of the ship. It is so dark that you can not see your hands and the deafening ship machinery can easily disorient you.

"Every SEAL knows that under the kneel (deepest part of ship), at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed - when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear." - Admiral McRaven

9) Start singing when you're up to your neck in mud.

Hope is a powerful thing. When you are standing in mud and up to your neck in freezing cold water for what seems like forever, the idea that it will all end soon can keep you going. When you can see the light and believe there is still hope, that will keep you going.

10) Don't ever, ever ring the bell.

At SEAL training, if you rang the bell you didn't have to endure any of the circus training, uniform inspection, obstacle courses, or anything else. All you had to do was ring the bell. But, it also meant that you quit.

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Charlie Munger's Psychology of Human Misjudgment - Part 1

Psychology of Human Misjudgment - Cause of Irrational Behaviors 

You are not immune to these human misjudgments. While you may be able to recognize one or two of them when they are separate from each other, but imagine when you have five or six of these working in conjunction. Theses were likely evolutionary survival attributes passed on through human evolution, but times have changed and evolution has not caught up to the changing world. 

Without further adieu, here are twelve of the twenty-four causes of irrational behaviors. 

1) Underestimating the Power of Incentives

Why are you working at a job that you abhor? If it weren't for the money, you would be doing something you truly enjoyed. The answer is that you've been properly incentivized by your bosses.

2) Simple Psychological Denial

Reality is too painful to bear, so you distort the truth until it is bearable.

3) Underestimating the Incentive Bias in Our Own Minds and that of Our Advisers 

Your real estate agent is technically suppose to have your interests in mind. But, the more expensive a place they have you buy the more money they will pocket. Therefore as the buyer, you can not always assume your agent has your best interests.

4) Confirmation Bias

We have a tendency to favor information that confirms what we already believe. This is particularly the case in emotionally charged issues whereby we are so focused on what we believe we do not consider new information.

5) Misconstrue Past Correlations as a Reliable Basis for Decision-Making

Coca-Cola's has branded itself into the happiness drink. They want to be associated with every heroic and wonderful image. Drinking coke has nothing to do with happiness. The more Coke you drink does not increase your happiness, but all that marketing has made you associate positivity with coke.

If something is more expensive, you would think that item holds more value than something not as expensive. But that is not always the case. Costco may sell something for $10 and that exact same thing could be selling at Walmart for $8 and you will still believe the one at Costco is better.

6) Reciprocation Tendency 

This basically happened to me the other day. A cake shop set up a table on the first floor of my work building. I walked past it in the morning without batting an eye, but a co-worker asked to stop by it at lunch. It couldn't hurt right? I wasn't planning on buying anything at all.

The cake shop offered a couple samples and was very cordial. Of course I took the "free" samples and immediately, I felt the need to reciprocate. So I ended up spending $6 on a pastry the size of a muffin.

If you are negotiating salary start high and then peel back. By peeling back you are "giving" something up and this makes the other person feel obligated to meet you at your second asking price.

7) Everyone Else and Their Mother is Doing It 

"Some years ago one oil company bought a fertilizer company, and every other major oil company practically ran out and bought a fertilizer company. And there was no more damned reason for all these oil companies to buy fertilizer companies, but they didn't know exactly what to do, and if Exxon was doing it, it was good enough for Mobil and vice versa." - Charlie Munger. Needless to say it was a total disaster.

8) To the Man with a Hammer, Every Problem Looks Pretty Much Like a Nail

When you have a theory of how something works, you try and apply it to as many things as possible. Even when it does not make sense, you believe your theory is applicable.

9) Compared to What I've Experienced, Seen, Have, Done...

Relatively speaking this slightly burnt cookie tastes better than this charcoal cookie, but in absolute terms it may not appear to be edible.

Real estate agents will take you to a ridiculously overpriced house and then to a moderately overpriced house. This actually happened to me the other day. At the end of it all, the agent asked me which ones of those houses I liked best. Well, she only showed me a handful of houses. If I were to only compare the ones that were shown to me, I would be excluding a number of other houses that could have been better priced.

10) My Boss Told Me To Do It 

When I was working at a Big 4 accounting firm, you were suppose to do what your manager asked you to do. However, if your boss' boss ever came back to you and questioned whether or not what you did was the right thing to do, we were never to throw anyone under the bus. We took responsibility for whatever we did even if we were asked to do it by our bosses. But, all too common you'll see people do immoral things just because their bosses asked them to.

11) Rich People Have Money and Will Deploy it When It Is Most Advantageous

If your back is against the wall and you are forcing yourself to make stock trades to make money, you will most likely make decisions that you normally would not when you are working from a position of ample capital. Scarcity will make you behave differently.

12) Jealousy and Envy Drives Irrational Behaviors

For those who have siblings, how many times have you asked why it was unfair that he or she got this and you didn't. "It's not greed that drives the world, but envy." - Warren Buffet

Keep an eye out for Part II!

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Excel Tip #14 - Exclude Certain Criteria in SUMIF and SUMIFS

Suppose you want to sum a bunch of numbers, but only if they meet certain criteria. One way to do this is manually in Excel. Say we want to find 'GL' account 102015 with the 'Dimension' 5 and sum the 'Total Balance' of that. In the below example the total would just be 35.

This is simple enough to do when you only have a list of less than 10 items. Suppose you are dealing with large data sets with more than a thousand lines. It can get tedious to sum all the 'Total Balance' with the two above criteria.

Introducing SUMIF and SUMIFS Formulas

=SUMIFS(C3:C9,A3:A9,102015,B3:B9,5)

This formula above is telling Excel to sum the 'Total Balance' column (C3:C9) if both the 'GL' column (A3:A9) and 'Dimension' column (B3:B9) equal 102015 and 5 respectively. The total is 35.

However, suppose instead you want to sum everything EXCEPT 'GL' column with 102015 and 'Dimension' with 5. One way of doing this is by adding criteria after criteria in the above function. This would mean a longer excel formula. You can do this by adding the 'Criteria Range' and then the 'Criteria'.

=SUMIFS('Sum Range', 'Criteria Range1', Criteria1, Criteria Range2, Criteria2, Criteria Range3, Criteria 3,)

Formula to the Excluding Certain Criteria

=SUMIFS(C3:C9,A3:A9,"<> 102015",B3:B9,"<> 5")

This formula will sum everything in the 'Total Balance' column that does not meet the criteria of a GL 102015 and Dimension 5. Alternatively to only exclude one criteria you can easily just enter in SUMIF(Range, Criteria, Sum Range) whereby the 'Range' is the column with the 'Criteria' you are looking to exclude and 'Sum Range' is the balances you want to sum.

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Importance of Grit in Suceeding in Life - Angela Lee Duckworth Summarized

Your Success Depends on Grit

We are trained by social media, the internet, and technology to expect things to be instantaneous. Ask a question in Google and you'll get an immediate answer or response to your question. Want to put in a stock trade? Instantly put in a order to your broker and within seconds you could be a shareholder of the world's largest company. The benefit of this is obviously increased productivity, but the consequence is an increased expectation that everything else should work the same way.

For a while, I used to believe that success could happen overnight. You can build a website or an app and social media or someone will spread the world. Then you would be an overnight success like Flappy Bird. But that is only what it appears to be from the outsider looking in. But to those inside looking out, Flappy Bird became a success only after the creator made several other apps such as Super Ball Juggling and Shuriken Block. Rome was not built in a day and anything sustainable can't be built in a day.

Being successful is not about being the smartest, best looking, or most socially intelligent. While those things do help create opportunities that may lead to success, without perseverance and hard work you won't be able to get far.

Angela Lee Duckworth left management consulting at Mckinsey to teach seventh graders, but eventually her path led her to where she is now as an assistant professor at UPenn Her research has led her to understand that the reason people are successful or most likely to succeed is because of grit.

"Grit is passion and perseverance for very long term goals. Grit is having stamina. Git is sticking with your future not just for the week not just for the month but for years and working really hard to make it a reality. living life as a marathon not a sprint." - Angela Duckworth

How do you cultivate grit? What can lead you to become more grittier?

The idea of a growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed and it can change with effort. When students learn about the brain and how it can grow in response to challenges, they are much more likely to preserve because they view failure as a temporary thing.

In other words, be the tortoise and not the hare. Slow and steady does win the race.

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Excel Tip #13 - Easily Transpose a Data Set (Flip data from horizontal to vertical or vice versa)

Four Steps to Paste Special Your Way to Transposing Data

Some tables are best looked at with the headers going across versus on the left side. Suppose you've always labeled your table with column headers versus row headers, but now you want to swap it and have the headers go on the left side versus across on top. There are two easy ways of doing this. One is through the below simple four step process. The other is through pure shortcuts. Take your pick.

1. Select range to be transposed
2. Ctrl +C or Copy Button
3. Select the Paste Cell
4. Right Click, Choose Paste Special, Transpose

Super Pro Tip:

Hit: Alt then, E, S, V, E and then click 'Ok'

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Measure Success Through the Process

How Do You Define Success?

When someone says that they ran a marathon or finished a triathlon, immediately what comes to mind is that the individual is successful, physically fit, and a hard worker. After all, why would we assume otherwise? To finish a marathon or triathlon is by no means an easy feat. Likewise, when someone says that they work at Google or Apple, we immediately give them credibility. The reason is because we have this positive image of Google and Apple as being leading technological companies. We automatically assume that if someone works for them, they must be successful in that they possess certain skills that are highly desirable in the workforce.

In a world where so much information is constantly thrown at us, we use heuristics or mental shortcuts to make judgments. But, the problem with looking at the end result is that we then tend to associate the accomplishment with success. For example, you may think to yourself that if you are able to finally land that job at Google, then you will consider yourself successful. Or when you save up $50 million dollars then you will view yourself as being successful.

Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered, and the courage with which he has maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds…. -Orison Swett Marden

Chris Hadfield, a retired Canadian astronaut, believes this is how you set yourself up for a personal disaster. Even though Google is a large company and there are thousands of employees, most people in the world do not work at Google. In fact, relative to the entire population in the world, very few people work for Google. If you achieve a net worth of $50 million dollars you are considered to the in the top 0.002% of wealthy individuals in the world. While the latter is less likely to occur than the former, both of them are relatively rare occurrences. What happens when you don't achieve a net worth of $50 million or land a Google job, does that mean you are not successful?

While it is important to highlight your accomplishments on a resume, life is more about the preparation that is required for you to reach those peaks in life. The richness in life comes from the "challenges that we set for each other, and the way that we shape ourselves to rise to that challenge." In other words, life is much more about the journey of it all than the destination.

I think if there is any sort of meaning to life, its got to be something personal. How does the life you led affect your own conclusions about what's important to you? - Chris Hadfield

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