If you want to understand something, then write about it, talk about it, and share resources about it. Don’t just study things in private. Share and ship things in public.
Author: T.K. Coleman
TK Coleman is the Education Director for Praxis. He has coached dozens of young people and top performers from all stages of life. He’s the author of hundreds of articles and is a frequent speaker on education, entrepreneurship, freedom, personal growth, and creativity. TK is a relentless learner, has been involved in numerous startups, and has professional experience ranging from the entertainment to financial services industries and academia. Above all else, TK is on a mission to help people embrace their own power and expand their own possibilities.
Be Sustainable
There’s no such thing as an opportunity that can’t be undermined by a failure to show up. A lack of follow-through is the #1 way to negate a professional breakthrough.
Obstacles
Sometimes we overcome them. Sometimes we use them as stepping stones to new levels of awareness. Sometimes we transform them into opportunities.
Work While They Debate
The real question is “Do you have something to say and are you going to step up and say it?” If you can say “yes” to that question, nothing else matters. While people are busy debating over your status as a writer, you’ll be able to point to an actual body of work and say “I have written.”
Bigger & Better Than Your Bad Life
Are you a bad person for having a bad life? Hell no! And that’s precisely why you need to fight like hell for your options: because deep down inside you know that you are bigger and better than your bad life.
Rationally Speaking
The most important question in a debate is not “What’s the evidence for your point of view?” It’s “Why should anyone care to discuss the evidence for your point of view?” In any debate, the first type of evidence to demand is the kind that proves the debate is actually worth your time.
Don’t Confuse Growth with Glamour
Becoming good will sometimes require you to look bad, getting smart will sometimes require you to look dumb, and moving forward will sometimes require you to look like you’re stepping backwards.
The Decision to Learn is Always Right
Every failure to satisfy a customer’s needs is a lesson on how to get better at the work you do. Even if you don’t think you did anything wrong, you can always improve your ability to serve people more effectively. You don’t need to feel guilty in order to see an opportunity for growth.
A Life of Purpose is an Object of Concern
For every creative person trying to do interesting things in the world, there’s a “friend” from the past who’s still trying to figure out why and when his old buddy went off the deep end.
More Ways Than One
Physical health is great, but there are lots of physically fit people who are psychologically miserable. Having friends is great too, but it’s no substitute for self-esteem, physical health, and enough financial resources to secure the tools necessary for connecting with them. Music is awesome, but it can’t satisfy your biological need for food and water.