idj4thinking

Really enjoying the show Hacks

As an aspiring standup comedian, I often think about what it would be like to be incredibly successful. If I started to sell out stadiums, joke in front of large crowds, or write something truly insightful, I’d worry that I’d lose my edge, that I could never rest on my laurels. I sometimes see myselfContinue reading “Really enjoying the show Hacks”

Aspire to heights you can’t reach

As someone who’s gotten to be very good at things, I’ve noticed that at the peak of performance comes a plateau of despair as you don’t know what to do next. When you feel like you have no equals, and you don’t have a reason to keep pushing, many people stop and feel miserable forContinue reading “Aspire to heights you can’t reach”

Social Entrepreneurship! Why it beats the alternatives

What are you passionate about? There’s this pervasive idea that when people get together as a government, problems get solved, and the world generally becomes a better place. The combination of incompetence, graft, and bureaucracy creates an unwinnable situation where several million dollars at a time are spent on things that don’t even solve theContinue reading “Social Entrepreneurship! Why it beats the alternatives”

Summer, the pinnacle of the year

What is your favorite season of year? Why? Weak men create hard times. Hard times create strong men. Strong men create easy times. Easy times create weak men. The concept of a cycle being an important and clear concept is deeply rooted in the human experience. Summer is the good times that create weakness inContinue reading “Summer, the pinnacle of the year”

The ability to speak my mind

What’s the one luxury you can’t live without? I have a biting wit, and something I struggled with at a previous job was that I notice both people’s strengths and their weaknesses. I’ve learned from previous experience that people don’t take constructive criticism very well, despite their best efforts, even when the official policy saysContinue reading “The ability to speak my mind”

Make people feel celebrated!

Taking the effort to let people know that special moments exist for them, and ritualizing it pays dividends. You both build strong relationships with others while choosing to commemorate and have fun! Here’s how you can get started. Let the person know you want to celebrate them, get a pizza, and invite people. Just theContinue reading “Make people feel celebrated!”

Down bad for fulfillment

What are the most important things needed to live a good life? Knowing that I’m pushing myself to my limit is an incredibly motivating thought. I think everyone aspires for greatness, and having your efforts channeled into an empire, a legacy is essential to living a good life. Knowing that you’ve altered the fabric ofContinue reading “Down bad for fulfillment”

She’s my bestie… she’s a real bad….

Who do you spend the most time with? I spend a lot of time in parallel with my mother. I recently moved back home, and I spend a lot of time hanging out with her. I like going on walks with her and telling her about the things I’m figuring out from a strategic communicationsContinue reading “She’s my bestie… she’s a real bad….”

Finding Purpose in Work

If you feel in your heart that what you’re doing is useless, every moment you spend doing the tasks will feel like pulling teeth. The cavity keeps getting worse as goo accumulates, emotional baggage spews everywhere. You should stop and ask yourself if you enjoy and find meaning in what you’re doing. You may notContinue reading “Finding Purpose in Work”

Punching Down

There’s been a lot of moralizing about the purpose of comedy, and whether it should attain purposes other than making people laugh. Some say it’s important to be able to change the world around you as a result of comedy and look down upon the ‘trite garbage’ that entrenches conventional hierarchies. After all, why isContinue reading “Punching Down”