> I’ve never done anything that stands out. No “Whoa! This guy made it into outer space!” or, “This guy has a best selling novel!” or, “If only Google had thought of this!”
"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel." (Steven Furtick), etc, etc
> I’ve started a bunch of companies. Sold some. Failed at most. I’ve invested in a bunch of startups. Sold some. Failed at some, and the jury is still sequestered on a few others.
Okay the title is really slipping here. Who wrote this?
Oh. James Altucher. That guy submits a lot of articles here. And that's okay. Some of them are pretty good! But being the goddamn prince of link-bait titles leaves me with a sour taste.
http://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=jaltucher
"I Want My Kids to Be Drug Addicts", "How to Be An Effective Loser", "10 Reasons I'm Giving Up On Having Opinions" (the jokes on us there.), etc, etc
Anyway, back to the article. The problem with articles like these is that they're 2 parts enjoyable read, 7 parts snark and 1 part decent advice. It's not a bad article, but I'm certain you could get the same information across with just as much amusement while still toning down the Malcolm-Gladwell-esque linkbait-snark machine.
A few things that stood out to me:
> Procrastination could also be a strong sign that you’re a perfectionist, or that you’re filled with shame issues. This will block you from building and selling your business. Examine your procrastination from every side. It’s your body trying to tell you something. Listen to it.
I think that bears repeating as worthwhile, sincere advice.
> Out of silence comes the greatest creativity. Not when we are rushing and panicking.
My Bosnian sculpture teacher always said the exact opposite. Once most artists tend to "make it" and live very comfortably, they tend to stop producing as much. When times are tough, when their mind is filled with desperation, is when they tend to make their greatest pieces, he'd say. I have no idea if this is true or not, but it's always made me wonder. Certainly, for me doing programming and writing, I need to be clear-headed and emotionally unperturbed, etc, but maybe its different per person or discipline.
This is oddly inspiring :)
