Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

The first “book” or chapter of Meditations is entitled “Debts And Lessons.” Marcus Aurelius devotes it entirely to thanking those people who’ve helped him throughout his life. He also names the specific qualities that each person imparted on him. Examples… “My Grandfather Verus….Character and self control.” “My Mother…Her reverence for the divine, her generosity, herContinue reading “Debts And Lessons”

Supposedly… …Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for “Rocky” in three and a half days. …Karl Malantes wrote the Vietnam novel, “Matterhorn”, over a period of thirty years. …Bob Dylan wrote “Blowin’ In The Wind” in ten minutes. …Leonard Cohen wrote “Allelujah” in two years. Does it really matter how long it took someone else toContinue reading “It Takes What It Takes”

An enormous gulf exists between how something sounds in your head versus how it sounds coming out of your mouth. The legendary acting teacher, Harold Guskin, in his book, How To Stop Acting, advocated a technique he called “taking it off the page.” While privately working on text, the actor slowly reads one line atContinue reading “Say It Out Loud”

I recently watched the incredible film Amazing Grace which documents the two nights Aretha Franklin spent in 1972 at Los Angeles’ New Temple Missionary Baptist Church recording her live gospel album. It’s magical, majestic, powerful and inspiring. The New York Times said it’s “one of the most astounding performances anyone’s ever given of anything.” IContinue reading “Solidarity”

An ancient house located in the southeast of France bears a sundial with the Latin inscription “Serius Est Quam Cogitas.” This translates to “It Is Later Than You Think.” Supposedly, travelers come from all over the world to view this sundial and reflect on their own mortality. (Memento Mori being practiced.) What are you waitingContinue reading “It Is Later Than You Think”

“So say goodbye it’s Independence Day. It’s Independence Day. All down the line. Just say goodbye it’s Independence Day. It’s Independence Day this time.” –Bruce Springsteen, Independence Day  We just celebrated America’s Independence Day. A group of people were so fed up with existing conditions coupled with their dreams of a better life, a betterContinue reading “Independence Day”

“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” -Mark Twain Let’s face it, to be human is to worry. Besides worrying about ourselves, there’s an endless list of people and potential events we can worry about. It’s like an open fire hydrant that just goesContinue reading “Worry”

The writer and serial entrepreneur James Altucher advises writing down at least 10 ideas a day. It’s a good practice for all kinds of reasons. Namely, it fires up our imagination, forces us to think creatively, and can be a first step towards unlocking our passion project. A good producer however, knows that the ideaContinue reading “The Idea Is Just One Step”

I once had coffee with a very successful real estate investor. I asked him how he went from bagging groceries to becoming a multi millionaire. He said he was tried of being poor so he went to his local bookstore, found a book on real estate investing, and followed the advice in the book. Exactly.Continue reading “Follow The Advice”

We can divide a calendar into four quarters. The first quarter ends on March 31st.. The second on June 30th. The third on September 30th. The fourth on December 31st. Today is June 30th, the end of the second quarter. Tomorrow, July 1, marks the beginning of the third quarter. Is there a goal orContinue reading “The Quarter Commitment”