Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

“Not inventing, and not adopting new ideas, can itself be both dangerous and immoral.” Matt Ridley, book The Rational Optimist “Pessimists sound smart. Optimists make money.” –Nat Friedman “I’ve realized a new reason why pessimism sounds smart: optimism often requires believing in unknown, unspecified future breakthroughs—which seems fanciful and naive. If you very soberly, wisely,Continue reading “Wrong Before Right”

“What does it mean that success is as dangerous as failure? Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky.When you stand with your two feet on the ground, you will always keep your balance.” –Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu (Stephen Mitchell translation) “Life should be lived on the edge ofContinue reading “Balancing”

“Sua Sponte” is a Latin phrase that means doing something voluntary, or doing it “of its own accord.” The U.S. Army Rangers (insignia pictured above) are known for the motto “Rangers lead the way.” It stems from the tremendous heroism and courage they displayed at D-Day. When they stormed the beaches at Normandy. But theContinue reading “Sua Sponte”

“I didn’t want to be a big star. I wanted to be a really good actor.” -Laurence Fishburne I love the below note from Laurence Fishburne at the beginning of his play RIFF RAFF. I’ll just let it speak for itself… P.S. – This 2000 LAT article

“When choosing a new habit many people seem to ask themselves, “What can I do on my best days?”The trick is to ask, “What can I stick to even on my worst days?” Start small. Master the art of showing up. Scale up when you have the time, energy, and interest.” -James Clear, book AtomicContinue reading “Sticky Habits”

“There is nothing worth doing that is not scary. There is no one who has achieved greatness without wrestling with their own doubts, anxieties, limitations, and demons.” -book, Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave by Ryan Holiday “Be scared. You can’t help that. But don’t be afraid.” -William Faulkner “When He has tested me,Continue reading “When Tested”

“We are most productive when we focus on a very small number of projects on which we can devote a large amount of attention.” -Cal Newport “Attention Residue is the scientific concept that there is a cognitive switching cost to shifting your attention from one task to another. When your attention is shifted, there isContinue reading “Boot Away Attention Residue”

“A lot of the time I hate the theater. You think, ‘I have to climb Mount Everest, again, tonight.’ Oh, the theater is a scary place to be.” -Alan Rickman “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” -Edmund Hillary “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again.” -Samuel Beckett For any big goalContinue reading “PROCESS Vs. summit”

“When people injure you, ask yourself what good or harm they thought would come of it. If you understand that, you’ll feel sympathy rather than outrage or anger. Your sense of good and evil may be the same as theirs, or near it, in which case you have to excuse them. Or your sense ofContinue reading “A Case For Assuming Positive Intent”

Yeah, runnin’ down a dreamThat never would come to meWorkin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leadsRunnin’ down a dream -song, “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty “What if my best isn’t good enough?” That’s a scary question to ask yourself. And it’s why most people don’t attempt to do hard things. Because it’sContinue reading “Life Is Not A Movie Montage”