The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman. “I have a graduate degree in business. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to Sao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”

The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”

The fisherman asks, “And after that?”

The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”

The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”

From Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist

Currently Randy's famous Last Lecture titled How to Really Achieve Your Childhood Dreams has over 18,000,000 views on YouTube and has inspired millions of people to rethink their lives. It's impossible not to tear up a little bit during the talk or walk away not feeling like he has personally called on us to step our game.

I loved his book the Last Lecture and I've lost count of how many times I've seen his videos. You can watch his video below and enjoy some of his quotes as well. I hope you enjoy them and take Randy's humble advice to really achieve your childhood dreams.

Great Quotes from Randy

It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.

It is not the things we do in life that we regret on our death bed. It is the things we do not. Find your passion and follow it. And if there is anything that I have learned in life, you will not find that passion in things. And you will not find that passion in money. Because the more things and the more money you have, the more you will just look around and use that as the metric — and there will always be someone with more. Your passion must come from the things that fuel you from the inside. That passion will be grounded in people. It will be grounded in the relationships you have with people and what they think of you when your time comes.

Did you figure out the head fake? It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.

Focus on other people, not on yourself.

Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories. And they will figure out how those stories apply to them.

(Advice to his daughter, on dating boys)  Ignore everything they say and just pay attention to what they do. Because if you do that, you're not going to make all the big mistakes.

Find the best in everybody.

If I could only give three words of advice, they would be, "tell the truth." If I got three more words, I'd add: "All the time."

Did you figure out the second head fake? This talk's not for you. It's for my kids.

Randy's Wonderful Last Lecture

Read More

• Famous Last Lecture  (YouTube, iTunes)

• Professor Homepage  (cmu.edu)

• Last Lecture Book  (website)

• NFL Video on Randy (5 minute video)

• 10 Questions for Randy  (Time.com)

• Randy on Good Morning America  (YouTube)

• Last Lecture Reprise on Oprah (30 minute video)

• Randy's Faculty Page  (cmu.edu)

• Randy Pausch  (Wikipedia)

• Randy Pausch  (Wikiquote)

• Randy's Cameo in Star Trek movie (YouTube)

I can't tell you how happy it makes me when I dream it.

Once or twice a year I dream of a house.

I can't explain how, but somehow I know it's my house. In my first dreams years ago the house was normal-sized like my childhood home. It was full of love, curiosity and possibility.

And then it grew.

Three years ago I dreamed the house had a secret passageway that led to a beautiful library. Books lined the walls and ladders rolled along the shelves. The house had grown into something beautiful and magical.

I took the dream to mean that I should build this library. So that's what I've been doing.

In that time together with amazing people the Optimist Center has come into being.

This week I dreamed about the house again, though I didn't recognize it at first.

The Castle

I stood in a simple and warm room. A fireplace crackled to my left and comfortable chairs filled the room. As I walked into the connecting room I noticed the doorway and walls were stone. I was in a castle.

The next room was much larger and was also filled with people from our Optimist Center. They were talking, laughing and warming up by the fireplace.

I could feel that this place was the same home as in my previous dreams, it had grown and become more solid. It was stone now where it had been wooden before. And it had never been more warm and comfortable. And I could feel the size of the building and the new number of rooms was bigger than ever.

I woke up too soon. I didn't have time to explore the castle like I wanted. But that was by design.

My dream wanted me to feel the excitement and adventure of this new place. It wanted me to know the warmth and solidness of it. And then it ended too soon to challenge me to wake up and explore it here and now.

What we are doing at the Optimist Center feels like my life's work. It is community and inspiration, learning and leading, great people and great possibility.

Our first talk on Happiness launches this week and I'm recording it for our online community.

We are beginning to explore the rooms together and what is being built feels like magic.

2017

Three Years Earlier: The Library

Three Years Later: The Home

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tyler on the My Peace Corps Story Podcast to talk about Peace Corps, optimism and much more. 

I’m honored to have been one of Tyler’s first guests on the podcast, which has gone on to include volunteers from around the world. Thank you Tyler!

Check it out interview or on iTunes to learn more about Mongolia, my journey after Peace Corps and my favorite story, how I met my wife Tunga.

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One of my favorite movies is Forrest Gump. It's a beautiful story and there are jewels of advice on how to live a happy life hidden throughout the story. Here are eight of my favorite lessons. You might enjoy listening to this in the background while you read.

Notice the small things

The movie starts and ends with a feather. Forrest notices it the first time when he is sitting on a bench. He takes it, admires it and puts it in his favorite book. Years later it reappears after we learn Forrest's amazing story.

Remember that Miracles happen every day

My Momma always said that, "Miracles happen every day." 

Now some people don’t believe that but it’s true.

To illustrate the point, interestingly, Forrest talks about what could seem like a pretty terrible memory: the first time he ever ran from bullies. It's in this scene that Jenny famously yells “Run Forrest Run!” and he runs down his driveway as three bullies chase him on their bikes. His braces fall off and he outruns them across the field and clear across town. It turns out he could run like the wind. As got older he says, “Now it used to be I ran to get where I was going, I never thought it would take me anywhere.” It took him all the way to college.

DO A great job the first time

One of my favorite exchanges in the movie is between Forrest and his Drill Sergeant. Forrest stays focused on his task in front of him, whether it's assembling his rifle in record-time, cleaning the floors with a toothbrush or just responding with enthusiasm. It's easy to overthink things but Forrest has it right when he stays focused and does a great job the first time. 

“GUMP! What’s your sole purpose in this army?”

“To do whatever you tell me Drill Sergeant.”

“God damn it Gump! You’re a god damn genius. That is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard!"

Focus on the Good

He always saw the best in people and circumstances. When in Vietnam on patrol he would say, “We got to see lots of the countryside” and of course he would always see the best in Jenny, Bubba, Lt. Dan, and everyone around him. Not only did he focus on the good, he was always good to others as well even when they didn't understand why.

Always Keep Your Word

After finishing his time in the Army, Forrest kept his word to Bubba and starting a shrimping company. He also split everything with his family 50/50. When Forrest reminds his Lieutenant, “Bubba was going to be Captain and I was going to be his first mate. Now I need to be the Captain. A promise is a promise Lt. Dan!” He jokes, “And the day you become a shrimp boat captain, I’ll be your first mate,” It turned out that Forrest kept his promise to Bubba, and Bubba's family and ultimately Lt. Dan kept his promise too. 

Dive in for those you care about

One of my favorite scenes in the movie that just makes my heart happy is when Lt. Dan comes to see Forrest on his shrimping boat. Forrest waves and gets so excited that he just walks right off the boat and swims to Lt. Dan. Years later, when their company is incredibly successful, Forrest hears that his mom is sick over the radio. He figures out what direction home is and then dives straight into the water to swim to her. In both cases he doesn't hesitate and he doesn't say a word. He just dives in for those he cares about. 

Just FOCUS ON the NEXT step

After his mother passes away, Forrest is pretty set. He has made a ton of money with his company and given away almost all of it. "Momma always said there's only so much fortune a man really needs, and the rest is just for showing off." He spends his time mowing because he loves it and he sees Jenny again when she comes to stay with him. 

But after a while she leaves. He's heartbroken and unsure what to do next. That's when he decides to run. He isn't sure what to do in the big picture so he just starts with a step. His simple approach quickly turned into an inspiring movement without him saying a word. It's easy to overthink things, but people respond to action and we all have to start with the first step.  

That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going. When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.

Just say I love you

Most people don't remember the very last line in Forrest Gump. I certainly didn't.

But I think it might be one of the most profound and touching lines in the whole movie.

When Little Forrest goes to school in the last scene his dad says,

"Hey Forrest, don't...... I wanted to tell you I love you."

-

I found this incredibly interesting and touching. Forrest is concerned, like all parents, about letting his child go. He remembers his first day on the bus and all the things that he probably wants to warn his son about. That "don't" could have been so many things.

Had Forrest continued the sentence, it would have been the very first time we ever saw Forrest tell anyone what to do. But he doesn't.

He does what I think all of us should do, he focuses on love.

It's the perfect last line of a beautiful story.

Franklin was a true renaissance man. He was a candlemaker, printer, editor, columnist, writer, author, entrepreneur, scientist, philanthropist, community organizer, statesman, humorist, humanitarian and in his free time the discoverer of the gulf stream and creator of daylight savings time.

It amazes me when I think about all he accomplished during his lifetime. I love revisiting his life in the documentary I've included below, his wonderful quotes (also below) and I even have his picture up on my office wall. He inspires me to do more with the time I have been given and to also have a sense of humor about all of it at the same time.

Here are eight of my favorite quotes from Benjamin Franklin which nicely sum up his philosophy on success. If you'd like to read more, I recommend his Autobiography, The Way to Wealth and Fart Proudly for starters. Yes, that's actually a book! Check it out.

My Favorite Quotes from Franklin on Success

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If you love those quotes and want the whole story on Franklin, I highly recommend the incredible film about him by PBS. I've included the first part below. It's simply amazing. 

If you make it through the whole documentary,
you will find my favorite quote at the very end...

Franklin was born at a time when witches were taught to be real and he died at the dawn of the modern age. It is an age that to a surprising degree he himself helped shape. He came from a society where class determined ones station in life and he helped create a country where merit and ability could flourish. In a rigid world of orthodoxy and dogma he believed to the core of his soul in the virtues of tolerance and compromise. The quintessential optimist he never doubted, even for a moment, that the future of humanity lay in the infinite power of human reason.

“The rapid progress of the sciences makes me, at times, sorry that I was born so soon. Imagine the power that man will have over matter a few hundred years from now. We may learn how to remove gravity from large masses and float them over great distances, agriculture will double its produce with less labor, all diseases will surely be cured, even old age. If only the moral sciences could be improved as well. Perhaps men would cease to be wolves to one another and
human beings could learn to be…human.”

Sometimes stress comes in the form of this stress scale. But other times what's overwhelming us isn't on the list. The great recession, brexit and an election for instance.

Even still, I do find the list helpful. Every year I see something big on the list pop up in my life.

Some stress is so big that it comes with the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Sometimes privately, sometimes publicly. 

I feel like I've been going through several stages in the last 24 hours. Maybe you have too.

When I start feeling overwhelmed, I have to admit, I don't always react in healthy ways.

I often:

• Check Facebook and scroll endlessly

• Type terms into Google and read news article after news article

• Try to find cute animal photos or videos

• Feel like just going back to bed

• Spiral back to Facebook... you get the idea

Then there are other things I do, which seem to work better in the long run.

In case they are helpful to you, I wanted to share them here.

Some of my healthier reactions have been:

• Taking a moment to breathe

• Giving space to those around me and being gentle with them

• Writing a thank you email to someone I appreciate

• Giving a small gift to someone else

• Buying something small for myself

• Being vocal about the things I appreciate in my life

• Remember the Kubler Ross curve

• Meditating for one minute

• Thinking about how I can help others

• Telling my partner how much I love her

• Listening to some of my favorite music

• Filling the bird feeder

• Giving a close friend a call to just talk

• Writing down ideas to help those I care about

These are just a couple simple ideas. They won't fix everything or help me eliminate stress from my life, but in a simple way they help me start dealing with overwhelm. 

I can feel them helping me today and I hope they can be helpful for you too.

To help with that overwhelm you may have heard a secret word whispered in leadership seminars or in bestselling books… delegation.

I have been delegating tasks like transcription, design, editing, research, copywriting and much more for over two years now. I’m no expert, but I've learned things that might be helpful for you.

That's why I created this short guide called The Art of Delegation. In fact, I even delegated the design of it using something you will read about called The $5 Delegation Experiment.

If I can help you save even 30 minutes this week with some of these suggestions, then reading this brief guide would have been worth it.

Click this link below to download the guide for free and give it a shot!

I love that he says it. It reminds me that we all have that opportunity: to live the dream.

More specifically, we all get to live our dream. There is no “dream” that we all share, it’s a very personal thing.

My dream involves having a lot of time alone and with my wife. I love being in the woods, writing a lot, reading a lot, and sharing what I am learning with others. I love one-on-one conversations like when I am coaching or working with entrepreneurs or amazing leaders. I also love meditating, being mindful and having time to myself so I can think and reflect. Living the dream for me involves living in a small town where I can sit outside on the porch, walk across the front yard and jump into a swimming hole, or lay in a hammock between the trees listening to the creek in my backyard. It involves working out of my home office, but connecting to people around the world in Mongolia, California, Vermont and New York.

And living the dream for me didn’t happen all at once. Quite the opposite. It’s been slow and steady, like a long game of cards where you have many chances to trade in your hand and try new cards. I’ve traded in and traded up from good projects to better projects, from enough income to better income, and from good situations to great situations. I try to focus on being grateful and doing the best I can with what life has put in front of me.

As Neil talks about in his new book The Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything, the more I focus on wanting less and doing a wonderful job at what is in front of me, the more I am surrounded by wonderful opportunities and great people.

I also have learned that “living the dream” involves way more subtraction than addition.

It involves me looking at my schedule and going through a simple exercise…

Every time I have an event scheduled on my calendar that day, I ask myself this question:

If this event was cancelled, would I be excited about it?

You might be able to relate to this. Have you ever had someone cancel a meeting at the last minute, or a conference call, a dinner or some other obligation and then you thought, “Wow, perfect! I didn’t really want to go anyway.”

I call this The Joy of Cancelling.

I’ve definitely had periods in my life where I had a couple of those even in a single day! My day was full of things I secretly wished would be cancelled.

I know there are plenty of things we “have to do" and we don’t feel in control of those. But I started to question that.

I started to see that everything I “had to do” was actually a choice. They weren’t so much “have to's” as they were “get to’s.”

I choose to have a cell phone, so I get to pay for it.

I choose to live in a nice place, so I get to pay the rent.

I choose to do work and interact with people, so I get to have a schedule.

And so on.

I also get to subtract things if I choose. There are consequences sure, but they are manageable.

The more I cut, the more surprised I've become. Nothing has been the end of the world. Things keep moving along. And the Joy of Cancelling has slowly become the Joy of Freedom.

Now, after having done this a while, when something gets cancelled I often think, “Aw, that’s too bad. Well, I’ll just have to reschedule that.”

Whether it’s a meeting, a conference call, a dinner or something else, now they are often things I am leading and loving. I feel lucky to work with the people I do and I try, more and more, to fill my days with things I really enjoy.

I think that’s how living the dream works. The dream is a day full of doing things you love with people you care about. The dream is a life where you don’t want things cancelled. Your days are full. Your life is full. And in my case, it’s a simple and happy life doing work you love surrounded by people you love.

Whatever it may be for you, I hope you are able to think about what “Living the Dream” means for you. I wish you all the luck in pursuing it and making it happen.

I'm excited to announce that my newest book The Dalai Lama Book of Quotes was released today!

The book features my very favorite quotes from His Holiness collected over 15 years. It's also meant to be a fun companion to Questions for The Dalai Lama which was released in 2014.

My publisher just told me this morning that we hit #1 on Amazon in its category, which is very exciting. You can find it on Amazon here and I hope you enjoy it!

It’s not too fun. In fact, it’s pretty annoying. Worrying feels a lot like biting your nails, which I know a little bit about.

Here are some things worrying and nailbiting have in common:

• Easy to do when you’re anxious
• Easy to do when you’re nervous
• Easy to learn from others
• Feels a little comforting and productive
• Actually counterproductive
• Bad for your health
• Tied to stress
• It hurts and feels bad

Yeesh. Why do it!

Well, like any bad habit, it’s easy to get addicted to it. You might not even know you’re doing it.

Luckily, it’s possible to stop.

It took me over 20 years to stop biting my nails. And though I’m not perfect, I’ve figured out some things that might help. And these same things that help you stop biting your nails can also help with worry too.

1. Notice The Problem

It wasn’t easy for me to even notice when I was biting my nails. I would do it when I watched a movie, or read a book, or was talking on the phone. I might do it when I was driving, or thinking.

Worrying is like this too. Our brains can go crazy and we aren’t in control at all. The “crazy monkey brain” is swinging from branch to branch without rhyme or reason. First, just notice it. Don’t worry about doing anything yet, just be aware of when it happens.

2. Get Around The Shame

People are pretty good at pointing out others’ bad habits. I’ve had people tell me nailbiting is annoying, bad, disgusting, dangerous, or ugly. That’s all true and I didn’t disagree. I just couldn’t stop and now I felt even worse about it!

Shame around worrying might not be like this, but it’s out there. We might want to stop, but feeling bad about it doesn’t help. Instead of shaming...

3. Be Compassionate With Yourself

This is the big reason why I didn’t stop biting my nails until my late-20s. I wasn’t compassionate with myself. I’m driven. I demand a lot of myself. I’m sure there are all kinds of deep reasons why, but suffice it to say I just do. So the idea that nailbiting was something wrong with me fit with my “be hard on myself and be better!” mentality. Shame and perfectionism are close friends.

Worrying can be like this too. We are hard on ourselves and expect that we should know everything and plan for every scenario. This doesn’t make any sense. It’s perfectionism and fortune-telling mixed together. We can’t know what’s going to happen.

To run a self-compassion test ask this: would you treat someone the way you are treating yourself? 

In my case the answer is a big “No way!” I am much easier on other people. I don't demand crazy things from them or ask them to tell the future.  I am appreciative, give them a break and just ask them to do their best with whatever happens.

Being compassionate with yourself is hard, but it’s also simple. Focus on love and appreciation first. When you (1) notice and (2) get around the shame, take a breath and (3) think about compassion.

4. Have a Mindful Moment

I’ve found mindfulness to be helpful in my life. It’s actually pretty difficult for me to describe how unbelievable its affect has been on me.

Mindfulness is about watching your mind. Not judging it or turning it off, just watching. As the crazy monkey mind swings from branch to branch, you see it and then return to your breath. You return to the present moment.

Even if you do this for a moment, it can have a tremendous affect. String a couple of these moments together and now you’re on to something! I’ve never wanted to bite my nails or spend an extra moment worrying when I get to this mindful place. It’s a calm and quiet that can be a sanctuary away from all that. And it’s a great place to come to with self-compassion.

5. Be Present

Now as wonderful as mindfulness is, the world also comes knocking on our door. People ask things of us. Situations come up. Bills need to be paid. That’s okay and we can be present for that, but nailbiting and worrying don’t have to come too.

Being present means allowing life to happen around us and choosing how we want to engage with life. We don’t wait and worry about what’s coming. And we don't overthink the past and second guess everything that’s happened. We breathe. We pay attention to what’s around us. We sit in appreciation and we choose to engage where it feels good and right.

6. Be Around Positive People

All this doesn’t happen overnight, nor do we live on an island all alone. We learn worrying and nailbiting from others and we can also learn to move past them with others’ help as well. For instance, even if we haven't met in person, I hope this article is helpful to you. I also hope you can find positive and supportive people to be around as well.

My nailbiting turned a corner when I met my wife. She was one of the first people who didn’t judge me or shame me for doing it. In fact she didn’t mention it for a long time. I brought it up months after we had met and told her I wished I could stop. She listened, she cared and she asked if she could help. I didn’t want her to slap me on the wrist when she saw me doing it, or yell at me, or anything like that. I’ve had plenty of people do all those things. I wanted her to listen. And I told her I wasn’t sure how she could help, I would think about it. So I did.

She also asked me why I did it. I think people had asked me this before, but she asked it in a way I can’t remember ever hearing before. She was curious and interested. It was fascinating to her. She brought awareness without shame, compassion, mindfulness, presence and genuine curiosity.

For the first time, I thought about it in a new way. I realized one of the big reasons I bit my nails was that I wanted to keep them clean. As weird as that might sound. I had never learned how to take care of them in a healthy way. So I asked her if she could help me. She said yes.

That started changing everything.

7. Enjoy a New Healthy Habit

Together we began on the path to taking better care of my nails. I got the right tools, tried things out, and always had a nail file or clippers somewhere nearby. It became easier to do the healthy new habit than to bite them. And it felt way better and looked better too. And if I was driving and I couldn't do it myself, Tunga helps me out.

I also try to have a pen and paper around too. I’ve noticed sometimes I just have an idea in my head and I want to get it out. Writing it down helps it not get stuck in my mind and cause me to want to bite my nails instead.

There is a lot of overlap here with worry too. Sometimes when I am worried, I take out a pen and paper and write a list called “Things on My Mind.” I’ve had these numbered lists be up to 192 things long. I know this is crazy, but I guess it goes to show how endless our minds are.

Instead of worrying and nailbiting, I've found several healthy alternatives. These include: meditation, writing, hiking, taking a walk, reading and playing outside.

I know changing any bad habit is challenging, but I hope this process can be helpful for you:

1. Notice The Problem
2. Get Around The Shame
3. Be Compassionate With Yourself
4. Have a Mindful Moment
5. Be Present
6. Be Around Positive People
7. Enjoy a New Healthy Habit

Good luck!

One idea I've adopted this year from a great guy and entrepreneurial friend of mine named Evan is a going on a weekly date night. At first I was hesitant (for no good reason), but the more I thought about it the more excited I got. It's actually pretty simple. My wife Tunga and I found a jar (an old candle jar) and filled it with lots of fun date night ideas. And every week we pick one and then do it. That's it.

When I wrote 52 Questions for a Better Relationship, I included some of the ideas we picked and added quite a few more so you could make your own date night jar too if you wanted too. Here is the list:

52 Fun Date Night Ideas

1. Plan a picnic
2. Take a mini road trip
3. Go snowshoeing
4. Dinner and a movie
5. Drive-in movie
6. Go bowling
7. Play a kids game
8. Walk to dinner
9. Go apple picking
10. Stargaze
11. Take the scenic route home
12. Visit farmer’s market
13. Sign up for a race
14. Go to a sports game
15. Visit a plant nursery
16. Go kayaking
17. Make a bucket list
18. Attend book reading
19. Give DIY massages
20. Play outdoor sport
21. Plan a long sleep in
22. Explore a winery
23. Wander a bookstore
24. Play with puppies
25. Take a surprise trip
26. Sleep by fireplace
27. Find a local swimming hole
28. Go pottery painting
29. Go thrift shopping
30. Go on dinner cruise
31. Take a brewery tour
32. Discover a museum
33. Act like a tourist
34. Visit a flea market
35. Have a game night
36. Go to the opera
37. Visit a gourmet grocery store
38. Go on a hike
39. Go to a dinner party
40. Visit a coffee shop
41. Go to a county fair
42. Take a new class
43. Learn a new dance
44. Go to a trivia night
45. Host a fondue night
46. Volunteer together
47. Try a fitness class
48. Head to the spa
49. Get extra sex ed
50. Morning matinee
51. Find an art gallery
52. Drive without a destination

This is #5 in my occasionally romantic series 100 Awesome Things for Entrepreneurs where I remember little awesome reasons why I love being an entrepreneur.

You deserve to be around those people.

But how?

The price of being around people like that is that you need to be a giver too.

Think about who you know that meets that description: they give you energy, love, support and excitement. You love just being around them.

Now think about what you could give to them. For instance, could you maybe...

• Send them a compliment
• A nice thank you email
• An actual thank you note
• A book they might like
• A small package in the mail
• Take them out to coffee
• Buy them lunch or
• Take them on a hike

I have done every single one of those things at least once in the last month and it’s always worked out great.

You may have noticed they are listed in increasing complexity and price. Pick one that feels comfortable for you right now and try it out on someone special. I promise something amazing will happen.

This is #80 in my energetic series 100 Awesome Things for Entrepreneurs where I remember little awesome reasons why I love being an entrepreneur.

• All the great people who have helped you get to where you are
• You're alive and breathing and full of wonderful ideas
• There are amazing people all around that you get to meet
• Inspirations are just a click away
• You can close your eyes, breathe, and remember you are enough

Entrepreneurs I know love being appreciative and showing it.

You can do that with something as simple as a note or a card. You can make a phone call or take someone out for tea. Stop in for a quick visit. Plan a fun event together. Take them on a drive somewhere new. Send them a little gift. Give them a hug. Tell them how much they mean to you.

No one is thanked enough for the great things they do.

Be one of those thankful people and tell everyone around you what you appreciate about them.

This is #65 in the thankful series 100 Things Entrepreneurs Love where I remember little awesome reasons why I love being an entrepreneur.

We work on the computer, we brainstorm on whiteboards, we design, create, write, have meetings and we can do all of this in our pajamas.

So when we get a chance, we love to bounce into other inspiring entrepreneurs. We find them online, at conferences, in coffee shops, in the woods, downtown, on Skype, pretty much everywhere. If we're lucky, we might even set up weekly calls with them and get to hang out more often.

These are our people. They are optimists, innovators, problem-solvers, mentors and inspirations.

Thank you for being who you are and for being our friends.

If you want extra inspiration, here's one of my favorite entrepreneurs Derek Sivers. I was lucky enough to see Derek in person at the World Domination Summit this year and chat together with him over email for the past several years. He's an amazing guy.

This is #8 in the bouncy and optimistic series 100 Things Entrepreneurs Love where I remember little awesome reasons why I love being an entrepreneur.

Here's a little picture of Panera Bread near my house. *Bonus points for the fireplace!*

Coffee shop awesomeness may include:

• A wonderfully light din of people chatting
• A delicious smell of coffee and baked goods
• Super soft comfy chairs
• Surprisingly fast and free wifi

It's like working from a bookstore, but a little louder and more lively. Plus the snacks, oh the snacks.

I'm not sure what you're waiting for, if you can be at a coffee shop right now go find one. Or make a list of your Top 10 favorites so you can remember and visit them later.

This is #24 in the comfy and decaffeinated series 100 Things Entrepreneurs Love where I remember little awesome reasons why I love being an entrepreneur.

You may have heard the saying,

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

Makes sense.

Don't risk everything on the success of one venture.

Entrepreneurs take this seriously, it's one reason they work for themselves.

As anyone who has lost a job can tell you, it can feel like your whole basket full of eggs (income, savings, benefits) breaking all at once.

Instead of having one big client (like an employer) entrepreneurs love to have multiple sources of income such as consulting work, working with several clients, side jobs, selling products, royalties, coaching, investments and much more.

In that way an entrepreneur might say put one egg in a backpack, one in a drawer, scramble one of them with cheese, keep another in your hand, one in a basket and then convert one of them into bitcoin.

If you diversify your income, work with better and better clients, stop trading time for money and eventually have that elusive smart passive income everyone talks about, then you'll be sitting pretty.  

This is #13 in my diverse and scrambled series 100 Things Entrepreneurs Love where I remember little awesome reasons why I love being an entrepreneur.