Published in Mind Cafe·PinnedMember-onlyI’m At An AirportTurning a mundane experience into a story. — I’ve been meaning to do this writing experiment for a while. The big idea: record events from an everyday experience, and form them into an article. Why? Because the most common writing question I get is about inspiration. People are fascinated with ideas and where they come from. The truth…Self Improvement5 min readSelf Improvement5 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·PinnedMember-onlyWhat Two Men Who Survived Jumping Off The Golden Gate Bridge LearnedIt’s never too late — until it is. — Ken Baldwin stood on the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge. Several people had pulled over and urged him to come back. He ignored them and looked down. The cold waters of the San Francisco Bay rippled below him. It was a 220-foot fall. Your odds of death were 97%…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·PinnedMember-onlyWrongly Imprisoned Man Meets Doppelganger Who Committed The Crime — In PrisonAnd proceeds to sue the state of Kansas. — Richard A. Jones was puzzled when he was brought in for questioning by Kansas police. Hours later, he was asked to stand in a lineup of suspects. His situation quickly devolved and he was placed under arrest for a robbery — and specifically, snatching a purse. What happened During the alleged crime…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·PinnedMember-onlyCocaine Hippos Are Taking Over Colombia’s RiversNot a joke. — The Magdalena River has a strange problem. It is Colombia’s largest river, pumping water into the heart of its thick jungles. Big channels turn into smaller channels and eventually flow into the Caribbean Sea. If you sailed down its blue and muddy waters — just as Christopher Columbus did —…History5 min readHistory5 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·PinnedMember-onlyI Challenge You To Throw Away 50% of Your StuffIt will revolutionize your life. — I want you to take a gander around your room right now. Seriously. pivot in your chair, couch, whatever —and survey everything. How many things aren’t being used? How many things are being kept for thin sentimental reasons? Until last year, my answer was “many, many things”. I had an…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·9 hours agoMember-onlyIt’s a Mistake To Ignore Your Comment SectionsBut you should still know when to drop the B. — In 2011, Westborough Baptist church was picketing outside of a Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City. They were shouting and waving their predictably homophobic signs at everyone. Rather than hide in the stadium, the Foo Fighters appeared in front of the protestors on a flatbed of a truck — and…Self6 min readSelf6 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·1 day agoMember-onlyThe $1 Billion Reason Febreze Ditched Its Cat LadiesWhy the “Cat Lady Effect” nearly ruined one of P&G’s top brands. — Proctor and Gamble’s chemists were creating innovative chemicals in their odorous lab. One of their top chemists was a chain smoker. During experiments, he accidentally spritzed some of the liquid on his clothes just before heading home. When he walked through his front door and hugged his wife, she looked…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·2 days agoMember-onlyNuclear Cars Could Become a Thing In The FutureThe story of the Nucleon, and the prospect of nuclear-powered cars. — Nuclear power gets a bad rap. And one can understand why — when things go wrong with nuclear, they go epically wrong and the headlines aren’t pretty. I’d still argue that fossil fuels have caused far, far more damage than nuclear power ever has. Sadly, deep fears of nuclear energy…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
Published in Mind Cafe·3 days agoMember-only3 Non-Verbal Behaviors That Could Easily Elevate Your LifeA few tricks to become highly likable without saying a word. — The limbic system doesn’t care if you’re trying to be a good person. It doesn’t judge you when you eat that extra cookie. It doesn’t think about your latest crush. It has one simple and unwavering goal: to keep you alive. This elegant structure also carries an all-powerful vote on…Self6 min readSelf6 min read
4 days agoMember-onlyThe Secret To Grinding Through Hard ThingsAnd thriving from it. — I hated swimming for much of my life. I’d fallen into it because my parents were both good swimmers and had met on the swim team. So I began taking lessons at an early age. Eventually, the sport stopped being cute — and just became grueling and boring. While other…Self5 min readSelf5 min read
