Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World
There is something deeply gratifying about coming up with an insight that no one else has thought of. If you’ve ever been in a situation where you were helping someone work through a problem, and you’ve said or asked something that caused the other person to say “wow, I hadn’t thought about that before!” you
After I read the 4-Hour Work Week, starting a “muse,” an online business that generates enough passive income to sustain my ideal lifestyle, seemed like the ultimate way to live a happy life. I wouldn’t have a boss and I would only spent a minimal amount of time on tedious tasks. I could spend my
One of the ways I’m practicing Taoism this month is by practicing Tai Chi. There are a few classes in my neighborhood, but at $40 per class, the $10 Tai Chi for Beginners DVD suddenly seemed more “spiritual.” It appears as if the Tao guided me to purchasing the less expensive option…. Tai Chi is
Yesterday was my first day of attempting to be “Taoist” in my daily routine. I had to work at my company’s client site for a few hours, but due to some contracting issues, I didn’t have anything to do after that. So at around 2 PM I decided to just go home and take a
The Problem with Modern Productivity After I read The Four Hour Work Week, I thought I could solve all of life’s problems could by becoming super productive and effective in my work (whether day job or side business “muse”). The 80-20 rule blew my mind. I began to see it everywhere. Yes, I do get
If you haven’t already, check out my latest post on Cal Newport’s website, Study Hacks. It’s addressed to recent college graduates (but applicable to anyone) and the primary piece of advice is to not trust anyone under 500. Check it out. On another note, I will be publishing my Taoism posts soon. That will be
I consider modern American culture to be fairly hedonist. Our measures for success are largely material. If you are able to live in a fancy house or apartment, take luxury vacations, and eat gourmet food, you are successful. The more pleasures you are able to attain, the more successful you are. Though I am against
I’m finding that one of the toughest things about Epicureanism is that it doesn’t seem to offer any solution to what I believe is my fundamental problem: a lack of meaning in my day-to-day life. Epicurean philosophy is very smart about what brings us pain and what brings us pleasure. It provides a solid analytical
Everyone at some point in time, and most likely, for extended periods of time, feels like they want more from life. Indeed, I only started the Ancient Wisdom Project because I felt (and still feel) that way. It’s natural. You would have to be a robot to say you haven’t felt a deep longing for
There is an excellent, Chipotle-like burrito place called Anna’s Taqueria in the Boston area. In high school, my friends and I would make the 20-minute drive to Anna’s, get our burritos or quesadillas (my go-to), and speed back while eating in the car. The quesadillas are delicious. Instead of making them in the traditional flat bread