Life

Random Stuff I Love That You’ll Probably Love Too.

Published

7 years ago

Apr 6, 2018

It’s easy to focus on all the crap you hate or things that piss you off. Too much of life is spent complaining or talking about experiences or products that missed the mark.

I’d love, instead, to share some random stuff I love that you’ll love too like:

Cafes that encourage conversation.

Interruptions. Loud music. The need to get you seated and off your table as quickly as possible. These are all traditional flaws of a cafe.

The cafes I love are the ones that understand the power of conversation. Conversations are where lovers are born, businesses are created, careers are changed and emotions are shared. Nothing should ever get in the way of that.

The cafe is more important nowadays than the office. Real work gets done in cafes.

Waking up early.

There’s something seriously cool about being up before the rest of the planet. There’s this strange sense of calmness and you can think without interruption or noise. Working in the morning feels to me like I’m getting extra hours in the day.

I love mornings because of what they allow me to do, and also share with all of you.

People who show raw emotion.

Like that clip I saw on YouTube with an American guy singing “My Girl” by Michael Jackson which he’d changed into a song about his daughter. It had raw emotion, passion, moments of silence and it left me inspired.

Anyone who shows raw emotion is brave and I love it.

The beautiful countryside in Australia.

I just came back from Kangaroo Island in Australia and I saw wallabies, goannas, kangaroos (obviously), eagles, dolphins and seals.

The country I live in is beautiful and if you’re from overseas, then it’s great to visit. It’s a place that has so much beauty which will help take you out of your head and back into the present.

Seeing the result.

I love watching people bust their chops for years at a time and then finally get the result. A mate of mine was a failed musician for a long time. Everyone told him during the file sharing music era that he’d never make a dollar.

While he never became a big-name musician himself, he’s now got a multi-million-dollar music and entertainment business and is crushing it. He’s the nicest most humble guy too, which I love even more! Don’t you just love seeing people get the result?

Software that is dead simple to use.

We all have enough things to do each day and software that requires a manual kills our time. I love simple to use software that does what it says on the box.

Some examples of software I use are:

– Grammarly

– Calm meditation app

– Mac OS High Sierra

The survivor phone cover on my iPhone.

My phone has been dropped from quad bikes, fallen out of my pocket while running and even had gym weights smack into it. Through it all, my survivor phone cover keeps my phone safe and doesn’t crack. Most phone covers made of plastic are rubbish but not this one.

Seeing people play with courage for the first time.

A rather junior guy in the company I work for reached out to me and asked me to be his mentor. The courage it took him to do that is something I love. He’ll never forget the experience despite the outcome and hopefully get addicted to it.

Well-thought-out videos.

Prince EA does some awesome ones on YouTube. They are poetic pieces written originally as raps that aim to change an entire culture and get us to think differently. They are short, sharp and clearly well-thought-out.

Storytelling fused with content, done in this way, is something I love. It generally goes viral too.

People who are inspiring.

Some people just have a natural ability to inspire others into action. Tony Robbins is an example. Martin Luther King is another. I love to be inspired and it’s what drives me to do the same.

Inspiring people is something I love because it carries so much power.

“You can literally make huge changes in the world through using inspiration”

Public transport.

It’s where I meditate and listen to podcasts. Some people hate the commute but I love it. I don’t need to drive a car and the train takes me where I need to go. Best of all, when public transport runs late, I get more time to listen to podcasts. Why would anyone ever drive?

What’s the ultimate thing I love?

Life itself.

“There’s so much to experience and so much positivity in the world if you can just stop looking at your phone for 5 seconds and notice it”

We have endless amounts of possibility hidden inside of us and each of us can do pretty much whatever we want. Through all the suffering we are guaranteed to experience in life, we can choose to still enjoy our time on Earth.

Life is what I love most of all. You can love it too.

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net

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Tim Denning

Aussie Blogger with 500M+ views — Writer for CNBC & Business Insider. Inspiring the world through Personal Development and Entrepreneurship You can connect with Tim through his website www.timdenning.com

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Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 6, 2025

Daniel Bell

Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
Cultivate healthier relationships
Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
Exhibit better work ethic
Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

What challenges have I already overcome?
How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

Published

4 weeks ago

Dec 27, 2024

CT Dool

Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

Life

Here’s The Thing About Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Stop hoarding and start sharing your knowledge and wealth for the benefit of humankind

Published

2 months ago

Nov 21, 2024

M.S. Rao

Image Credit: Midjourney

Few people have the habit of hoarding their wealth without spending. However, it limits their motivation as they tend to get into their comfort zones. When people start spending money, then there will be depletion in their coffers. (more…)