Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 62
February 17, 2015
2,500 “Beautiful Moments” from People in 24 Countries
This is a reader story. ( Read others or tell us yours .)
In her darkest hour, Janne Williams discovered the power of being able to identify and remember positive moments throughout her day. Now, she travels the world asking others to do the same, and share their moments with her.
Here’s Janne:
While helplessly watching my mother’s health deteriorate, I sank into a state of profound sadness. I discovered that by focusing on finding small, good moments in my day, I was afforded pockets of happiness...
February 16, 2015
Why I Became an Entrepreneur 16 Years Ago
The best and most honest answer is that I wasn’t good at anything else.
For better or worse, I learned that I was a terrible employee. I was unreliable and unskilled.
I’ve written before about my last official job, lugging boxes onto FedEx trucks in the middle of the night.
Stacking boxes was surprisingly hard! It wasn’t just about picking up the box and tossing it in the truck—you had to stack it in a certain way that led to maximum efficiency (and presumably out of some concern for the conte...
Why I Became an Entrepeneur 16 Years Ago
The best and most honest answer is that I wasn’t good at anything else.
For better or worse, I learned that I was a terrible employee. I was unreliable and unskilled.
I’ve written before about my last official job, lugging boxes onto FedEx trucks in the middle of the night.
Stacking boxes was surprisingly hard! It wasn’t just about picking up the box and tossing it in the truck—you had to stack it in a certain way that led to maximum efficiency (and presumably out of some concern for the conte...
The Japanese Tradition That Encourages Us to Be Present
More supporting evidence for my new focus on units of momentary happiness:
“Japanese tradition tells of ichi-go ichi-e, a concept fortified over centuries of practice that says we only have one meeting, at one time—our experiences with one another stand alone. Every encounter we have—a dinner, a shared bottle of wine, a late evening of conversation on an old red couch—will happen once, and then will never happen again.
The circumstances surrounding an encounter, the people involved and their ex...
February 15, 2015
6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXIII
I. Around the World
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Invasive Species — Photos of South African cell-phone towers disguised as trees
I Wanted to Be a Millionaire — What it’s like to lose a small fortune in 20 seconds
How to Charter a Yacht — The beginner’s guide
The King of Cactuses — When your cactus gets sick, who are you going to call? This guy.
The Uber Driver Who Makes $250,000 a Year — Tip: Most of his income doesn’t come from the...
“Scholarships for Real Life” WDS Foundation Is Now an Official Non-Profit
In 2013 we announced that all profits from WDS will go toward our new foundation, featuring Scholarships for Real Life.
In 2014 we announced the first grantees and $60,000 of initial awards to three individuals working on sensitive, important issues: a “kids-first” ADHD movement, LGBT empowerment, and life-skills training for youth.
The process of gaining 501(c)(3) status is cumbersome and often takes more than a year. I wish it took a bit less time, but I do understand the reasoning. The IRS w...
Beware the Power of Bad Advice: A Lesson in Life and Plumbing
Holly Finch founded the LightBox Collaborative, a San Francisco-based consultancy for non-profits. Lightbox has eight “collaborators” but no employees. When I asked Holly what she should advise someone hoping to follow her path, she said: “Do it your way—but check the math.”
She explained that this means you should always apply someone else’s lessons in a way that makes sense to you, but you should also make sure that your happiness allows for enough money.
Speaking of advice, here’s what Holly...
February 14, 2015
Living With Gratitude in a Modern Age: Starbucks Edition
Here’s one more story for the thread. (Oh, and here’s the first.)
Someone gave me a Starbucks gift card as a thank-you for a favor I did. Oh thanks! I thought. That was nice.
But to be honest, I get a fair number of Starbucks cards, so it didn’t stand out in my mind at first. Most of the time, I just load them up on my card (you use the app, right?) and don’t think of it again.
This time I did something different. It was a $25 card, so I added it to the app but didn’t combine the balance with my...
February 13, 2015
United Launches Business Card Offer with 50,000 Mile Signup Bonus
Link: New 50,000 Mile Business Card Offer
(Click the application link on that page, then click “Are you a business owner?” at the top-right of the application page.)
***
A new challenger has entered the ring: United just launched a 50,000 mile *Business* Card offer. This goes hand-in-hand with their longstanding 30,000 miles personal card offer.
Finding the actual offer is a bit convoluted. You have to click the personal application link from the Cards for Travel page (or directly on Chase.com i...
Giveaway: Business Class Upgrade On American Airlines
Every Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win!
Did someone say upgrade? I believe it was us—and this week you can win a Business Class upgrade on any long-haul American Airlines flight!
As mentioned, a while back I took a 14-hour flight to Hong Kong, and when I got off the plane I was a millionaire—at least in miles. Upon achieving my status of two million flight miles with American Airlines, they gifted me an extra two systemwide upgrades (known as EVIPs for those who care).
I doubt I’ll be abl...
