What Are Some Life-Changing Hacks?

Nik

Follow the white rabbit.

What would you do if you saw a white rabbit on the street, who was wearing a tuxedo and carrying a big watch, muttering “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” over and over again?

I know exactly what you would think: “A talking rabbit? That can’t be real. Even if so, what a lunatic!”

You’d shake your head and go about your day.

Now imagine you were 9 years old when you saw that rabbit. What would you do?

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Are Most Guys Superficial? Is It Really All About Looks?

Nik

Only one guy can answer this.

“Ted, do you know how long it takes a woman to decide whether or not she’s going to sleep with a guy? 8.3 seconds. After that, her decision is made. She will not change her mind.” — Barney Stinson

Hold on. He said woman. Why did he…? Wait! Could it be that women quickly judge men based on looks too?

*gasp*

Looks are a visual filtering mechanism all humans use – and a beautiful one at that. It keeps us sane.

What’s easy to forget is that it’s one of thousands. The world wants you to believe we’re all superficial based on a single argument:

Looks are the first filter we use.

Don’t judge all of us by the few who stop there.

How Do I Move Past My Parents Hiding Their Profession From Me?

Nik

A 15-year-old found out his parents worked for the Navy and police instead of being a lawyer and a doctor. He didn’t believe in violence, and it was a shock to him. “I feel dirty, and I can’t look at them the same way anymore without feeling sick. How do I move past this?” he asked.

Here is my answer:

The quickest way to a miserable life is to take responsibility for other peoples’ decisions.

You don’t feel dirty because your parents did what they had to do in line of duty. You feel dirty because you’ve been left out in the cold. Your parents decided not to share their profession with you.

Instead of blaming yourself for their choice, take responsibility for the outcome.

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How Can I Improve My Focus?

Nik

Break the pattern.

On Monday, two friends and I had a business idea. A cryptocurrency newsletter. We’d make software, use it to analyze data and share cryptocurrency trends in words non-technical people can understand.

We’re so convinced of it that within 8 hours, we had a team chat, a landing page for interested folks, a name, tag line and temporary logo, a workflow, outsourced some code work and a folder chock full of ideas.

The only problem? My economics exam on Friday.

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What Are Some Things That Literally Make No Sense?

Nik
Source

Humans are fascinating creatures.

Take queuing, for example. It makes no sense at all. Not just sometimes, but most of the time:

  • People queuing to get on an escalator when no one’s using the stairs. Especially when it’s the Eiffel Tower, like above.
  • People queuing to get off an airplane. We’re here, you’ll all get out.
  • People queuing to get on an airplane. It doesn’t matter if you’re the last one, they’ll wait.
  • People queuing at a grocery store that has self-checkout. Scanning’s more fun than waiting.
  • People queuing at a Shake Shack when there’s one with no line down the block. I know, I know, that one’s ‘popular.’
  • People queuing to get off a train while it’s still moving. Same as on an airplane, except you’ll fall over too.
  • People queuing at a restaurant that takes reservations. It takes 30 seconds to book a table, folks.
  • People queuing to pay $700 for a new phone when it’ll still cost $700 a week later, but they can get it instantly.
  • People queuing at a movie theatre when they have numbered seat tickets. It’s not a lottery ticket. Your seats are safe.

The biggest plot twist in the human art of queuing, however, is this:

People decide to waste all this time standing in line, only to then try and cut, skip, pay or cheat their way to the front if given the chance.

Humans are fascinating creatures.

Why Won’t Millennials Learn From People Who Grew Up in the 50s?

Nik

That’s my grandpa, checking what I’m up to on Facebook. Yes. Facebook.

Facebook was invented in 2004. My grandpa was “invented” in 1940. That’s like having a 13-year old walk into your house when you’re 77 who says:

“Yo! I’m the boss now. If you want to know what goes on outside these four walls you’ll have to go through me – and we’re playing by my rules.”

Can you imagine how tough that is? Everyone who’s even so much as trying deserves nothing but respect.

Hence, the first thing I’d like to say to those, who were born in the 30s, 40s or 50s, is this:

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If I Could Teach Only One Thing to My Kids, This Would Be It

Nik

There’s only one thing I wish for my kids:

I want my children to love themselves.

I’m not talking about confidence or resilience or optimism. They can learn all these things when they have self-love. I know I did.

The kind of love I’m talking about is the kind that lets you sit in your own room when you’re 16, 25, 42 or 74 years old, with your head heavy and your heart broken and think:

“Ah, well, at least I still have myself. I’ll always have myself. I’ll be okay. I’ll always be okay.”

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