Get off the bunny hill

The temptation to stay on the bunny hill
The bunny hill is the nearly flat run closest to the parking lot at every ski resort in the world.  Bunny hills are designed for first timers to have a relatively safe place to learn how to use their bindings, control their edges and use chairlifts. 

The temptation of the bunny hill is to get stuck in an endless loop of taking one more run before moving to the advanced runs.

Catching edges forever
 The problem with waiting until you are ready to move up is that you may never be ready.  You can refine and practice and focus, and you'll still occasionally lose your balance and fall. The non-intuitive truth of snowboarding is that it is actually easier to stay in control at higher speeds.  At reaaaaally low speeds, it's tough to stay on one edge or the other. 

Learn the basics, then get to the steeps
The bunny hill has an important role.  It's good to practice getting on

Getting your money's worth out of school

The cost of going to school is tremendous.  Obviously.  The increasing cost of tuition and books regularly make headlines. Many people are deciding that college isn't worth the high cost.  Those that choose to attend are left feeling pressure to minimize costs and increase the returns on their investment.

When I was in school, I had two friends that were clearly trying to get their money's worth out of their investment.  We'll call them Stan and Miles.


Goods and Services
Stan had an approach that still makes me laugh.  When he realized how much he was paying for every day at the university, he decided to reclaim the price of his tuition in goods and services.  Every time he

Who can you trust?

It can be a tough thing to pursue a big dream.  There's always risk involved: risk of giving up a typical career, risk of looking silly when your dream doesn't work out, risk of dying alone and destitute when society shuns you for your unappreciated perspective.

We're social creatures.  In every aspect of our lives, in one way or another, we crave validation.  We want to feel like what we think and do is normal, or okay, or appreciated, or innovative.  As much as we might like to think that we are each individual islands, we all need some kind of recognition.  Where we go for this validation has a big impact on who we become.

You Can't Please Everyone
Some people require validation from the masses.  Some people are only comfortable when a majority of their acquaintances approve of their choices. Remember, though, that appealing to the largest group is how we got Jersey Shore, American Idol and

Are you comfortable with what you have?

Last week I met with a very good electrical engineer that had a good grasp of his project and a plan for completion. He spoke about some new equipment that would be very helpful in finishing his tests. Once he decided what he wanted, he was leaving it to someone else in the group to request the funds. "I don't get into that..." he said, making clear his discomfort when talking about money.

I wished that he would get into that,