BIRDS
One day, I was sitting at The Coffee Bean working on my computer when I noticed a bird fly through the open door and around the cafe. The girl beside me started smiling and laughing. “Oh my god,” she said. ”Do you know why the bird is here?” “Why?” I asked. “Because this place has such good energy. The people here are so inviting and good. The bird can feel it. The bird wants to be a part of it.” I just smiled, nodded, and said, ”That’s awesome.” The next day, I was sitting in the same spot, working on my computer, when another bird flew into the cafe. This time, a different girl was sitting...
Read MoreMAKE NEW FRIENDS
Think about all the awesome things you’ve experienced in life. Places you’ve seen, books you’ve read, memories you’ve created, etc. Each one of these little moments can probably be traced back to another person–a friend, relative, stranger on the subway, someone who directed your attention to something new. That’s because people are the bridges to the places we want to go. It doesn’t matter if you want to change your career, body, home, hobbies, anything–another human being will most likely serve as the inspiration for any new growth and discovery. Over the past nine years, I’ve had hundreds of clients walk...
Read MoreBe here.
We can’t rewrite the past or dictate the future, but what we do with this moment right now will determine how we feel about both. Being present, being here, is crucial to doing the things we love and enjoying our lives. But sometimes, we get caught up in the past, right? We suffered a heartbreak, a loss, a failure, something, and now it’s hard to move on. Well, here’s a little perspective for you. We’re all familiar with Oprah Winfrey. She’s a media mogul, billionaire, philanthropist who has changed the world and inspired hundreds of millions of humans. But what many us are not familiar with is her background. Specifically, the...
Read MoreHERE. WE. GO.
HERE. Today, I will make the most of who I am and what I’ve got. WE. Today, I will surround myself with people who inspire me. GO. Today, I will commit to something small that makes me happy. Happy people = folks that follow through on HWG. Unhappy people = folks that do not follow through on HWG. It’s really that f**kin’ simple. Here. We. Go. Love, Jmw.
Read MorePURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
As the audience came in, they were handed a piece of paper and given the following instructions: “Write down one thing you want to achieve in four words or less. Good examples are run a marathon, write my first novel, travel the world, lose fifteen pounds, start my own company, etc.” Everyone had about 10-15 minutes to complete this assignment before I took the stage. Once I began, I instructed everyone to hold up their signs so I could see the goals they aspired to achieve. I was shocked at what I saw. Virtually the entire audience wrote, “to be happy” in their own words. Some examples were: work less, live more, to be inspired always,...
Read MoreWHEN STUCK, SOLVE SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM.
There are a few universal psychological needs that all humans share. One of them is a sense of purpose–to feel like we contribute to the greater good beyond our own personal needs. We discover and create purpose within our families, friendships, companies, and communities. Purpose is the satisfaction you feel when you surprise someone with a gift, hold a door for a stranger, or volunteer within your community. It’s that indescribable euphoria you can only get from knowing that someone is better off because you exist in the world. When life is tough and things don’t seem to be going your way, you need purpose more than ever. However, at moments...
Read More2E
On Friday morning, spring + arrow ventured out to Coney Island to serve breakfast to people who lost everything in Hurricane Sandy. They still had no power, no water, and no proper sanitation. The streets were lined with portable toilets and all the grocery stores were either closed or looted. We set up tables with fresh coffee and juice, served hot oatmeal and sandwiches, and walked around the neighborhood spreading the word about the free treats we offered on the corner of 29th and Neptune. While I was out there, I met Stuart, a Vietnam vet who had lived in his home for 35 years. On the evening of the Hurricane, seawater invaded his house and literally pushed...
Read MoreCLOSER TOGETHER OR FARTHER APART
Whether it’s between a parent and a child, a teacher and a student, an employer and an employee, an employee and a customer, two friends, two lovers, or even two strangers on a subway, the way we relate to one another often dictates the quality of our lives. When we feel close to one another, we feel empowered, loved, and respected. Those three things are more than enough to help us become better parents, students, employers, employees, customers, friends, lovers, and even strangers. And we are all capable of offering those three things to the people we interact with on a daily basis. It’s as simple as asking ourselves one question before we say or do...
Read MoreTHE DEFENSIVE VOTE
That’s it. The votes have been counted and the results are in. No more stump speeches, smear campaigns, or incessant political Facebook posting from (really overbearing) ‘friends.’ And while half of America revels in the glory of the win, the other half is disillusioned and uncertain about our future. This was the year of, what I like to call, the defensive vote. A year where people didn’t cast their vote for the candidate they loved, but rather against the candidate they feared. Based on the conversations I had with friends, family, and strangers, it seemed like many people felt as though they were choosing the lesser of two evils, not the greater of two...
Read MoreNeed a lift
I just landed at LaGuardia and ran out to the taxi line so I could get home to my beloved Manhattan. Unfortunately, there were about twenty-five people also on line—and no taxis. Seriously. None. The wind was heavy, snow was falling, and the air was freezing. Brrrrrr! People were getting pissed off. The girl in front of me started talking to herself out loud. “Are you f**king kidding me with this?” she said. “How can there be no taxis. This is f**king ridiculous.” The guy behind me was on his cell phone talking to a friend. “It’s so cold. There are no taxis. I’m hungry. Dude, I don’t know what to do right now. There are SO many...
Read MoreFatal error: Call to undefined method WP_Error::get_item_quantity() in /home/content/82/10002882/html/wp-content/themes/Modest/home.php on line 63