Why Meghan(mekən) Markle Caused Such a Stir(stər) by Shutting a Car Door

Royals(ˈroiəl) may be the last people on earth who could be praised(prāz) for something so simple.

By Josh(jäSH) Duboff(dəˈbof)

Meghan Markle checked off another “first“ Tuesday evening, as the Duchess(ˈdəCHis) of Sussex(ˈsəsəks) made her first solo outing for an official engagement(inˈɡājmənt, enˈɡājmənt) since becoming a member of the royal family. The appearance(əˈpi(ə)rəns), for the opening of an exhibition(ˌeksəˈbiSHən) at the Royal Academy(əˈkadəmē) of Arts in London, went off quite(kwīt) smoothly(ˈsmo͞oT͟Hlē), with Meghan arriving in a sleek(slēk) black Givenchy(rēˈvənˈchi) gown and taking a private(ˈprīvit) tour(to͝or) of the exhibit(igˈzibit). But a seemingly(ˈsēmiNGlē) quite minor(ˈmīnər) moment has received a surprising(sə(r)ˈprīziNG) amount of attention. You see, Meghan Markle closed her car door herself.

We know. It’s going to take a few minutes for the enormity(iˈnôrmitē) of this to set in. But yes, a 37-year-old closing her own car door has managed to completely upend(ˌəpˈend) royal Twitter. Royals generally have their car doors opened and closed by members of the staff(staf), which is why Meghan doing so herself has caused those on Twitter, per the Daily Mail, to praise(prāz) Meghan as “humble(ˈhəmbəl)” and “down to earth.” Etiquette(-ˌket,ˈetikit) expert(ˈekˌspərt) William(ˈwilyəm) Hanson told the outlet(ˈoutˌlet), “The Duchess of Sussex closing her own car door is yet another silent(ˈsīlənt) signal that she is going to be doing things her own way and helping adapt(əˈdapt) and progress the British monarchy(ˈmänərkē),“ continuing, “Whether she thought long and hard about it before it happened, I doubt(dout) it, I suspect it was force of habit, but it is interesting to see that many have noticed as usually(ˈyo͞oZHo͞oəlē) dignitaries(ˈdiɡnəˌterē) have a member of staff to do this for them.”

…
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/09/meghan-markle-shutting-car-door-twitter-reaction

I’m Returning to Single-Tasking

By Leo Babauta

I have a confession(kənˈfeSHən) to make: despite(diˈspīt) writing books on the subject, along with numerous(ˈn(y)o͞om(ə)rəs) posts, I haven’t been single-tasking lately.

I’ve returned to multi-tasking(ˈməltēˌtask, ˈməlˌtīˌtask) and distraction(disˈtrakSHən).

I’d like to blame(blām) my smart phone (I long for the days of my sweet dumb(dəm) phone), but in all honesty(ˈänəstē) I constantly(ˈkänstəntlē) switch browser(ˈbrouzər) tabs too. I’ve been pulled by the allure(əˈlo͝or) of so many interesting things to read on the Internet, email, messaging my family, always something to check or read or respond to.

As of today, I’m returning to single-tasking.

Why? Because I think giving in to constant(ˈkänstənt) switch and distraction is a way to run away. It feels busy and productive, but it’s an avoidance(əˈvoidəns). Not just an avoidance of important tasks, but of whatever boredom(ˈbôrdəm) or bad feelings I might be having in the moment.

So here are the rules I’m going to try to follow:

One browser tab open. I want to focus on reading one thing, responding to one email at a time, doing one task in my browser at a time.

Know what I’m focusing on. When I open a tab, I have to consciously(ˈkänSHəslē) pause(pôz) and think about what I’m trying to accomplish(əˈkämpliSH).

Read to completion(kəmˈplēSHən). Unless there’s an urgent(ˈərjənt) interruption(ˌintəˈrəpSHən), if I open an article to read, I have to decide whether I want to invest the time to read it right now.

One app on my phone at a time. Just like browser tabs, I often have multiple(ˈməltəpəl) apps open on my phone, and I switch between them often.

Be mindful of interruptions & switching. I think my mind is easily distracted, so I’m going to try to practice noticing(ˈnōdəs) when I’m about to switch, and make a conscious decision to either follow or not follow that urge(ərj) to switch.

Consciously close my computer & phone. I don’t need to always be working, always be distracted, always be checking.

These aren’t hard and fast rules, but things to shoot for. I will fail(fāl) at them often, but I’m going to try to follow them for at least a week, and hopefully longer.

I’m not doing this to be more productive(prō-,prəˈdəktiv), more focused, more disciplined(ˈdisəplind), more perfect. I just want to explore mindfulness and consciousness, and not avoiding by distraction. Wish me luck!

https://zenhabits.net/single/

And if only 1% of those people…

By Derek Sivers

A musician had manufactured(ˌmanyəˈfakCHər) 10,000 copies of his CD in anticipation(anˌtisəˈpāSH(ə)n) of 10,000 orders that were sure to come through that week.

He had bought a quarter(ˈkwôrtər)-page advertisement(ədˈvərtiz-,ˈadvərˌtīzmənt) in the back of a magazine with a circulation(ˌsərkyəˈlāSHən) of one million people.

He kept(kept) saying, “If only one percent of the people reading this magazine(ˈmagəˌzēn,ˌmagəˈzēn) buy my CD, that’ll be 10,000 copies! And that’s only one percent!”

He bought 10,000 padded mailers(ˈmālər) and mailing labels. He converted his garage(-ˈräj,gəˈräZH) into a big mailing center.

He kept saying, “Maybe we can get like 10 percent! That’s 100,000! But worst case scenario(-ˈnär-,səˈne(ə)rēˌō) — if only 1 percent — that’s still 10,000!”

The magazine issue came out, and… nothing. He bought an issue. There was his ad. But the orders were not coming in! Was something wrong? No. He tested(test) it. Everything was working.

Over the next few weeks he received four orders. Total CDs sold: 4.

He forgot there was a number lower than one percent.

I think of this every time I hear business plans that say, “With over one billion iPhones sold, our app is sure to…”

https://sivers.org/1pct

Installation(ˌinstəˈlāSHən) address(əˈdres,ˈaˌdres) by Lawrence(ˈlär-,ˈlôrəns) S. Bacow(bākal)

These are challenging(ˈCHalənjiNG) times for higher education(ˌejəˈkāSHən) in America.

For the first time in my lifetime, people are actually questioning the value of sending a child to college.

For the first time in my lifetime, people are asking whether or not colleges and universities(ˌyo͞onəˈvərsətē) are worthy(ˈwərT͟Hē) of public support.
For the first time in my lifetime, people are expressing(ikˈspres) doubts(dout) about whether colleges and universities are even good for the nation.

These questions force us to ask: What does higher education really contribute to the national life?

Unfortunately(ˌənˈfôrCHənətlē), more people than we would like to admit(ədˈmit) believe that universities are not nearly as open to ideas from across the political(pəˈlitikəl) spectrum(ˈspektrəm) as we should be; that we are becoming unaffordable(ˌənəˈfôrdəbəl) and inaccessible(ˌinakˈsesəbəl), out of touch with the rest of America; and that we care more about making our institutions(ˌinstiˈt(y)o͞oSHən) great, than about making the world better.

While there may be — may be — a kernel(ˈkərnl) of truth here, if I believed that these criticisms(ˈkritəˌsizəm) fundamentally(ˌfəndəˈmentl-ē) represented(ˌrepriˈzent) who we are, I would not be standing before you today. All of our institutions are striving(strīv) to make wise(wīz) choices(CHois) amidst(əˈmidst) swirling(swərl) economic(ˌekəˈnämik, ˌēkəˈnämik), social, and political currents(ˈkə-rənt,ˈkərənt) that often make wisdom(ˈwizdəm) difficult to perceive(pərˈsēv).

We need, together, to reaffirm(ˌrēəˈfərm) that higher education is a public good worthy of support — and beyond that, a pillar(ˈpilər) of our democracy(diˈmäkrəsē) that, if dislodged(disˈläj), will change the United States into something fundamentally bleaker(blēk) and smaller(smôl).

It’s worth remembering that most of the nation’s founders were first-generation college students. They not only shaped(SHāp) our form of government, they built new universities. Having had their own minds opened and improved by learning, they were certain(ˈsərtn) that government by and for the people requires an educated(ˈejəˌkātid) citizenry(ˈsidizənrē, ˈsidisənrē).

…
https://www.harvard.edu/president/speech/2018/installation-address-by-lawrence-s-bacow

The Coders Programming Themselves Out of a Job

When workers automate(ˈôtəˌmāt) their own duties(ˈd(y)o͞otē), who should reap(rēp) the benefits?

By Brian(breˈən) Merchant(ˈmərCHənt)

In 2016, an anonymous(əˈnänəməs) confession(kənˈfeSHən) appeared on Reddit(re): “From around six years ago up until now, I have done nothing at work.” As far as office confessions go, that might seem pretty tepid(ˈtepid). But this coder, posting as FiletOFish1066(fiˈlā,ˈfilā), said he worked for a well-known tech company, and he really meant nothing. He wrote that within eight months of arriving(əˈrīv) on the quality(ˈkwälətē)-assurance(əˈSHo͝orəns) job, he had fully automated his entire(ənˈtī(ə)r) workload(ˈwərkˌlōd). “I am not joking. For 40 hours each week, I go to work, play League(lēg) of Legends(ˈlejənd) in my office, browse(brouz) Reddit, and do whatever I feel like. In the past six years, I have maybe done 50 hours of real work.” When his bosses(bäs,bôs) realized that he’d worked less in half a decade than most Silicon(-kən,ˈsiləˌkän) Valley(ˈvalē) programmers do in a week, they fired him.

The tale(tāl) quickly went viral(ˈvīrəl) in tech corners of the web, ultimately(ˈəltəmitlē) prompting(ˈprämptiNG) its protagonist(prōˈtagənist) to delete(dəˈlēt) not just the post, but his entire account.

About a year later, someone calling himself or herself Etherable posted a query to Workplace on Stack Exchange, one of the web’s most important forums(ˈfôrəm) for programmers: “Is it unethical(ˌənˈeTHikəl) for me to not tell my employer(emˈploi-ər
) I’ve automated my job?” The conflicted(ˈkänˌflikt) coder described accepting a programming gig(gig) that had turned out to be “glorified(ˈglôrəˌfīd) data entry(ˈentrē)”—and, six months ago, writing scripts that put the entire job on autopilot(ˈôdōˌpīlət). After that, “what used to take the last guy like a month, now takes maybe 10 minutes.” The job was full-time, with benefits, and allowed Etherable to work from home. The program produced near-perfect results; for all management knew, its employee simply did flawless(ˈflôləs) work.

…
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/10/agents-of-automation/568795/

Entrepreneurs(ˌäntrəprəˈno͝or) Grow at Warp(wôrp) Speed

By Steve Pavlina

One reason I started my own business in my early 20s is that I believed it would help me grow faster as a human being. I figured I’d learn more valuable skills, tackle(ˈtakəl) more challenges(ˈCHalənj), and enjoy a richer life as an entrepreneur than I would as someone else’s employee(emˈploi-ē,ˌemploiˈē). That turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

The happiest and most successful business owners I know are almost invariably(inˈve(ə)rēəblē) more motivated(ˈmōtəˌvāt) by the personal growth aspects of business than the financial(,fəˈnanCHəl) aspects. Many of them love the challenge, and nothing motivates them so much as turning an idea into reality. The money they earn in business helps to fuel(ˈfyo͞oəl) their personal growth interests.

In the years I’ve been blogging, hundreds of readers (possibly thousands by now) have told me they quit(kwit) their jobs and started their own businesses. That doesn’t surprise(sə(r)ˈprīz) me because entrepreneurship can provide many growth lessons and opportunities that are difficult to experience any other way. When you’re an entrepreneur, you’ll often feel like you’re learning and growing at warp speed.

Let me share some of the many ways that starting and running your own business can help drive your personal growth forward.

…
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2015/11/entrepreneurs-grow-at-warp-speed-part-1/

Brother
BROTHER

INT: A NEWLY PAINTED(pānt) BEDROOM(ˈbedˌro͞om).

Valerie(veləri) is trying to talk to her mother, who is busy with Valerie’s new baby brother.

VALERIE

(Doing a cartwheel(ˈkärtˌ(h)wēl))

Mom! Moooom! Watch this! Look at me! Mommy, you’re not looking! Just put Luke down and come here and watch me for two seconds!

(Does another cartwheel and looks expectantly(ikˈspektəntlē) at her mother.)

Did you see that? Did you? Mom? Mommy? Mom, why is Luke crying? I don’t like it when he cries all the time. I haven’t cried in months and months because I’m a big girl and big kids don’t cry unless they’re really sad. Can we tell Luke to be a big boy too so he’ll stop crying and maybe we can read a book then?

(Her mother makes a hushing(həSH) noise(noiz).)

I don’t like him very much. He’s kind of ugly(ˈəglē) and red, isn’t he? Mommy? When I grow up I’m not going to have a brother. I’m going to have a diamond(ˈdī(ə)mənd) crown(kroun) and a horse named Rocket Sparkles(ˈspärkəl) and Luke will have to stay in all day long, right Mom?

I don’t want to be an older sister. I want to have a horse instead. Horses are better than little brothers because they never cry(krī) or need new diapers(ˈdī(ə)pər).

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Brother

A physicist(ˈfizəsist) sold his Nobel(ˌnōbel) Prize(ˈprīz) to help pay medical(ˈmedək(ə)l) bills(bills)

By Sarah(ˈse(ə)rə) Gantz

Nobel laureates(ˈlär-,ˈlôrē-it) are an exceptional(ikˈsepSHənəl
) group, but even they can’t escape(əˈskāp) a common American problem: medical bills.

Leon(lēˈen) Lederman(lēdər), a physicist who received the Nobel Prize in 1988 as part of a team that discovered the “God particle(ˈpärdək(ə)l),” died Wednesday(-dē,ˈwenzdā) at age 96. Lederman had memory-loss(läs,lôs) problems and died at a nursing(ˈnərsiNG) home in Idaho(ˈīdəˌhō), according to the Associated(-SHē-,əˈsōsēˌātid) Press.

In 2015, he sold his prize at auction(ˈôkSHən) for $765,000 to help cover medical bills, the AP reported.
Medical bills, especially in later years, can be crushing — and most people don’t have something as valuable as a Nobel Prize to sell to pay off their debts(det).

One in five working-age Americans with health insurance(inˈSHo͝orəns) reported having difficulty paying medical bills in a 2016 survey(sərˈvā) by the Kaiser(kazər) Family Foundation and the New York Times. Just over 60 percent said they had used up most or all of their savings, and 42 percent took on extra(ˈekstrə) jobs or worked more hours to pay their debts, according to the report.

Medicare(ˈmediˌke(ə)r) may offer some relief(riˈlēf) from routine(ro͞oˈtēn) medical bills, but there’s no escape(əˈskāp) from medical costs. Medicare plans still have co-pays and other cost-sharing for medications(ˌmedəˈkāSHən) and doctor visits.

Nursing(ˈnərsiNG)-home care(ke(ə)r) in particular can be a major expense for families because it is not covered by Medicare.

…
http://www2.philly.com/philly/health/health-costs/leon-lederman-sold-nobel-prize-medical-bills-health-costs-20181004.html

Give Up Comfort(ˈkəmfərt)

By Leo Babauta

I was boarding an airplane(ˈe(ə)rˌplān) today, and the woman ahead of me had a huge travel(ˈtravəl) pillow(ˈpilō), a blanket(ˈblaNGkit), and a few other items designed(dəˈzīn) to give her maximum(ˈmaksəməm) comfort on the flight(flīt).

Someone I know was about to go on a trip(trip), and they spent a month(mənTH) worrying about whether they would have everything they could possibly(ˈpäsəblē) need to be comfortable.

Most of us are like this: we spend a good amount of time and effort worrying about our comfort, and a good amount of money buying things (and carrying things) that will ensure we have a cocoon(kəˈko͞on) of comfort surrounding us at all times.

This is understandable(ˌəndərˈstandəbəl), and I say it all without judgment. It’s how we react to the insecurity(ˌinsiˈkyo͝oriti) of travel, of doing something we’re not used to doing, of not knowing how to deal with a situation(ˌsiCHo͞oˈāSHən). The insecurity of everyday life. Myself, I go into research mode(mōd), trying to find out everything I can about an insecure(ˌinsiˈkyo͝or) situation. Then I might go into buying mode, getting the gear(gi(ə)r) I need to make myself more secure. Then I might go into planning(ˈplaniNG) mode, trying to get control(kənˈtrōl) of the insecure situation.

This is how we are. We spend time researching, buying, planning, worrying, stressing about the insecure situation, trying to ensure our comfort.

But what if we could let go of concern for our comfort? What if we could dive(dīv) fully into the insecurity of the situation, and stay in the insecurity without needing to change it?

It would transform our lives. It would transform us.

…
https://zenhabits.net/comfort/

If you think you haven’t found your passion(ˈpaSHən)…

By Derek Sivers

A few times, I’ve been asked a question like, “But what if I haven’t found my true passion?”

It’s dangerous to think in terms of “passion” and “purpose” because they sound like such huge overwhelming(ˌōvərˈ(h)welmiNG) things.

If you think love needs to look like “Romeo(ˈrōmēˌō) and Juliet(ˈjo͞olyət,ˌjo͞olēˈet)”, you’ll overlook a great relationship that grows slowly.

If you think you haven’t found your passion yet, you’re probably expecting it to be overwhelming.

Instead, just notice what excites(ikˈsīt) you and what scares(ske(ə)r) you on a small moment-to-moment level.

If you find yourself diving(ˈdīviNG) into a book about programming and playing around with it for hours, go for it! Dive in deeper. Maybe that’s your new calling.

If you keep thinking about doing something big, and you find the idea terrifies(ˈterəˌfī) but intrigues(inˈtrēɡ) you, it’s probably a worthy(ˈwərT͟Hē) endeavor(enˈdevər) for you.

You grow by doing what excites you and what scares you.

For me, my company was just a curiosity(ˌkyo͝orēˈäsitē): that little hobby(ˈhäbē) that kept me up until 2am every night, programming and experimenting. It just grew from there.

https://sivers.org/passion