One of the most perplexing questions I get, and I’m sure many of you do too, is “What do you do?” For better or worse, it’s how the world used to work. We were products of our situation, our education, and some arbitrary societal rules. You could assume a lot about a person by their … Read more So, what do you do?
I’ve had a realization in the past couple of hours. As happens, it was after a post wherein I questioned the direction of my feed, and how it’s no longer something I look forward to reading. Facebook, overall, is losing me. The time I spend with Facebook today is very different from what it was … Read more Inspiration vs. Exasperation
Living a good life doesn’t require a 40 year career. It doesn’t require god, and more to the point, it doesn’t require the laundry list of “things” our parents demanded: a retirement fund, college, marriage, a house in the burbs, a nice car, a good credit score, etc. What we’re seeing today is effects of … Read more The effects of an unfiltered reality
It may come as a bit of a surprise to hear that North Texas’ number one startup community evangelist is leaving the region. It’s true, we’re moving… but “why” is not the most shocking part. DFW Nouveau. 2013 to Present. You’ve more than likely been a part of an event I’ve led (Dallas Startup Week, … Read more The truth about why I’m leaving the Dallas Startup Community.
If you’ve been reading my posts over the past months, you may have noticed that they’ve taken a bit of a different turn. Sure there have been plenty of posts about Dallas, startups, technology, frugality, and minimalism. But more and more I’ve been sharing content with “smaller” and “off the grid” as the focus. Mobile … Read more Reading the Tea Leaves? Join Us March 18th.
I have a few friends that simply don’t understand the changes Heather and I are exploring. The more we learn, read, watch, and share experiences with people that are on a similar path, the more we want from life. Today. Listen, I was the king suburban champion just 5 years ago, walking through brand new … Read more Autonomy: It’s kind of like “Fuck You Money,” now.
Heather and I are fascinated with the idea of living off the grid in a much simpler, much less “distracting” environment. It’s not just to get away from the noise of the city busses and semis that whiz by just 30′ from our master bedroom window, or the random stranger passing at 3am, singing as … Read more How much does it cost to live “off the grid?”
This is an email I sent to the Mayor of Dallas this morning, in its entirety. — Good Sunday to all. First, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for the hard work and diligence you bring to your positions. It takes a special individual to serve the public, and for that … Read more An open letter to the City of Dallas: “Let’s do better with Dallas’ most vulnerable.”
I hope you've enjoyed reading the “How to change your life” series as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you can think of anyone that might benefit from it, use the ShareThis widget at the bottom of each post. If we can touch one person, or help them through a tough spot, it'll be … Read more How to change your life: Foundations
This is a great question sent from a friend on Facebook. I thought it was important enough to share here. “I am curious as to how you think a community can be encouraged to live frugally without forfeiting a sense of grace and abundance. Your thoughts are appreciated.” The answer is a matter of perspective, … Read more Q&A: How do you live frugally with a sense of grace and abundance?
In How to change your life: Your friends and How to change your life: Back to the basics we looked at tailoring your social circle and pruning your lifestyle to acheive a minimum base. In this post we'll look at the correlation between your perspective of, and the reality of your life. We've all heard … Read more How to change your life: Perspective
In How to change your life: Your friends we learned that picking the right people for your inner-circle is incredibly important. They provide the foundation for who you are, and what you'll become. The next step to changing your life is to determine how you'll let strangers, things, and beliefs direct you. Let's talk about … Read more How to change your life: Back to the basics.
How many times have you heard this? “You are who your friends are.” Since you've heard this over and over for years, you've carefully considered it through life. You've chosen a life full of positivity and have hand picked your inner-circle, right? Go ahead, take a look around – you spend a lot of time … Read more How to change your life: Your friends.
Today's Plan A is: a spiraling national debt, armed forces that power the planet's peace, a political system built on maintaining the status quo, and an increasingly polarized populace – unwilling to entertain opposing ideas. We've arrived here, not by strategic planning or by any long term direction, but by default. We live in the … Read more What is America’s Plan B?
Within the last few years, a major shift has occurred in the world of building and managing tech startups. We've become ok with, and shall I say even embrace two previously tabu ideas: 1) failure, 2) business model pivots. First, failure is OK, and is actually encouraged as long as you do it early (fail … Read more Your personal life: lessons from the startup world
One of the easiest ways to foster personal accountability is to make others aware of your intentions. Tell a group of cyclist peers that you're going on a two hour ride today, and I'll bet you do it. You may even invite a few just to make sure it happens. If you're a developer, and … Read more What is #1OnMyList
It's become apparent to me that our culture is headed in a very disturbing direction. It's commonplace to blame everything negative in one's life on someone or something else. If I'm overweight it's fast food's fault. If I'm in debt, it has to be predatory lending practices and/or the credit card industry. If I'm caught … Read more Accept responsibility for you, and live the life you’ve been dreaming of.
I believe there is a direct correlation between success at home and our success as a country. If Americans are successful as both individuals and a families, and are left to focus on our personal growth, financial success, and a rewarding future, then the citizens of America can once again provide inspiration to their peers, … Read more Inspiration on the eve of the inauguration
It all started one summer, passing through New Mexico while driving from Colorado back to Texas. This whacked out but curiously logical guy was on the radio telling listeners how to get out of debt. I made a mental note that I'd like to be debt free, and intended to find him again. He was … Read more How we got out of debt: from $50k to $0 in less than a year.
