Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

An Invitation to the Great Game: A Parable of Love, Magic, and Everyday Miracles, in which I articulate my three guiding rules of life.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do? What questions do you ask yourself? Always these questions: Sleep? Exercise? Healthy food? Am I resentful because I’m not setting or holding a boundary?

“Don’t hire a dog, then bark yourself.”—David Ogilvy

Time is valuable. If you’re using steppingstones, you’re also likely relying on someone else’s path or definition of success. Make your own.

abilities. I don’t think failure is sometimes part of the process—it always is. When you feel you can’t go on, know that you’re just getting started.

“Don’t worry about people stealing an idea. If it’s original, you will have to ram it down their throats.”—Howard H. Aiken

When something goes badly, I don’t automatically assume I did something wrong. Instead I ask myself, “What policy was I following that produced this bad outcome, and do I still expect that policy to give the best results overall, occasional bad outcomes notwithstanding?” If yes, then carry on! The reason this habit is so important is that even the

I’ve learned to envision the ideal end to any project before I begin it now—even the best gigs don’t last forever. Nor should they.

Suffering is a moment of clarity, when you can no longer deny the truth of a situation and are forced into uncomfortable change.