willie jackson

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  • Because it’s cool

    It’s tempting to justify our desires for the things we want (a new computer, the latest iPhone, a nicer car) with noble, business-related reasoning.

    We surround ourselves with people who inspire us and to whom we feel accountable, so it’s natural to want to present our best selves.

    I’ll be so much more productive with that phone!

    The latest version of iOS ships with [some whiz-bang feature]!

    It doesn’t even use gas!

    Gimme a break 🙂

    It’s ok to want things just because you want them.

    “Because it’s cool and brings me joy” is a perfectly acceptable justification, and intellectual dishonesty (or worse still, lying to yourself) is never worth it.

    Consider this your liberation and permission slip, redeemable at any time.

  • Last words

    These make we weep.

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    (via)

  • Fear is not real

    Fear is not real.

    The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future.

    It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity Kitai.

    Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice.

    We are all telling ourselves a story and that day mine changed.

    Cypher Raige, After Earth (2013)

    (via)

  • What is hustling?

    Hustling is the aggressive and sustained pursuit of a goal or end whose attainment would not be possible without a relentless focus on the desired outcome.

  • Quote by Plato

    “The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile.”

  • Quote by Henry Sidgwick

    “One has to kill a few of one’s natural selves to let the rest grow — a very painful slaughter of innocents.”

  • The danger of hero worship

    I’ve never really been big on hero worship, though I was quite nervous the first time I met two of my heroes. Something my dad always said when I was growing up is that [other people] put their pants on one leg at a time just like [him].

    It’s kind of funny to imagine Elon Musk fumbling with the buckle of a poorly engineered belt (smile).

    Anyway, it’s important to recognize the difference between someone whose achievements represent a lifelong commitment to work that matters…and someone who just happens to have done a bunch of seemingly interesting things.

    Have heroes. Have mentors. Recognize greatness. Emulate the habits of successful people.

    But don’t lose yourself. You’re great, too.

  • The Lunch Pail Manifesto

    1. We must find the work that brings our lives meaning.
    2. We must strive to make our work purposeful, truthful, and authentic, a pure offering to our Muse and fellow human beings.
    3. We must wage a lifelong war with Resistance and accept that instant gratification is an oxymoron.
    4. We must not speak of our work with false modesty or braggadocio.
    5. We must not debase our work for short term gain nor elevate it above its rightful station to inflate our ego.
    6. We must not covet the fruits of our work, or the fruits of others’ work.
    7. We must respect others’ work and offer aid to fellow professional laborers.
    8. We must accept that our work will never be perfect.
    9. We must accept that our work will never be without merit.
    10. We must accept that our work will never cease.

    (via)

  • Healing Stations

    Spotted on Facebook.

    Yesterday I got a call from my sister Cheeraz Gormon in St. Louis who was standing with poet Elizabeth Vega. They wanted me to know that a few women had created, on lawns, in the streets, healing stations, a place where the youth could come and scream and cry and be held and heard in love. Mighty work.

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  • A few things about Jackie

    In 2012, Jacqueline Nwobu (Jackie) found my site and asked me a few SEO questions. She subsequently hired me to do some optimization work on her site, and we’ve remained in contact since then.

    In March of 2014, Jackie spoke at TEDxEuston about her journey in creating Munaluchi Bridal with her husband—a magazine featuring brides of color. [The video embedded below, and all you RSS/Email types can watch it here.]

    In December of 2014, Jackie is putting on The Coterie Retreat in Palm Harbor, Florida.

    The Coterie Retreat is a business conference presented by the publishers at Munaluchi Bride Magazine in partnership with Salamander Hotels and Resorts. You can expect 3 days of powerful speakers, workshops, panels, parties, and plenty of networking.

    I’m excited to be one of the speakers at the event, and honored to have played a small role in augmenting a platform that now reaches her tribe across the nation.