January 2017 - Page 3 of 4 - Christian Lautenschleger

How often do we read books that change our lives?

January 12th, 2017christian0 Comments

give and take book christian lautenschleger

When’s the last time you’ve read a book that’s changed your mindset and outlook? We may read books all of the time, and they may be “good”, but how often are they ones that change us? How often do we read books that open our minds to something we haven’t known – or even considered – before opening the cover. I just started reading Give and Take (thanks, Prime shipping!). It’s absolutely captivating. I’ve heard of Gary V’s “Jab, jab, right hook” metaphor, but GaT takes it to an academic level that really brings it home. There are three types of …

Failing: Why Stigmatized?

January 11th, 2017christian0 Comments

pink atlantic sunrise failing christian lautenschleger

Want to know who doesn’t fail? People who don’t want to try anything new. People who don’t leave their comfort zone. People who live with regret. Failing quintessentially divides people into two camps: Are we willing to try something, that may better ourselves and those around us; or do we want to play it safe, stay in our bubble, and never take a chance? I’m not sure when “failing” became a thing. It sounds like some sort of American paradox: the people who moved America failed over and over, yet we expect perfection that prevents people from even trying because …

Our Subconscious: everything becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy

January 10th, 2017christian0 Comments

I’ve heard people bitch about “that’s just a self-fulling prophecy.” One such person was a college roommate. He’d complain about something becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy while he’d watch sci-fi movies all day at his desk. Instead of doing something for himself, he’d passive-aggressively project. His subconscious already decided that he couldn’t do it. Once we convince ourselves we can’t do something, it’s hard to reverse it. Everything we do becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People who have convinced themselves that they can break down walls, barriers, or ceilings are the same people who achieve whatever they want because they’ve already convinced …

Nikon D800 Resolution

January 9th, 2017christian0 Comments

5 by 5 rule: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

January 9th, 2017christian0 Comments

The amount of people sweating the small stuff never ceases to astonish. Whether it be our jobs, our family, our hobby, or something that we came across will making the Monday commute — something seems to put us over the edge. Why though? The world may be full of many temporary inconveniences, but few things matter longer than the immediate present. Live the 5 by 5 rule. The 5 by 5 rules simply states that if something won’t matter in 5 years, but spend more than 5 minutes upset about it. Don’t be a drama queen. Don’t create unnecessary stress. …

Bitching about fellow Millennials

January 8th, 2017christian0 Comments

#takemeback millennials christian lautenschleger

There won’t be citations. I am the citation. I’ve experienced everything in this manifesto first hand. Everyone has his or her own experience. I have mine. Every generation has its own thing; mine certainly has its own. I see strong divides in millennials who “get it” and those who don’t. The only comparison I can think of is a rich vs. poor kid going to an Ivy. The poor kid will get a great education; the rich kid will be set for life. I know of quite a few people who do “get it”, but unfortunately too many of my …

What’s the worst thing that could happen?

January 7th, 2017christian0 Comments

What holds us back? The person who holds us back the most is ourselves. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Our minds are genetically-engineered to be risk-averse. We’d rather not lose than gain. We also regret not doing things than actually taking the change and doing things. Go figure. No wonder relationships “are complicated”. Let’s get this out of the way first. The worst thing that could happen to us is die. How often do we do something that might actually kill someone? Outside of driving, which – knock on wood – rarely results in someone dying, how often …

Get stuff done hack, easier life?

January 6th, 2017christian0 Comments

Want to get stuff done? Even really mentally tedious tasks? There’s a simple way to get stuff done and that is to simply make them easy and accessible. Make it routine. Make it accessible. And make it as “fun” as possible. We don’t like doing tasks that suck. We especially don’t like doing task that suck that eat a lot of time. The easier the chore is to do, the more likely it will be to do. The total opposite is also true. Want to stop watching so much TV? Hide the remote. Want to curve on the amount of …

Visualize success before it happens, the key?

January 5th, 2017christian0 Comments

Visualize success before it happens to make it a reality. Our subconscious mind is a powerful being. Visualize the success that it brings before it happens and watch your ideas, plans, and vision become a reality. Many a people visualize their futures far before it ever happens. They have a grand vision that they seek to create. When their future becomes the present, they knew it all along. They only had to execute. If we don’t know what we want, how can we achieve it. How can we achieve if we don’t visualize? If can be a family, a career, …

Minimalism — Less is more in our lives

January 4th, 2017christian0 Comments

It seems almost counterintuitive to be an American and want less. Especially after Christmas. Minimalism seems like a weird, counterculture lifestyle when more people can be materialistic as ever. But why do we actually want more stuff? Because we fell into love from advertisements? We want what other people have? Or because we’re buying stuff to fill some sort of need want? I almost by accident discovered minimalism a few months ago. I think I found it while browsing TED talks on YouTube. It got my attention. Why have stuff we don’t need? (And by stuff I mean things that …