Tag: Life

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Lessons Life

25 Short Lessons from 25 Years of Adulthood

Photo by Christopher Pierznik

When does adulthood begin?

Scientists say that, biologically, adulthood doesn’t truly begin until 30, but socially, culturally, and legally, it’s 18. You’re free to leave the nest, make your own decisions (and mistakes), and take control of your life.

I turned 43 in March.

It’s not a milestone birthday by traditional standards — we Americans love numbers that end in fives and zeroes — but if 18 is the age when we become adults, then that means I’ve been a grownup for a full twenty-five years. A quarter-century.

While it often still doesn’t feel like it, I’ve compiled a list of twenty-five things I’ve learned in the past twenty-five years.

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Health Life

My Only Goal: Improve Daily

by Christopher Pierznik

In my moments of quiet reflection, I always ask myself the same few questions.

Am I improving? Are my choices and actions moving me closer to the person I want to be? Have I made progress over the past day/week/month/year?

These are often followed by questions of self-flagellation: Why did I say that? What was I thinking? Why did I make that decision?

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Craft Beer I Was There Life Nostalgia Philadelphia

Saying Goodbye to My Favorite Place – and My Youth

Photo by Christopher Pierznik

For most of us, life is not like a sitcom. We don’t meet up with our friends every single day at Central Perk or MacLaren’s or Cheers, but we do have our spots that we prefer over all others. We may not go there all the time, but we feel most comfortable there. It is where we are in our element, where we invite everyone to join us. It is our home field, as it were.

Mine was Memphis Taproom.

So I was quite dismayed a few weeks ago when I read the news that it would be closing its doors for good.

Continue reading “Saying Goodbye to My Favorite Place – and My Youth”
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Business Career Knowledge Life

The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Boss – and Yourself

Clear the path

Ancient Rome was a crowded place. There were all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds and social statuses jostling in the streets. It would have been difficult to make your way through the mass of humanity.

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Greatness Health Lessons Life

Motivation Fades. Discipline Remains.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

– Jim Rohn

Why don’t most New Year’s resolutions succeed?

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Career Knowledge Life

The Cure for Imposter Syndrome

“I am not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people.”

— John Steinbeck

Maybe it’s a new job or even a new career. Perhaps it’s a promotion. It could be a spot in a graduate program or a leading role in a big show.

The details can vary, but the underlying thought remains: I don’t belong here and, worse, everyone will realize it any moment now and I’ll be shunned forever.

It’s called imposter syndrome and while it seems to affect all of us, we internalize it to the point that we believe it affects only us. 

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Life

The Power of Perspective

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

— Socrates

I take a long walk nearly every single day.

It is one of the many reasons I was able to lose 40(ish) pounds, but I don’t do it only for the health benefits. I also do it for my mind. The walk allows me to get away from the spreadsheets and Zoom meetings, work on solving problems that seem unsolvable, and helps me generate ideas and breakthroughs, for both my personal and professional life. It helps my mental state as much as — if not more — than it helps my physical state. 

Of course, there are side effects to everything and my daily stroll is no different. 

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Business Career Learning Life Work

The Worst Boss I Ever Had

“Having a bad boss isn’t your fault. Staying with one is.” 

– Nora Denzel

There are three people I think about virtually every single day:

  1. My late mother
  2. My late best friend
  3. My former boss
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Hip-Hop Lessons Life Rap

13 Lessons Learned from Griselda Records

The approach of Westside Gunn and his crew offers valuable wisdom for not only music, but business, writing, and even life

“I really like that whole, like, cliquing up, Griselda shit. It’s just ill to me…I think what they’re doing is great. It just reminds me of a different time and it’s not easy to do. To make that music and just come off wavy and be interesting.”

 — Drake

The 2010s was a decade in which the line between rap and other genres became not only blurred, but largely nonexistent. Referred to by some as the “melodic era,” it was no longer a rarity or even a surprise to see a hip-hop artist transition into harmonizing, and while that had certainly been done in the past, it now became de rigueur as Drake, Young Thug, and many others rode that wave to stardom. 

At the same time, some dudes stepped onto the scene and began flooding the market with their own music that sounded fresh but at the same time reminiscent of projects that had been released in the mid-’90s. No singing, no theatrics, just grim street tales of drugs and violence delivered over grimy, pounding basslines, creating a “gnarly sound inspired by the slimy criminal underbelly of Buffalo, New York.”

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Christmas COVID Fatherhood Health Life Parenting

A Very COVID Christmas

via

“I ruined Christmas!”

The tears burst from my nine-year-old’s eyes as she blamed herself for the ramifications of a global pandemic that has lasted for three years. All kids go crazy for Christmas, of course, but my daughter is certainly in the highest percentile of Santa fanatics, so having her holiday plans dashed was especially difficult.

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