Joe Robinson: The Key to Happiness: A Taboo for Adults? It's a vision problem that no laser surgery can cure, a hyperopia that keeps us from seeing the central source of happiness right next to us. That problem is called adulthood. Those who are afflicted with this condition have trouble focusing on nearby objects of amusement and the realm that delivers the most enjoyment per square inch: play. Adults are oblivious to what they knew as kids -- that play is where you live. Grownups aren't supposed to play. We have problems. We're too busy. Well, there's the entrenched masochism that we seem to prefer, stemming from the built-in bias against anything that's not full-blast production mode. We live in a culture obsessed with wringing an external result from everything we do. Anthropologist Gregory Bateson believed that the fixation on making everything productive and rational cuts us off from the world of the spontaneous that is home to real knowledge.
Studies show that play reflects more of who you are than your work. Russell Bishop: Are You Avoiding Your Life? Last week, I put up an article on the difference between thought and action "thinking" that not much would come of it in terms of reader responses. It's safe to say I miscalculated! The basic idea that "the universe rewards action, not thought" seems to have provoked a wide range of responses. With hindsight, I can understand why this piece engaged so many people and generated so many comments. One of the more refreshing aspects to the comments was the range of thoughtful comments engaged on both sides of the agreement spectrum. My use of the term "the universe" engaged many, and enraged others. The distinctions between action and thought are not binary, either/or points of view, much less polemics, which may be difficult to grasp for those who prefer argument to dialogue.
It's kind of like looking for a new job: it will be hard for you to even look if your first thoughts are "it's impossible out there. " Indeed, having meditated for nearly 40 years now, I have some idea how this works. Russell Bishop: The Universe Rewards Action, Not Thought. In last week's article about procrastination and integrity, a number of readers offered some great insights into thoughtful or mindful action coupled with commitment and the value of one's word.
One particular comment from Nosybear jumped out at me and reminded me of a core concept I learned many years ago that may be worth exploring a bit: The Universe Rewards Action, Not Thought. Nosybear wrote: When asked what he would do if he had one hour to save humanity, Einstein replied he'd spend 55 minutes defining the problem and five minutes on the solution. We in this country either jump immediately to the solution, thinking we know all about the problem, or we never act because we can't define the problem immediately and begin action.
What you're proposing, Mr. Bishop, is nothing less than the discipline of reflection. This insightful comment reminded me of a wonderful little lesson I learned in a problem solving class some 40 years ago. And so I thought. Startup America: Will Obama's New Initiative Live Up To Its Name? WASHINGTON -- "This is our generation's Sputnik moment," declared President Obama in his State of the Union Address last week. As a result, we need to fund "a level of research and development we haven't seen since the height of the space race," with particularly strong investments in biomedicine, information technology, and clean-energy technology. Reinvigorated, Obama's two-year old innovation agenda took one small step forward on Monday, as administration officials, business executives and entrepreneurs gathered at the White House to unveil the administration's Startup America Partnership, which aims to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in the U.S. by encouraging private investment in startups.
To kick off the initiative, the White House hosted an event featuring a panel that included AOL co-founder Steve Case and Carl Schramm, the President and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, both of whom will oversee Startup America. "Yawn. Bill Draper: The Top Ten Avoidable Mistakes Of Entrepreneurs: Bill Draper. MIT Entrepreneurship Review: Conversation With Tom Perkins, The Godfather Of Venture Capital. 8 Ways To Bootstrap A Business Without Going To A Bank. For startups, credit is like "experience" for job applicants -- you can't get it if you don't already have it. Despite a recent push by banks to give more loans to small companies, only the strongest small firms, with cash and collateral, are receiving loans and lines of credit, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Fledgling small businesses looking to land a loan from a bank confront a Catch-22: banks refuse to cut a check until they see evidence of positive cash flow, but startups can't boost sales until they secure capital to launch their products or services. In the current economic climate, entrepreneurs have to do what they do best: get creative. Now, more than ever, small business owners are looking to non-profits, professional investors, to the government and even to ordinary folks in their community to bootstrap their businesses. Here are 8 ways to fund your business without going to a bank: Loading Slideshow 8 Innovative Ways To Fund Your Business 1 of 9 Hide Thumbnails 6 Points.