what if i were smiling and running into your arms?

1. Who do you admire?

To better understand what you value, it can help to turn to real-life examples of people who exhibit admirable qualities. Think of some positive role models who inspire you to live a meaningful life. 

This could include people you know personally, famous figures, characters in a book, etc. 

As you think about these people, write down:

what it is about them that inspires you

the admirable qualities they possess

behaviors and actions you would like to emulate

2. What inspires you to take action?

Often our core values reveal themselves through our actions. Can you think of a situation when you took a stand for someone or something?

Try writing down some of the reasons you felt so strongly to take action. For example:

the feelings that motivated you to speak up or act

what you were willing to risk in that situation

the results of taking action — what you gained or lost

3. When do you feel most like yourself?

When you’re in situations that allow you to be authentic, that’s a clue that you are in alignment with your values. And when you have to betray yourself to fit in or find success, you feel ashamed and alone.

In situations that feel wrong in some way, what’s going on? Write down:

who you’re with

what feelings are triggered

what these experiences cost you emotionally or physically

In situations where you feel real and authentic, what’s going on? Write down:

who you’re with

what activities are involved

1. “Will you admire this person?”

“If you think about the people you’ve admired in your life, they are probably people you’ve been able to learn from or take an example from,” Bezos wrote in the letter, adding that he’s always tried to work only with people he admires.

Interview tip for candidates: I’ve interviewed hundreds of people throughout my career, and two admirable traits that I consistently look for are integrity and leadership.

I do this by asking them to describe a time they’ve had to handle a difficult situation. I essentially want to know: Did they use diplomacy? What were their intentions? Can they be trusted? What does their thought process say about them as a person?

2. “Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group they’re entering?”

“The bar has to continuously go up,” Bezos wrote in his letter.

The problem is, it can be difficult for hiring managers to tell if a candidate, once hired, will remain engaged and eager to grow with the company for years to come.

“Long-term thinking is a core value cemented in Amazon’s history since our inception,” according to Amazon’s Day One blog. (And it’s true: Some of Amazon’s most successful business areas, like Amazon Prime and Amazon Web Services, launched many years ago.)

Interview tip for candidates: To fight entropy, Bezos always asked candidates how they visualize the company five years from now. “At that point,” he wrote, “each of us should look around and say, ‘The standards are so high now — boy, I’m glad I got in when I did!’”

Before your interview, research the company’s values and be prepared to talk about how you plan to exceed expectations and goals as the company grows.

3. “Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?″

In addition to their skills and experience, Bezos said it’s important to consider a candidate’s individual talents.

“One person here is a National Spelling Bee champion,” he wrote. “I suspect it doesn’t help her in her everyday work, but it does make working here more fun if you can occasionally snag her in the hall with a quick challenge: ‘Onomatopoeia!’”

But there are times when a critic truly risks something - and that is in the discovery and defence of the New. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The New needs friends. Last night I experienced something new: an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core.

In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto; "anyone can cook." But I realise, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's - who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France!

I will be returning to Gusteau's soon - hungry for more.

2. Never stop learning.

3. Assume nothing, question everything.

4. Teach others what you know.

5. Analyze objectively.

6. Practice humility.

7. Respect constructive criticism.

8. Take initiative.

9. Give credit where it's due.

Elon Musk once said, "They laugh at you just before they applaud."

Place more importance on solving problems correctly than looking smart while doing it.

They'll be plenty of time for people to praise your intellect after you deliver them to the promised land.

Get there first.

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What’s 1 thing you can get done now?

I know, I know, you've heard it 1,000 times before.

The key is taking action.

The funny thing about advice? The good stuff gets repeated.

Start by identifying the single most important thing you can do today.

Now go do it.

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Caught not taught:

You should feel intellectually uncomfortable in your peer group.

Engage with people who are more intelligent & further along than you.

It's intimidating, but you'll "catch" more knowledge, land more deals, & rack up wins just by being in the right place.

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In what areas of life are you settling?

Just "ok" & "good enough" don't sound interesting to me.

If you're willing to settle for average, that's exactly what you'll get.

Life has a funny way of giving you what you ask for.

Want uncommon results?

Take uncommon action.

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Who you work with + what you work on matters more than how hard you work.

I'm all for hard work, but if it's with people you don't enjoy on a project you're not interested in, what the hell are you doing?

Get outta there.

Life's too short.

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What would I do if I wasn’t scared?

Often, what holds us back is fear.

Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of what others may think.

Breaking news: People are often too wrapped up in their own world to worry much about yours.

Put yourself out there. It's worth it.

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Take note of the good days:

Find as much pleasure in days that go well as you find frustration in days that don't.

Humans are terrible at this––myself included.

One thing goes wrong and your whole day is screwed.

It doesn't have to be.

You can choose what happens next.

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Stop avoiding difficult conversations:

Yes, they suck.

The only thing that makes them worse––delaying them.

Most of us spend more time worrying about having the conversation than the actual conversation will take.

Sit down, say what you need to say, move on.

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There is far more good in the world than we give it credit for.

Go outside.

Turn off the news.

Don't read the comments.

Quit interacting with negativity and you'll immediately become less negative yourself.

Think of it as "mental fitness"

junk food = Out of shape

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Pick your battles.

Not every fight is worth fighting.

It's ok to let someone else "win" once in a while.

You don't always need to be right, and you don't always have to come out on top.

Just because you're invited to an argument doesn't mean you have to show up.

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"This is the way we've always done it."

So what?

Does that mean it can't be improved?

Whatever "it" is, there are always aspects that can be made more clear, efficient, and simple.

At best, it makes you sound lazy.

At worst, you'll be left behind.

Ideate, innovate, repeat.

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99% of our problems stem from our inability to forego instant gratification.

Relationships, fitness, financial wellness...

All fall short of expectations when long-term success is sacrificed for immediate pleasure.

Lean into waiting.

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"This has to be perfect"

No it doesn't.

Perfection is the enemy of progress.

Don't become so buried in the details that you fail to move forward at all.

To err is human.

You can't catch every mistake, you'll never get everything right.

Just. Keep. Moving.

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"The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that if circumstances were different, WE would be different."

No, you wouldn't.

If you won't do it now, you won't do it then.