Dumb Little Man: Tips for Life has a great write-up on how to detect the signs that your ego might be too big for you to achieve the level of respect and success you think you deserve. I’ve included a link below, a long with a video I took from my iPhone of the lovely Taylor Swift rehearsing her VMA performance outside of Radio City Music Hall! Enjoy.

How to Manage Your Ego So You Can Reach Your Full Potential [via Dumb Little Man].

These were just some of the ideas I took from a talk by Dan Pink on motivating the creative minds of today. Watch this entire video, it’s a short 18-minute presentation of ideas that will make you not only feel much better about what you’ve always known about the way your productive mind works, but motivate you to go out there and do something with it.

Dan Pink: Rethinking the ideology of carrots and sticks. [Presentation Zen via Trent Hamm]

I could have stepped back, looked at my life, and realized that the stuff wasn’t fulfilling me. I was seeking experiences and a deeper understanding of who I am and what really mattered to me. More stuff didn’t do that at all.

Let’s see if I can clear it up. Watching a film is an experience. Owning a DVD is accumulation of stuff. Going to a concert is an experience. Owning a pile of CDs is accumulation of stuff. Playing through a great video game is an experience. Accumulating a big pile of such games is just stuff. Traveling to rural France is an experience. Buying $500 worth of French cookware that you’ll barely use is accumulation of stuff.

The solution is simple, especially when you’re young and have the freedom and energy to easily go out and explore the world: load up your twenties with experiences, not stuff. Explore the world and figure out who you are and what you want from life. Minimize the items you have, maximize your experiences, and do it without sacrificing your future.

When Wall-E fell in love with Eve and chased her into outer space, you  didn’t just see his charming innocence brought out by his fascination with junk, gadgets and toys. He takes a chance and follows his heart, and the fullness of his character comes through as he pursues Eve, longing to recreate the romantic feelings instilled in him by watching his copy of Hello Dolly.

I’m not saying you should ditch the Rubik’s cube, iPod and the paddle ball and take a ride into space like he did. But eliminating some unnecessary stuff, making better decisions, and placing value on experience over your things can make an impact, especially while your young.

Buying Experiences in Your Twenties [via The Simple Dollar].

Recently released, the “Real Miracles” app is probably one of the most simplistic yet amazing iPhone apps I have come across in a while, allowing you to explore the organization’s message and purpose while offering easy ways to donate, including right through your phone bill. Patrick from Just Another iPhone Blog writes this on the impressive app:

I’ve used a lot of very good iPhone apps, but I’m not sure I’ve ever come across any that have made me feel I’ve done a little bit of good for the world around me by using them. Until yesterday that is, when I discovered, installed, and made use of the Real Miracles app.

This app is a simple one, with a simple and absolutely admirable purpose – to make it easy to donate to a good cause – the Children’s Miracle Network, which is a non-profit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals.

Download it for free by visiting the Apple iTunes App Store.

A Rare and Feel Good iPhone App [Just Another iPhone Blog]

I have always associated him with  dreams of taking flight into outer space, the spectacle created by Disney, and his prophetic voice ushering in a bright future that would be made possible by the information age (and this was recorded before the dawn of social networking, let alone the internet). Boy was he right.

Seth Godin wrote the following on his blog on ‘marketing, respect, and the ways ideas spread’:

“At every turn, he acted as if he had a responsibility to his audience. He didn’t do the right thing because he thought it would help him get ahead and then one day he’d get his share. Instead, he always did the right thing because that’s who he was. No sellouts, no political consulting, no false transparency.”

Authenticity and honesty are what he leaves behind, and Godin nails this one right on the head. Rest in peace, Walter Cronkite.

Walter’s lesson [via Seth's Blog].

“A system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes which will engage with a hitch member movably projectable through a stage surface. The shoes have a specially designed heel slot which can be detachably engaged with the hitch member by simply sliding the shoe wearer’s foot forward, thereby engaging with the hitch member.”

Looks like MJ filed the patent himself, and it certainly worked out well for him. Very cool find. Check out the live performance of Smooth Criminal to see the wild effect.

The Healthy and Fit Algorithm. [Adam Gilbert of MyBodyTutor.com via Zen Habits]

I would like to think that I’m pretty good at curbing this kind of behavior within myself, but sometimes even the people you love the most can still bring out the worst in you, and I catch myself doing it a fair amount ever since I became more conscious after listening to Carnegie’s advice. Jonathan Mead of personal development blog Illuminated Mind was featured on Zen Habits recently to talk about the immature, whining nature of a baby that so many adults choose to revisit on a daily basis.

He recommends making it a priority to catch yourself when you complain or criticize flippantly without need, even if it’s well-reasoned. By stopping and noticing when you judge others or even yourself, you can choose then and there whether you can control what you’re complaining about, or just let it go:

“Obviously, this is a little easier said than done. Complaining is an addiction and a hard habit to break. Like any other habit to break, it will take time.

Even though it may be a long time (or possibly never) before you’re living completely complaint-free, that’s still okay. The good news is this isn’t all-or-nothing. Even 10% less complaining will have an immediate positive impact on your life. Then, once you’ve decreased your whining by 10%, you can keep bootstrapping your way down to complaining less and less.

After complaints show up less and less, something awesome starts to happen. Once your mind realizes that you won’t tolerate its moaning, it will begin to give up its efforts.”

It’s not earth-shattering advice, but it sure would do a lot of people good to think about it more often and notice the immediate impact of being more courteous and restrained in criticizing others.

How To Stop Acting Like Such a Big Baby [via Zen Habits]

Fifty years old? I’m thirty – twenty years away from that magic number. Both of my kids would merely be college age when I’m fifty. I have many things that I want to do in life, and the thought that my life could easily end – or my quality of life could rapidly fall – at such an early age made me think quite a bit about the future – and other things I can do now to protect it.

I’ve invested quite a bit of time and energy in my own life – and I’m sure you have in your own – building the foundation for a great later life. My retirement accounts are solid. I have a book in print that pays me royalties and another one on the way. I want to be able to enjoy the benefits of these things in my golden years as I play with my grandchildren. I want to protect my investment.

Trent rounds up some simple tips his doctor recommends to reduce your chances of heart disease as you get older, such as cutting back smoking, exercising, eating healthy, and other behavioral changes such as using relaxation techniques or decreasing your sodium and caffeine intake.

Billy Mays, Michael Jackson, Your Heart, and Your Bottom Dollar [via The Simple Dollar].