Are We Listening? On Meaningful Conversation

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Are We Listening? On Meaningful Conversation

Coffee is one of my favourite beverages. Not only because I enjoy having a cup (and many times two) of the dark elixir but because it’s often accompanied by good, if not great and memorable, conversation.

These memorable conversations usually take place with one or more of my friends and/or family, sometimes in a private home, sometimes at a coffee shop. Sometimes it follows a meal, sometimes not. 

What each conversation has in common, other than a beverage of some kind, is that there is no agenda, there is no timeframe or time limit. Once we've experienced it one, I find that almost everyone knows something good or great is about to happen but this last point we never bring up because it might kill the magic of it all.

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The Billboard Test

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The Billboard Test

Have you ever heard the advice that you shouldn’t do or say anything that you wouldn’t want printed on a billboard the next day?

Though this is great advice in and of itself, I think the commonly held view is that we need to consider it for the really important, potentially devastatingly embarassing actions or interactions we might engage in.

But when it comes down to it, it’s great advice for just about any action or interaction. 

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A Dog's Life - Costa Rica Style

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A Dog's Life - Costa Rica Style

The F2P clan was in Costa Rica for ten days this past February. We did a lot of walking and exploring and became fascinated with one particular aspect of the place.

It wasn't the hot weather (34C/93F is the usual high for the day), the beautiful volcanic sand beaches that sparkle like diamonds, the unique flora or the fauna both on land and in the Pacific ocean, the unique feel of the bustling tourist beach town of Playa del Coco or the helpfulness of the international staff at our boutique hotel.

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Book Review: "Everything That Remains"

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Book Review: "Everything That Remains"

Want to know what Free to Pursue thinks about The Minimalists' book "Everything That Remains"?

I gave the book a 4.5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus's memoir takes the reader on a journey from their early days to the present as each, in their own way, went about building the life they thought they wanted: getting the right job, marrying the right girl, buying the right house, car and stuff--only to find out that the life they built for themselves wasn't at all what they wanted. It might have looked like the perfect life to others, but inside they were broken, empty vessels. They'd lost themselves by spending too much time looking from the outside in instead of the inside out.

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Turning It Off - Why I’m Taking a Social Media Holiday

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Turning It Off - Why I’m Taking a Social Media Holiday

Life has gotten pretty crazy over the last couple of months. Sure, there’s the usual chaos of the Holidays, but I can’t blame the crazyness on that because we all know about it well in advance and usually plan for it fairly well.

The craziness has been brought about by some great projects I’m involved in, including:

  • Working on a book,
  • Having a fun new role,
  • Feeding a continued voracious appetite for books, and
  • Taking on a greater number of speaking engagements.

All this while running a small business, which I've been doing for years now.

And craziness has its consequences.

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When Ideas Have Sex

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When Ideas Have Sex

I was away at a conference last week (the first of a few trips I alluded to in this post) and the experience was overwhelming to say the least.

Not because of the number of people—though 1,200 is a lot—but because of the number of opportunities that presented themselves. I have never had so many great conversations in a short four days, and I mean never.

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Exercising Good Judgement: How Money Affects Our Behaviour

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Exercising Good Judgement: How Money Affects Our Behaviour

I’ve often heard that money only amplifies who we are. If we’re a giving person, money will only make us more giving. If we’re an a**hole, money will only make us a bigger a**hole. 

I don’t disagree with the above, but I think we’re ignoring the other end of the spectrum: believing we don’t have “enough” can have the same effect. 

Being tight on money because we have too much debt or don’t feel we’re where we need to be in life (career, love, savings) also amplifies who we are and how we use money to affect others.
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My Struggle with Anonymity

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My Struggle with Anonymity

I struggle with anonymity, I’m even struggling with writing this post about struggling with anonymity. 

As a blogger who’s been talking about personal finance, relationships and everything in between, anonymity has been a soft & cozy blanket. It’s helped me find the courage to talk about a lot of ideas that are far from mainstream and that could cause some people in my other circles to distance themselves from me. 

The most prickly topic? Money.

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