The 1990s comedy Cool Runnings is about the first-ever Jamaican bobsled team to compete in the Winter Olympics. Their coach, played by John Candy, is an American gold medalist who retires in Jamaica in disgrace after cheating in an Olympic bobsledding event. He makes his living as a bookie until …
Motivation
Stop chasing success. Do this instead.
There’s a scene in the movie Rocketman where a young Elton John plays the piano for an American band (don’t worry; no spoilers here). After the show, Elton asks the lead singer in the band, How do I become a songwriter? The lead singer replies, Start writing some songs. In …
Why this cliche is dead wrong
I’ve been traveling more than usual lately, speaking to corporate audiences in the lead-up to the launch of my new book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist. After most keynotes, someone from the audience approaches me with the same question: What was it like to write a book? I would often …
Why you should shoot for the Moon
In September 1962, President John F. Kennedy stood before a packed Rice University stadium and pledged to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth before the decade was out. It appeared to most observers that Kennedy was blindly hoping for a miracle. JFK asked …