I turned 30 recently.

While far from old and wise, I have learned a few things along the way - on life, business, writing, investing, and growth.

Here are a few important lessons learned...

In 1637, the Dutch Republic erupted into a speculative fever over an unlikely item...the tulip.

Tulip Mania has become a legend synonymous with market euphoria and bubbles. But is this tale all it's cracked up to be?

Who's up for a story?

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1/ The tulip is a spring-blooming flower native to the valleys of the Tien Shan Mountains in Central Asia.

It is believed to have been introduced to Europe in 1554, when an ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor sent tulip bulbs and seeds to Vienna from the Ottoman Empire.

2/ Tulips gained in popularity as people were attracted to their rich color and ability to grow in sub-optimal conditions.

They soon became a coveted status symbol for the wealthy.

The Semper Augustus, with its colorful, flame-like streaks, was the most desired of them all.

3/ By the early 1600s, the Dutch Republic was entering a golden age.

Many financial innovations popped up during this time - the first stock exchange, for example.

But it was another financial innovation that would propel tulips into historical lore: the futures contract.

4/ As tulips grow slowly and may take several years to bloom, paper contracts were written that entitled the buyer to the future tulips.

These contracts were freely-traded.

So in addition to the physical market for tulip bulbs, a thriving paper market was established.

First principles thinking is a powerful framework for deconstructing complex problems and driving non-linear outcomes.

Here's a breakdown of what it is and how it works:

Aristotle defined a first principle as "the first basis from which a thing is known."

A first principle is a basic, foundational assumption—one that cannot be deduced or broken down any further.

First principles are foundational truths.

"First principles thinking”—or "reasoning from first principles”—is a problem-solving and innovation framework that requires you to break down a complex problem into its most foundational elements.

The aim: to ground yourself in the foundational truths and build up from there.

When we encounter challenging problems, our tendency is to rely on base level assumptions we have been told are true—or we believe to be true.

It's quick and easy to do.

But it also leads to unimaginative, linear solutions that closely resemble what has been done before.

This is called "reasoning by analogy”—it leads to solutions that are much like something else.

To be sure, it can be very useful when speed is the priority.

But it falls short when dealing with complex problems requiring creative, imaginative solutions.

10 common errors in reasoning that undermine arguments:

Ad Hominem

Latin phrase for "to the person”—an attack of the individual rather than the argument.

Instead of addressing the argument and its merits, the offender attempts to refute the opposition on the basis of personal characteristics.

All-too-common in political debates.

The Sharpshooter

A man fires a gun at a barn wall and then paints a target around the tightest cluster of bullet holes to create the appearance of accuracy.

The offender selects and highlights evidence that supports the conclusion—while ignoring evidence that may refute it.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

Sunk costs are economic costs already invested in an activity that cannot be recovered.

The fallacy is found in thinking that you should continue on the basis of all that you've put in—with no regard for future costs or likelihood of ultimate success.

The Red Herring

The kippered herring was a smelly fish used to distract hunting dogs while training them to focus on a scent.

"Red herring" is now synonymous with distraction.

The offender distracts from the argument with a seemingly related—but actually unrelated—point.

In the space of half a year, a new class division was ripped through American society: those who can live normally through pandemic lockdowns and restrictions versus those who can't. The two sides have a great deal of difficulty communicating across that chasm.

Of course, media and political elites are, at worst, inconvenienced by lockdowns, so news coverage is heavily slanted against the people who are really suffering from these policies. They're already as forgotten as the designated losers of globalist trade policy.

Spend a day watching mainstream media pandemic coverage, then spend the evening with people whose livelihoods have been utterly ruined by pandemic restrictions. It's like traveling from the Earth to Mars. Completely different worlds, totally different outlooks.

It's exactly like the divide between "free trade" winners and losers, people living in comfortable financial and media bubbles vs. people living in hollowed-out ghost towns with skyrocketing mortality rates. The Wuhan virus gave us a new, even bigger class of Designated Losers.

The new class divide cracked open along some economic and social fault lines that were already present and deepening, such as the growing number of people who preferred minimizing human contact while socializing online. It really is the social schism of the new century.

Women sleep with Men who are Emotionally Stable.

Here are 7 Ways to Master your Emotions:-

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1) Your Environment

Emotions are nothing but Energy in MOTION.

Surround yourself with Beauty, Positive Energy, and High Value people.

The environmental effect is Incredible.

2) Understand that Emotions are just feedback.

If you find yourself wanting to escape, or avoid going deep into a particular emotion, ask yourself this:

Can the emotion actually do any harm, or is it just a bad feeling?

Exactly. It's all just a story in your head.

3) State Control:

This one is so underrated.

Practice Physical and Mental anchors that put you into a badass state

-Meditate
-Music that amps you the fuck up.
-Power Poses; take up space
-Mental Pictures of you dominating.
-Hand Movements that let you know its game time.

4) Stop trying to get rid of them.

You're feeling good? Experience it fully.

You're feeling terrible? Feel it all over your body.

You will realize that they go away when you don't try to stop them.

10 easy steps to improve communication skills

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1) Learn The Basic Of Non-verbal Communications

It's not about what you say, it's how you say it.

For a clear and confident conversation, focus on your posture.

Avoid folding your arms or making your self smaller than you are.

Use your eye contact to break the gap.

2) Respect Your Audience

As a speaker, you should respect your audience.

They are here for you to listen. They want to listen to your ideas, so you must respect them.

Remember the quote “Give respect, Take respect“.

If you fail to give respect, they will not listen to you.

3) Ask for honest feedback

Whenever u have a conversation with anyone ask them about your mistakes, progress you have done in conversation.

This will help you in achieving your goals and by looking after your mistakes, you will learn them and improve it.

4) Maintain Eye Contact

Effective comm. is where the speaker makes eye contact with his audience.

The receiver starts trusting to him and shows interest in his words.

Maintaining eye contact builds credibility, and also it shows you care about your listeners.