Category: Turning Stories
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Recoverable and irrecoverable decisions
When you need to make an anxiety-inducing decision, ask yourself: What is the worst realistic outcome? Will you be able to recover from it? Let’s say you want to make a product and sell it, and you need to invest in inventory. The manufacturer needs you to order $1,000 worth to meet their minimum. The…
Herbert Lui
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Balance
When I was younger, I let ambition drive my work. I was fully committed to achieving my goals as quickly as possible. As the years went by, I realized this wasn’t effective. Ambition caused me to chase prestige, look for shortcuts, and spread myself too thin. I needed to be the driver, channeling ambition when…
Herbert Lui
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The night I became an entrepreneur
Before I can talk about that, I need to tell you about the first time I bought something from an entrepreneur with my own money: In elementary school, my friend made me an offer. He would make me a CD of the best songs of the month, for $2. At the time CDs sold for…
Herbert Lui
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The 48 Laws of Power started with powerlessness
Early in his life, Robert Greene wanted to be a writer. His first attempt at this started early, with a job in journalism. After working for several years, one of his editors took him out for a liquid lunch and told him, “You should seriously consider a different career. You are not writer material. Your…
Herbert Lui
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The hungry ghost’s favorite ingredient was ambition
In Asian mythology, there are ghosts known as pretas with insatiable appetites. They have big mouths and thin necks. They can eat all they want and never feel full. Spoiler alert: There’s a scene in The Ballad of a Small Player, in which the protagonist is possessed by such a ghost. Together, he wins big,…
Herbert Lui
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Craft your little empire
My friend Hamza works as a keynote speaker, author, and leader of a new tech company. If you asked him for career advice, he would tell you, “Be your own boss.” This resonates with me; it’s about taking yourself seriously, investing in yourself, and reclaiming responsibility and agency. Whether you work with other people and…
Herbert Lui
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Becoming more mindful of overcorrecting
For almost all of my life, I’ve taken feedback very seriously. I wanted to stay out of trouble, so I learned to do this to make sure figures of authority—parents, teachers, etc.—knew that I was listening to what they said. In a way, this became one of my strengths. I learn and adapt very well.…
Herbert Lui
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Some teachers show you what to avoid
Scott Adams, famous for creating Dilbert and endorsing Trump in 2015, passed away last week. Several years ago, I found his book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, useful, particularly his idea of “talent stacking,” which is to get good enough to be at the top 25% of two different disciplines.…
Herbert Lui
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You can either learn or be judgmental
You can’t do both at the same time. When you ask questions, with a desire to understand, and listen, you are learning. Questions like: What assumptions am I making? How else can I think about this? What is the other person thinking, feeling, and wanting? When you’re mindful, you can catch yourself being judgmental and…
Herbert Lui
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Reflecting on my failure to write a NYT bestselling book
Over a decade ago, I attended a charity gala at The Spoke Club in Toronto. I was wearing a tailored suit, having a great time with friends, and, after a couple of glasses of bubbly, feeling celebratory. My career was off to a strong start. My articles went viral at Medium and were picked up…
Herbert Lui