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  Humility: The Secret Ingredient to Process Improvement I used AI to draft & edit this  One of the greatest things about me is how humble I am. In fact, I might be the most humble person I know. Sarcasm aside, humility is, ironically, one of the most important attributes for driving process improvement. It’s not just a feel-good personality trait—it’s a critical mindset for solving problems and achieving meaningful results. This isn’t a new idea. Some of the greatest thinkers in history have recognized the power of humility. Socrates, for example, is famous for saying, “I know that I know nothing.” His wisdom came from his recognition of his own ignorance—a humility that allowed him to constantly learn and question assumptions. Similarly, Descartes built his philosophy on doubt and uncertainty, acknowledging that the only way to truly find answers was to first admit how little he actually knew. Humility isn’t weakness; it’s a superpower. It opens the door to curiosity, co...

  The Changing Role of the Writer in the Age of AI: Dedicated to My Mom Note: I used AI to help draft and refine this article. My mom, an amazing woman, once took a statistics analysis course that left her traumatized. She hated it. And while this anecdote might seem mundane, it illustrates something larger: the struggle of adapting to evolving tools and technologies. What my mom went through—manually crunching numbers, using rulers, and calculating by hand—was the norm. Everyone did it that way. But as we move into an era shaped by artificial intelligence, the story isn’t about nostalgia for the old methods; it’s about recognizing how the tools of the present reshape the way we think, work, and create. There’s an old saying: “A work of art is never completed, it is merely abandoned.” This idea resonates deeply with the creative process—especially writing. Consider the worker who turns in a project to their supervisor. The supervisor examines it and says, “This is good, but these p...

  Introducing the FITFANTASY Acronym: A Roadmap for Fitness Success Note: While the experiences and perspectives are my own, I used AI to help draft and refine this article. When I was a kid, I read an article in Sports Illustrated about Herschel Walker’s legendary push-up routine. Inspired, I began doing push-ups daily, religiously dedicating two hours every morning from 4:30 to 6:30. I believed I was on the path to athletic greatness, but on the first day of football practice, I realized I had missed something crucial—running. That realization was a turning point. I was strong from my push-ups, but I lacked the explosive speed and endurance needed for the game. Then I met a kid who was into bodybuilding. He had developed a huge collection of bodybuilding magazines, knew all about progressive resistance, and seemed to have the edge I was missing. There was always more to learn—another piece of the puzzle. Eventually, that kid gave me his entire collection of bodybuilding magazine...

  The Bells of Behaviorism and the Power of Associations Note: While the experiences and perspectives are my own, I used AI to help draft and refine this article. It was a crisp New York day, and I was on a Big Apple bus tour, soaking in the sights. Our guide was the kind of person who made every story feel like a personal anecdote, weaving humor and charm into every fact he shared. At some point, I asked him what he did before becoming a guide. “I used to work in advertising,” he replied. That answer triggered a thought. As someone who’s read a lot about psychology, I immediately thought of John Broadus Watson, the father of behaviorism, who famously transitioned from academia to advertising. Without thinking, I asked, “Did you ever meet Watson?” The guide laughed and said, “I didn’t meet him, but my aunt worked with him.” He called Watson “weird” and moved on to his next story. My wife wasn’t convinced. “Why would he know about some random psychologist who worked in adver...

TAQEAFI: Towards a Quadrillion Economy Adjusted For Inflation Note: While the experiences and perspectives are my own, I used AI to help draft and refine this article. Vision TAQEAFI envisions a world where the global economy expands to levels that enable a universally high standard of living, where technological advancements and innovations improve every aspect of life. The goal is to create a society where abundance, innovation, and well-being thrive universally. This vision represents the essence of the FREDEssere Lifestyle : a life of abundance, health, and fulfillment, where individuals enjoy advanced products, processes, and personal growth. What TAQEAFI Embodies A Fusion of Ideals : TAQEAFI reflects the harmonious blend of Adam Smith’s vision of prosperity through innovation and productivity with Karl Marx’s dream of universal well-being and equality of opportunity. It bridges these philosophies by fostering innovation that drives productivity while ensuring that the resulting w...

  Beyond Leveling: How AI Multiplies the Playing Field and Helps Us Move Toward a Quadrillion-Dollar Economy (Adjusted for Inflation) Note: While the experiences and perspectives are my own, I used AI to help draft and refine this article. Dr. Eliahu Goldratt once said, “We will never benefit from a new technology unless we change the rules that enabled us to live with the previous limitation.” This profound insight captures a fundamental truth: it is not technology itself, but the way we adapt our processes and systems to utilize it, that determines whether we progress or stagnate. With artificial intelligence, we stand on the brink of a new era—one I call the quadrillion-dollar economy (adjusted for inflation). This isn’t just a lofty number; it represents a world where innovation, productivity, and human potential multiply beyond anything we’ve seen before. But achieving this vision requires us to move beyond the outdated rules of the past. If we embrace AI thoughtfully and re...

We Love Brain Surgeons, But... Note: While the experiences and perspectives are my own, I used AI to help draft and refine this article. There’s a story from the memoir Do No Harm by Henry Marsh where a patient told him, "I hope I never see you again," after a successful surgery. It’s a sentiment many brain surgeons hear. Not because their patients don’t appreciate them, but because the best-case scenario is never needing their expertise in the first place. What if we could reduce the need for brain surgery by tackling some of its root causes? Spoiler: we can, and it starts with walking. The DECA Century Club: Walking 1,000 Miles to Save Your Brain The DECA Century Club isn’t just a challenge; it’s a lifestyle. Committing to walking (an extra) 1,000 miles in a year (roughly 2.7 miles per day) isn’t just about fitness—it’s about reducing your risk of life-altering conditions like traumatic brain injury (TBI), strokes, and even brain tumors. Walking is accessible, effective, a...

  Stewart Smalley Gets the Last Laugh: From Affirmations to Triumph Note: While the experiences and perspectives are my own, I used AI to help draft and refine this article. At first glance, affirmations can seem laughably ineffective. They conjure up images of caricatures like Stewart Smalley from Saturday Night Live —Al Franken’s parody of self-help culture. Smalley, with his iconic mantra, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me,” embodied the silliness of affirmations. We chuckle at the absurdity of repeating such phrases, imagining how ridiculous they sound. But what if there’s more to this than meets the eye? What if the punchline to this joke isn’t laughter but actual success? Let’s explore one of the most improbable and inspiring real-life stories: the rise of Frank Zane. The Ridiculous Experiment Imagine a 189-pound math teacher from California who decides to compete in the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition. To everyone else, this seems absur...

  The Fitness Festival: Rediscovering the Fundamentals Fitness is not just about lifting weights or running marathons; it’s about reconnecting with the essence of health, motivation, and community. The Fitness Festival is not merely an event or concept but a celebration—a story we tell ourselves and others about the transformative power of fitness. What Is the Fitness Festival? The Fitness Festival is more than a workout plan or a training seminar. It’s a movement, a metaphor, and an experience designed to make fitness engaging, exciting, and deeply personal. As Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, motivation is the foundation of any successful fitness journey. Without understanding the why , the how becomes irrelevant. The Fitness Festival represents this why through the lens of celebration and storytelling. Much like a cultural or community festival, it is an event where participants come together to honor milestones, challenge themselves, and embrace the joy of physical and menta...

The Christmas Bookshelf Breakdown: A Lesson in Resilience and Humility It was Christmas morning. The house was filled with the soft hum of holiday cheer—the tree lights twinkling in the corner and the smell of cinnamon filling the air. It should have been a peaceful, joyful time. But here I was, standing in front of a half-assembled bookshelf, staring at what felt like a monumental setback. I had been working on this project for hours, and I was about 80% of the way done . At least, that’s what I thought. The structure was mostly in place, and the shelves were almost perfectly aligned. But as I took a closer look, something didn’t feel right. The shelf was off, and I realized with growing dread that the mistake I had made early on meant I wasn’t anywhere near 80% finished. I’d have to disassemble much of what I’d just done and start over —a huge setback. The frustration hit me hard. But even more than that, there was a growing sense of humiliation . My wife had already built several o...