The Constant Fight Against Being Overwhelmed

We're trying to do a lot here, in this life. Whether that's just to create the life we want for ourselves, to build a new company based on our passions, or to love those around us as much as they deserve. So we develop plans on how to make that happen.

The only problem is that our plan is five pages long.

It consists of building a place for ourselves to be seen, meeting people, networking, learning about our craft, all the while keeping ourselves as involved in our social circles as possible and working to make sure that we are keeping our bodies healthy.

Sounds like a tall order, so how do we keep ourselves sane? How do we deal with being overwhelmed?

Ryan BonaparteApril 23, 2014Stress, Motivation, Quitting, Work, Priorities, Success, Limits

One Year Later, The 10 Most Important Lessons I've Learned About Passion

One year ago, as I sat on my couch with my computer on my lap, I clicked "Publish" and officially became an author. I released Crazy Enough To Try last April, and it was the culmination of months of hard work and hours of writing, editing, and reworking.

It was also the result of countless conversations, both those that were documented and included in the book, as well as informal ones with others. Throughout that time, and even more so over the past year, I have learned so much from speaking with people about their passions. Some think of it as a guiding principle that energizes you, while others refer to it as a burning, almost suffering for it, sensation.

I thought I would take this time to reflect on what I've learned throughout this project and how it might be applicable to your life.

Ryan BonaparteApril 15, 2014Passion, Real, Creativity, Book, Hobbies, Sharing

A Birthday Giveaway

Today is my birthday.

I'm very fortunate to have as many friends and loved ones as I do to celebrate with and I've received many well wishes and gifts, for which I am truly grateful.

However, I want to take this opportunity to make this day about more than just me. I also want it to be about you.

Ryan BonaparteApril 4, 2014Book, Birthday, Passion

There Is No Perfect

In my last post, I referred to Will Smith's advice on building a wall, an analogy for accomplishing a huge task looming in front of us. I said take small perfect steps to accomplish your goals.

What do I mean by perfect?

Perfect is somewhat of a loaded word, because it implies that we can do something perfectly. It suggests that if we do something perfectly, if we write that perfect email, or land that perfect job interview, or we get that perfect opportunity, that everything will just work out.

The chances of us do anything perfectly is exactly nil, and even if we could do one thing perfectly, the rest is not going to just work out.

So what am I really saying? I'm saying to do the absolute best you can.

Ryan BonaparteApril 1, 2014Motivation, Limits, Perfect, Real, Patience

Take One Perfect Step Today

"You don't set out to build a wall. You don't say 'I'm going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that's ever been built.' You don't start there. You say, 'I'm going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.' You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall."

-- Will Smith

This is one of the quotes I live by, and I've thought about it almost every day since I heard it.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 26, 2014Real, Practice, Motivation, Patience, Success, Inspiration, Goals

Conversations on Passion: Wade Roush of Xconomy

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

Wade Roush is the Chief Correspondent and San Francisco Editor at Xconomy. I've been following his work for years, and just had to reach out to him to get his opinions on passion. As a writer, who works primarily on technology and innovation, especially in Silicon Valley, he's had first hand experience with people who have worked with their passions to create companies. Sometimes it works out for them, and a lot of times it doesn't. Read on to learn his thoughts on what people call passion and why it's misguided, how he got into writing in the first part, and some tips on finding your passion unless you're one of his heroes, Leonardo da Vinci.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 20, 2014Conversations on Passion, Interview, Passion

Your Passions Are Not Unique, But You Are

When I first set out to find my passions, I had this desire in the back of my mind to find something that was unique. Something that would set me apart from others, and allow me to bring something different to this world.

I searched high and low, I tried extremely hard to find that one thing that would be unique and awesome that I, and only I, could do. It actually made the search harder, because I dismissed anything that wasn't "unique".

When I finally did realize what my biggest passion was, transforming awesome ideas into action, I was both excited and a little disappointed.

My passion is not unique, there are thousands of people who already do that.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 17, 2014Passion, Search, Real

Conversations on Passion: Ayah Bdeir of littleBits

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

I'm really excited to share with you this next Conversation on Passion. I was fortunate enough to connect with Ayah Bdeir, founder and CEO of littleBits. If you're not familiar with littleBits, they are working to change the perception of engineering by making it straightforward and engaging for young people. Think motors, motion sensors, and other electronic components that can be connected in a matter of seconds into complex circuits and then reassembled to make a new type of circuit. All connections are made via magnets, so there's no way to mess up. Great stuff! Ayah presented at TED2012 in Long Beach, and was awarded a TED2013 Senior Fellowship. She's very passionate about what she does and has some interesting insights on passions and some great advice on how to find and keep yours.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 13, 2014Conversations on Passion, Interview, Education, Entrepreneurship, TED, Creativity, Business

Pay Attention To Your Signs! (Or else...)

Last weekend I drove to New York to visit some friends and family, as I often do for a nice break. What started out as a potentially fun-filled weekend ended with some not so fun elements, including tons of traffic, a fist fight, coping with Daylight Saving Time, and more. The biggest hurdle of all, though, involved my car.

After leaving a club at 4AM, I offered to drop some friends off to save them the trouble of getting a cab. The problem began when I returned to the awesome parking spot I found down the block and my car was nowhere to be found.

Yep, my car had been towed.

After a quick chat with some people on the street, I called a number they gave me and five minutes later found out where my car was, and how much it was going to cost to get it back.

Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper, but what could I do? The parking signs were there, however cryptic they might have been, and I didn't read them carefully. There was a lesson to be learned through all of this, though.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 10, 2014Passion, Money, Career

Conversations on Passion: Matt Stillman of stillmansays.com

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

In April of 2009, I started an experiment in Union Square in New York City. I sit out there with two chairs, a table and a sign that says: “Creative Approaches To What You Have Been Thinking About”.

This is what I first read about Matt Stillman. I randomly came across his website, stillmansays.com, two years ago and then proceeded to read every one of his recounts of the conversations he had with the people who showed up at his table.

From coping with relationship issues to handling destructive pets to making important career choices, Matt's given creative approaches to the problems people bring to him. Drawing on the knowledge he's acquired of an absurd amount of facts and by looking at life through a slightly different lens than most of us, he's helped thousands of people think a little differently about the personal battles we face.

I recently had a chance to have a Skype call with Matt to discuss his own passions, how his life has led him to this point, and to get some creative approaches on how to find passions and incorporate them into our lives.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 6, 2014Conversations on Passion, Passion, Interview, Learn, People, Search, Sharing, Creativity

The One Thing Stopping You From Making A Vision A Reality

Ryan BonaparteMarch 3, 2014Guest Post, Communication, Dreams, Success, Goals

Conversations on Passion: Julia Winston of BRAVE Communication LLC

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passion in some form. If you'd like to be profiled, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

For this part of the interview series, I've had the pleasure of connecting with Julia Winston of BRAVE Communication LLC. She has been teaching and coaching leaders at non-profits, corporations, and other businesses to improve their communication skills and get their ideas across more effectively. She also writes about communication and its impact on our relationships at her blog, The Living BRAVE Blog. Keep reading below to find out how she defines passion, why she does what she does, and some great tips on finding your own passions.

Ryan BonaparteFebruary 27, 2014Conversations on Passion, Communication, Passion, Search, Interview, Career