Category: Email Archives
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Ignore the piano losers and be a winner
I want you to win at piano. Ready for a secret? Drop your arms on the keyboard with each and every beat. Piano teachers hate me for giving that advice. That’s because they’re losers. Ignore them. Be a winner instead. —Michael
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Is motivation necessary to do things?
I got a question the other day. Actually, it was last night. No, wait. It was this morning. The question was: “Is motivation necessary to do things?” Answer: Yes. You can’t do things without motivation. After all, what would motivate you to do the thing, if not for motivation? This is not a philosophical issue.…
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I suck at jazz, and that’s exactly why I’m qualified to teach it
This is the fifth email I’ve written today. I sat down and said “I’m going to write five emails all in one go.” I don’t know if I’ll send it. I don’t know if I’ll send any of them. Maybe you’ve already read some of them, or maybe I haven’t even sent them. I’m writing…
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Put your money where your mouth is
“Michael, if you think retreats are necessary to learn meditation, why would I pay you for a course? Why not just do a retreat? Isn’t your course just a pale imitation?” Yes, my course is just a pale imitation. No disagreement there. Are you kidding me? A 10-day retreat is a serious commitment. You are…
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I believe in you
I’m sitting here drinking tea. It’s Bengal Spice. This is a tea that I drank at meditation retreats, and it reminds me of being there. I haven’t done a retreat for almost two years. Of course, this whole past year has been almost like a retreat. A long, stressful retreat. I almost did a solo…
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I love Gordon Ramsay
I want you to do something for me. But first: Difficulty is a state of mind. It feels difficult because you’re setting too high standards for yourself. That’s your choice and yours alone. Almost there… Other people may have expectations for you, but that doesn’t mean those expectations are spelled out clearly in their own…