Have you ever wondered why great ideas come to you when you seem to least expect them? You have a problem so you sit down and think as hard as you can…and yet a solution escapes you. Then you take a shower…or maybe a nap, and an idea magically appears.

Ralph Waldo Emerson shares your perplexity with this issue. He was absolutely mesmerized by this mysterious power. I have included some excerpts from his essay The Over-Soul below. After reading it, click the link at the bottom. I promise it will be worth it.

The philosophy of six thousand years has not searched the chambers and magazines of the soul. In its experiments there has always remained, in the last analysis, a residuum it could not resolve. Man is a stream whose source is hidden. Our being is descending into us from we know not whence. I am constrained every moment to acknowledge a higher origin for events than the will I call mine.

As with events, so is it with thoughts. When I watch that flowing river, which, out of regions I see not, pours for a season its streams into me, I see that I am a pensioner; not a cause, but a surprised spectator of this ethereal water; that I desire and look up, and put myself in the attitude of reception, but from some alien energy the visions come.

From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things, and makes us aware that we are nothing, but the light is all. A man is the facade of a temple wherein all wisdom and all good abide. What we commonly call man, the eating, drinking, planting, counting man, does not, as we know him, represent himself, but misrepresents himself. Him we do not respect, but the soul, whose organ he is, would he let it appear through his action, would make our knees bend.

When it breathes through his intellect, it is genius; when it breathes through his will, it is virtue; when it flows through his affection, it is love.

All reform aims, in some one particular, to let the soul have its way through us; in other words, to engage us to obey. Let man, then, learn the revelation of all nature and all thought to his heart; this, namely; that the Highest dwells with him; that the sources of nature are in his own mind, if the sentiment of duty is there. He must greatly listen to himself, withdrawing himself from all the accents of other men’s devotion.

Emerson would write passages and be astounded as to its source. He knew that nothing in his life could have prepared him to write such words…and yet there they were. He knew there was something deeper inspiring him.

Our lives can be hectic…and at times we lose sight of the source of our power. A personal quiet place can take us there. Do you have one?

Click here to begin that journey.

As I was backpacking through Europe this summer, I made an interesting decision: I decided to stay at a Christian hostel in Amsterdam. They promised FREE FOOD and a really quiet atmosphere (something I needed after my previous hostel experiences). I was just finishing my “free food” when I heard the catch: I had to watch a short movie. I prepared to get a dose of Jesus with my stringed beans and rice.

To my surprise, I had a huge smile when the movie ended. And want to know the crazy part? It wouldn’t go away. My mind told me, “The acting was bad, the lines were cheesy, and it wasn’t even in color!” Yet none of this seemed to remove the dumb grin on my face.

See for yourself…and you might end up with a smile that won’t go away.

Why spend a whole novel communicating wisdom when you can do it in a few words? Recently I read two books that focused on aphorisms, a modern bestseller (The Bed of Procrustes) and a classic, timeless one (Poor Richard’s Almanac). As I was reading through them I would highlight my favorite passages, knowing that one day I wanted to put them up on my walls. Here is my top 10 from each book.

Print them out. Tape them everywhere. Watch your mind grow.

Nassim Taleb’s Bed of Procrustes

There are two types of people: those who try to win and those who try to win arguments. They are never the same.

It is those who use others who are the most upset when someone uses them.

If you know, in the morning, what your day looks like with any precision, you are a little bit dead – the more precision, the more dead.

For many, instead of looking for “cause of death” when they expire, we should be looking for “cause of life” when they are still around.

Failure of second order thinking: he tells you a secret and somehow expects you to keep it, when he just gave you evidence he can’t keep it himself.

I suspect that IQ, SAT, and school grades are tests designed by nerds so they can get high scores in order to call each other intelligent.

Someone who says “I am busy” is either declaring incompetence (and lack of control of his life) or trying to get rid of you.

If you need to listen to music while walking, don’t walk; and please don’t listen to music.

What I learned on my own I still remember.

If you find any reason why you and someone are friends, you are not friends.

Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac

If your riches are yours, why don’t you take them with you to the other world?

He that falls in love with himself, will have no rivals.

Great modesty often hides great merit.

Half the truth is often a great lie.

One today is worth two tomorrows.

The proud hate pride — in others.

Many a man thinks he is buying pleasure when he is really selling himself a slave to it.

He that speaks much is much mistaken.

Lend money to an enemy and you will gain him, to a friend and you will lose him.

‎If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.

Have any favorite aphorisms? Write them in the comments below!

A few weeks ago I read a story about an old couple who won $11.2 million from a lottery ticket and then proceeded to give it all away! I pondered what I would do in a similar situation. My mind raced from buying an island to investing the money but in the end I decided I would in fact donate it to charity. Before you scoff at my conclusion, let me try to explain why.

I used to want to get rich quick. Whether it was through the lottery or a quick trade in the market, I would have loved to make a few million in a day….maybe two days if it had to come to that. Then slowly but surely I began to realize that money is not real. What does that mean? Well at its essence, money represents a man’s effort. To better explain this idea, I’ve chosen two passages written by Ayn Rand.

Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think. An honest man is one who knows that he can’t consume more than he has produced. Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values, if he’s evaded the knowledge of what to value, and it will not provide him with a purpose, if he’s evaded the choice of what to seek. Money will not buy intelligence for the fool, or admiration for the coward, or respect for the incompetent.

Only the man who does not need it, is fit to inherit wealth–the man who would make his own fortune no matter where he started. If an heir is equal to his money, it serves him; if not, it destroys him. But you look on and you cry that money corrupted him. Did it? Or did he corrupt his money? Do not envy a worthless heir; his wealth is not yours and you would have done no better with it. Do not think that it should have been distributed among you; loading the world with fifty parasites instead of one, would not bring back the dead virtue which was the fortune. Money is a living power that dies without its root. Money will not serve the mind that cannot match it.

Two things jump out for me from this passage. First, I’ve heard many people blame their lack of money for their lack of success. They propose that they would be successful if only money was handed to them first. They fail to realize that money will never elude the man with ideas. Once an idea for creation is set in the mind, events will conspire to make it a reality. Second, I think many people do not realize the powerful and needed effect of challenges on your character. An entrepreneur who came to speak at UF said it best when he said, “The best part of becoming a millionaire is not the money, but the person you become.”

Al Warrington recently told a group of students at the University of Florida that he has given away 65% of his wealth three times in his life and yet he is now financially better off than ever. How can that be? Well, the money just reflected his character. He gave away his money but never gave away what he had learned. It was only a matter of time before the money found him again.

So next time you’re on your way to buy a lottery ticket, ask yourself if a large, sudden influx of money is really what you want in your life. The dream may be better than the reality.

We at Third Minds are fond of calling attention to some of the more outlandish practices of higher education. In this particular incident, MIT sent out a recruiting letter to a high school student who had a high standardized test score. The student decided to respond and send a letter back to them in his own unique (and hilarious) manner. Check it out.

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April 18, 1994

Mr. John T. Mongan
123 Main Street
Smalltown, California 94123-4567

Dear John:

You’ve got the grades. You’ve certainly got the PSAT scores. And now you’ve got a letter from MIT. Maybe you’re surprised. Most students would be.

But you’re not most students. And that’s exactly why I urge you to consider carefully one of the most selective universities in America.

The level of potential reflected in your performance is a powerful indicator that you might well be an excellent candidate for MIT. It certainly got my attention!

Engineering’s not for you? No problem. It may surprise you to learn we offer more than 40 major fields of study, from architecture to brain and cognitive sciences, from economics (perhaps the best program in the country) to writing.

What? Of course, you don’t want to be bored. Who does? Life here *is* tough and demanding, but it’s also fun. MIT students are imaginative and creative – inside and outside the classroom.

You’re interested in athletics? Great! MIT has more varsity teams – 39 -than almost any other university, and a tremendous intramural program so everybody can participate.

You think we’re too expensive? Don’t be too sure. We’ve got surprises for you there, too.

Why not send the enclosed Information Request to find out more about this unique institution? Why not do it right now?

Sincerely,

Michael C. Benhke
Director of Admissions

P.S. If you’d like a copy of a fun-filled, fact-filled brochure, “Insight,” just check the appropriate box on the form.

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May 5, 1994

Michael C. Behnke
MIT Director of Admissions
Office of Admissions, Room 3-108
Cambridge MA 02139-4307

Dear Michael:

You’ve got the reputation. You’ve certainly got the pomposity. And now you’ve got a letter from John Mongan. Maybe you’re surprised. Most universities would be.

But you’re not most universities. And that’s exactly why I urge you to carefully consider one of the most selective students in America, so selective that he will choose only one of the thousands of accredited universities in the country.

The level of pomposity and lack of tact reflected in your letter is a powerful indicator that your august institution might well be a possibility for John Mongan’s future education. It certainly got my attention!

Don’t want Bio-Chem students? No problem. It may surprise you to learn that my interests cover over 400 fields of study, from semantics to limnology,
from object-oriented programming (perhaps one of the youngest professionals in the country) to classical piano.

What? Of course you don’t want egotistical jerks. Who does? I am self indulgent and over confident, but I’m also amusing. John Mongan is funny and amusing – whether you’re laughing with him or at him.

You’re interested in athletes? Great! John Mongan has played more sports – 47 – than almost any other student, including oddball favorites such as Orienteering.

You think I can pay for your school? Don’t be too sure. I’ve got surprises for you there, too.

Why not send a guaranteed admission and full scholarship to increase your chance of being selected by John Mongan? Why not do it right now?

Sincerely,

John Mongan

P.S. If you’d like a copy of a fun-filled, fact-filled brochure, “John Mongan: What a Guy!” just ask.

A recent find by Andre Grillon.

The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of planet Earth taken in 1990 by Voyager 1 from a record distance, showing it against the vastness of space. By request of Carl Sagan, NASA commanded the Voyager 1 spacecraft, having completed its primary mission and now leaving the Solar System, to turn its camera around and to take a photograph of Earth across a great expanse of space.

In a commencement address delivered May 11, 1996, Sagan related his thoughts on a deeper meaning of the photograph:

Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every ‘superstar,’ every ‘supreme leader,’ every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.