Threshold Crossing (vol. 1, no. 1)

Here are three things I’m sharing this month:


1. Shay Carl on how to look forward:

  • “Think about how old you are right now and think about being a 10-year-older version of yourself. Then think, “What would I probably tell myself as an older version of myself?” …If you do this exercise and then start living the answers…I think you are going to grow exponentially faster than you would have otherwise.” –  Shay Carl (from Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris)

2. Rust Cole on why you need to choose:

  • “Life’s barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you get good at.” – Rust Cole (True Detective)

3. Clare Booth Luce on knowing your sentence:

  • “While visiting John F. Kennedy early on in his presidency, Clare Booth Luce (a journalist) expressed concern that Kennedy might be in danger of trying to do too much, thereby losing focus. She told him “a great man is a sentence” – meaning that a leader with a clear and strong purpose could be summed up in a single line (e.g., “Abraham Lincoln preserved the union and freed the slaves”)…Your sentence might be, “He raised four kids who became happy, healthy adults” or “She invented a device that made people’s lives easier.” – Warren Berger from “A More Beautiful Question

Most of you have read my Two Letters blog. If not, you should read it. Here’s a one line synopsis: you need two letters from two professors with two kick-ass introductions before you graduate. If I am one of your two, then the best way to secure a letter from me is to work with me on a project. Toward that end, here are some opportunities. But, please know that there is no expectation that you work with or that I am one of your two.

Position Title: Lead Researcher – Futurnomics

  • I’m looking to launch a class that blends futurism and economics. In particular I am interested in the impact of technological advances like AI, Big Data, Machine learning on economic prosperity, demography and civil liberties.

Position Title: Lead Researcher – Political Economy of Violence

  • Researching the intersection of state-sponsored and non-state sponsored violence and economic development. This was my original area of research. I taught a class on the topic years ago. I’m looking to teach the class again. But, I want an update on research efforts of others in the field from 2002 – now.

Position Title: Program Director (holds for all below)

I’ll be honest this is a bit of grunt work; but, I will be doing the grunt work alongside you. The thing about these projects is that they give you and me a reason to gather and meet outside the confines of the classroom.

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