Stephen King was so appalled by his draft outline of Carrie that he scrunched up the pages and threw them in the trash, resolving to give up on the story of a tormented high school girl with telekinesis powers. When he returned from his day job as a schoolteacher the following day, King found the […]
Stephen King: Building Perseverance Read More »
Winnie and Nelson Mandela shared a vision of dismantling apartheid in South Africa but had rather contrasting approaches to achieving that vision. Winnie adopted a strategy focused on grassroots activism and direct action. She was heavily involved in organising protests, mobilising the masses, and supporting resistance activities. On the other hand, Nelson emphasised peaceful negotiations,
Winnie & Nelson: Embracing Diversity in Approach Read More »
Craig Foster, from the documentary My Octopus Teacher, was on his morning ocean swim in the Great African Seaforest when suddenly he spotted a giant 17 x 14-foot stingray, the largest species in the world. Keeping his movements steady and vibrations low—essential given a sting from their spine can be fatal—Craig glided alongside this giant
Wilderness Rapture Read More »
Misty Copeland became the first African American female principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre—but that wasn’t supposed to happen. Told she didn’t have the ‘right’ ballerina body—too muscular and curvy. Her background didn’t fit the mould of what a ballerina ‘should’ be, and she started ballet far too late to make it as
Dancing with Doubt Read More »
Nathan Florence is a hellman. That’s surf slang for someone who rides waves of serious consequence, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on a surfboard. He’s been recognised as such, this year winning the prestigious Waterman of the Year award. Nathan recently tried to paddle into a wave called “The Right” in Western Australia without
Chasing Mastery: Why Success Doesn’t Quiet the Need to Prove Ourselves Read More »
It’s early 2000s and Metallica are well established heavy metal gods. But progress on their highly anticipated new album St. Anger is plagued with issues, including creative tension between frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. Ulrich reflects during an early recording session for the album: “It’s like I’m racing against time… it’s a weird
Creative Tension: Striking the Balance Between Competing and Collaborating Read More »
Each fortnight I share a story from a interesting human where there’s a useful psychological concept we can all put into our lives to enhance wellbeing and optimise performance.
