open by wonder
“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.”
-Gerry Spence
(I came across this quote on the background of @dan_gould’s twitter page. Absolutely love it.)
Latest Entries
resolutions twenty ten
About two weeks ago I took a moment to jot down a few of the things that I wanted to start doing more, and I am using the new year to break into these healthy and fun habits.
While writing down the resolutions, I got some great advice from Fabian. He said more important than writing each new goal is writing why its important to you. Writing why serves as a constant motivation to act on them.
While most of the things are pretty surface level, they are all things I would be proud to accomplish and accordingly I tried to make them as tangible and realistic as possible. I also wanted to make sure they were personal and not professional goals, we already do lots of milestone and goal setting at Holstee.
resolution
:: why
:::: how
50 push ups a day
:: to stay strong till i die
:::: get up and do them first thing when i wake up
one book every 2 months
:: to keep my brain fresh and awake
:::: read every night, figure out how many pages a week/night to finish book and stick to goals
one small sketch a day
:: to get comfortable drawing
:::: have a daily alarm set for the afternoon (4pm) when creativity starts to decrease to sketch something
run 4 miles a week
:: improve cardiovascular health
:::: run every other day, make up miles on runday (Sunday)
learn piano
:: to learn to play songs and make music (not sound)
:::: log playing time try for 3 hours a week
Learnings from Sir Sherlock Holmes
I made a conscious decision to read a fictional short story to break some of the heavier reading I typically lean towards. With the recommendation of my brother I picked up “A Study in Scarlet” a Sherlock Holmes classic.
I enjoyed the read through and through from start to finish. On the last page of the short story Sherlock summarizes how he so accurately was able to understand and solve the case.
“In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason backward. That is a very useful accomplishment, and a very easy one, but people do not practise it much. In the everyday affairs of life it is much easier to reason forward, and so the other comes to be neglected.”
In operating Holstee we often think about the long term goals – growth, reach, new products, new experiences. Our partner and advisor, Fabian does an amazing job of helping keeping our eyes on the horizon – as Sherlock mentions, it’s just too easy to focus on the “everyday affairs of life” creating and reacting to items that appear on our daily radars.
This quote for Sherlock served as a great reminder to the importance of knowing where you want to take your dreams. People always say if you don’t know where you are going you will never get there – and I couldn’t sagree more. The next step is taking that goal and thinking analytically on how to get there.
I know this sort of Tony Robbins, self-fulfilling prophecy, style of thinking isn’t new news for you – and it wasn’t for me. All the same I think the idea of “solving the case” of our dreams and aspirations by thinking backwards is worth taking a moment to do more than think about. The real benefit comes from writing it.
If you are like me you have heard it, and felt inspired by it a million times – but have never actually taken the time to actually write it.
For me, this time is different. I am going to write it – and you should too 
Whether it develops into a strategic plan with measurable milestones for your business or the direction you want to see your personal life evolve into – write it down. I can’t see how you could regret it.
understanding new lifestyles
Not long after Mike and I moved to our nice little two bedroom apartment here in the East Village we came across AirBed & Breakfast, a website that allows us to share your apartment with travelers on a nightly basis. When we first started taking guests we hosted a only few days a month. We had some great experiences and increased the number of people we hosted. Since we have begun working full time on Holstee, we have begun hosting much more to generate some side cash to help fund our venture. In the past month or so we have been booked nearly every-night!
The experience has been nothing short of amazing. We have had the opportunity to host travelers from: Luxembourg, France, Australia, New Zealand, DC, San Fran., Austin, Norway, Germany, and Scotland just to name a few! What’s great about hosting is it is so much more than an acquaintance, when someone stays for a few nights you get to learn about their interests, their passions, what the they eat, how they cook, how they travel, what they read, and so much more. Every new visitor is a new insight into a the way others live their lives.
Many of our guests have inspired me and my understanding of life. Furthermore much of the direction and future of Holstee has been influenced by our guests, who offer new ideas, encouragement, and tips of how Holstee can enter their country.
Recently, Mike and I were featured in a Washington Post article regarding AirBnb, and our choice to host visitors in our home. This was actually our second bit of coverage. A few months ago we were interviewed by a local NYC television station.
Over the past year the guests we have hosted have become a major part of my life, and been a major catalyst for Holstee. It’s amazing how things adapt. Four months ago, I cut off my only real source of income. While my lifestyle has changed, all of the changes of been very rewarding in their own way. Mike and I realized that we cook more, we host more, which makes us clean more, another benefit I recently noticed is that we read more. Our flexible schedules also allow us to attend more events in the city and meet more people.
Looking back over the past four months, the change to be self-employed has been a great lifestyle decision. Despite the fact that we had not calculated our expenses or even formulating a proper business plan before quitting, things have fortunately worked out. I wanted to write this post to capture our experience of hosting, as well as note the importance of adaptation. Being open minded and flexible make all the difference.
This is a reminder for me and everyone else, to forget trying to hold on to your old lifestyle, whether that means the material items you purchase or the things that you value in life. Always be open to new things and people and you will be surprised how much you can learn about what is really important for you.
Holstee Manifesto
Here is the Holstee manifesto. It is a combination of thoughts and feeling that have been floating around my head for quite a while now. With a few tweaks from Mike and Fabian it was complete. It really captures our personal feelings and vision for what Holstee can mean to people. So with out any further introduction, here it is. (As always please let me know your thoughts!):
HOLSTEE MANIFESTO
This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit. If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over-analyzing; life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once: seize them. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people. We are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream, and wear your passion.
Download “The Manifesto”
Mamanjoon’s famous pancake recipe!
Here is MJ’s Favorite Pancakes recipe.
1 Cup Sifted all purpose flour.
2 Tablespoons Sugar.
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 LG Egg
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Cup Milk
Sift together dry ingredients ( the first 4 ingr.)
Mix well egg, oil and milk and add the dry ingredient as you are mixing.
use a hot griddle or a frying pan to make the pancakes. .
any questions please call the hot line (aka mom).
ps. for those who don’t know…mamanjoon is grandma in farsi