Comments on: A Short Collection of Unconventional Ideas

By: Billy Bostick

Billy Bostick — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:28:45 +0000

Lead, do not follow (as a general rule) unless the leaders views mirror your own. Ultimately being happy requires us to follow our own instincts and in order to do that we are generally required to be self-employed. Chris’s comments about things that are optional but conventionally thought to be needed is key. Accepting the realease of these optional vices is very liberating. I still have some of these things but i have them because they are what i want – not because someone else thinks i need them.

By: Jenn Brockman (alexshares)

Jenn Brockman (alexshares) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:14:50 +0000

Someone mentioned failure – there isn’t failure. We can choose to quit working on that goal, or realize that it won’t work out the way we would like, but we can choose to continue in a different way.

I’m new to your blog and am loving it so far.

By: Melanie Kissell

Melanie Kissell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:20:02 +0000

The short and sweet of it …

Thanks for being YOU, Chris, and keep on keepin’ on!

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:51:55 +0000

Always been a non-conformist myself and got lots of stick for it over the years…keep going Chris with this great blog to encourage all of us to stick with what we know is the best way to live life….

By: charles

charles — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:36:49 +0000

Technical degrees are like GPAs too, perhaps with a slightly longer useful life. The last time anyone asked me about my degrees was almost 20 years ago and I don’t know where mine are any more.

All the paper does is give you is something to wave around when you have no experience. Once you have a few years of experience none of that matters.

As a parent that homeschools I’m starting to seriously doubt the wisdom of going to university/college at all. You can learn more, faster, and cheaper by learning on your own and gaining real world experience. ie. extend the home schooling principles into university/college space.

By: Kiki

Kiki — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:41:06 +0000

Every time I start thinking that maybe I should just go the safe’n'standard route instead of making my life my own, I reread the sage advice here. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the continued inspiration on my non-conformist journey.

By: Jeanie

Jeanie — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:30:07 +0000

Being a non conformist whilst bringing up children is a challenging thing to do. I copped heaps of criticism even from my husband, but I stayed true to what I believed and as a result I have 4 very independent children I don’t have to worry about. I will be sharing your site with my grandchildren. Thank you thank you. I love your web site and read every email from you.

By: Marcus Sheridan

Marcus Sheridan — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:31:31 +0000

This was great Chris. I especially enjoyed your point about the GPA, which I believe is one of the greatest ‘false-symbols’ society has of one’s future success. In fact, much of school and college are a very poor reflection of what will end up with ‘the man’ and his/her happiness and awareness in the long run. Keep up your greatness.

By: don

don — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:00:36 +0000

Awesome post. I have never had to tell anyone that I graduated from USC business school- but with a 2.5 GPA.

By: Fiona Leonard

Fiona Leonard — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:51:59 +0000

Great post.

One thing to add to the list of optional things in life. Going to a formal school is also optional. Check first before assuming you have to send your child to a building with the word school on the front.

Life offers a whole range of alternatives.

As someone who no longer has a house, car or credit card, I can endorse the rest of the list.