This week I’ve been reading the galleys for the new Making a Living Without a Job. I came across this story (which you’ve seen if you’ve read the book) and knew it was worth another look.

When you are willing to invest in yourself and your ideas, you have put your money and time into the one thing that lasts a lifetime and can never be taken from you. Businessman and author Bob Conklin told this story that I’ve never forgotten: “Twenty years ago, my wife and I evaluated all the ways we had spent and invested money. Stocks, cars, insurance, real estate, furniture and all other major investments were scrutinized. Do you know what investment outdistanced the others by an enormous percentage? Ourselves. Any investment in growth or self-improvement had paid incredible returns. Books, courses, seminars, conventions— whatever the learning experience—had always returned far greater rewards than any other investment. The best investment in life is in your own self-development. It will pay off the greatest financial and emotional rewards.”

Echoing that advice is a new study that’s gotten a lot of attention because of the radical discovery that Experiences Make us Happier Than Possessions. Really?

The movers and shakers that I follow on Twitter are frequent participants in seminars and conferences. Chris Brogan has a great article called Build How-to Material to Grow Relationships that was inspired during a conference.

Got wanderlust? So does Gary Arndt and all sorts of other folks featured in Christopher Elliott’s article The Secret to an Endless Vacation. 

Follow Through Camp is only two weeks away and I am anticipating great things will be happening for the participants. I’ve been seeing so many blog posts and conversations about getting unstuck…and that’s exactly what we’re going to be tackling at Camp. Even though there’s not much time left to make travel plans, we still have room for two more campers. Want to be one?

Finally, I’ve been savoring Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit and came across this bit of advice: If it’s true that who you are now and who you will be in five years depend on what books you read and which people you meet, then you need to think more aggressively about those you invite into your creative life…In my career, I’ve collaborated with artists from David Byrne to Milos Forman to Jerome Robbins to Phillip Glass. This didn’t happen by accident. But it made good accidents happen.