In 2019, MIT professor Patrick Winston gave a legendary 1-hour lecture called “How to Speak.”
It has 18M+ views for a reason.
His frameworks:
• Your ideas are like your children
• The 5-minute rule for job talks
• Why jokes fail at the start
15 lessons on communication:
James Sexton, divorce attorney who's seen it all, drops a raw truth bomb:
Our entire society is engineered to distract you from the one fact that would shatter the consumer machine—if you truly internalized that you're going to die, you'd stop buying most of the meaningless shit they're selling.
He proposes a radical reset: Mandatory 1–2 years of hospice volunteering at 18.
Why? Because spending time with the dying strips everything bare.
They don't talk about their bank accounts, status, or possessions.
They talk about:
- The people they loved
- The connections they made
- The beautiful (and painful) experiences
All the "important" drama in your day evaporates the moment you walk out of that room.
Sexton shares his mom's final cancer surgery—20 minutes in, doctors closed her up: cancer everywhere, nothing more to do. In that instant, every other worry in his life got turned down to zero volume. All that mattered was time left to love her, to make sure she knew.
Reminder: There is a finite number of times you'll kiss your wife, hug your kids, call your parents. You don't know the number. You'll only realize it after you've passed it.
That finitude is what makes every moment sacred.
Living forever would be a curse.
Right now, the people you love are alive—right now.
Kiss them as many times as you want.
That is the greatest thing in the world.
Powerful, uncomfortable, beautiful perspective. Keep death in your line of sight—it's the ultimate clarity filter.
Dear Parents, the day you give your child a smartphone with social media is the day 1) their childhood ends and 2) you hand your child over to be raised by strangers who want to manipulate him/her. Kids know how to get around “parental controls” & screen time does not matter.
@nxthompson@TheAtlantic This article is utterly intense as it is compelling. Such a deeply personal reflection that ultimately contains inspirational life lessons. Thank you Nicholas. I now need to buy the book!
I've just written about my very intense relationship with my father and how running helped me both connect with him and avoid becoming him.
It's also my first article ever for @TheAtlantic . My dad wrote for the magazine in 1967, and i t seems fitting that the first piece published here from my family in 58 years is about him.
https://t.co/XpfAWImtoc
Quite enjoying the book “Unplugged” by @AlietJacob. “Men must become valuable & continue being valuable until they die aka the burden of performance” Wueh 🔥
I celebrate @AttiyaWaris my colleague & the youngest female professor @uonbi (and Africa) as she gave her inaugural lecture at Taifa Hall today. I celebrate you and this culmination of years of commitment. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
This is the most creative work of art I have seen today.
Gen Zs are the future. Creative not only in the political space, but also in the teaching space.
Top Shotta 🤞
Today I celebrate 25 phenomenal years of Partnership at @IKMAdvocates. Thanking God for the vision, providence and fortitude. Immeasurable gratitude to my worthy Partner, friend and brother, James Kamau for constantly renewing my faith in the goodness of human beings by remaining true and steadfast, a man of his word. Huge appreciation to all the partners and staff, past and present, who made @IKMAdvocates my second home.Thumps up to my clients for helping me build a first class commercial legal practice from scratch to where it is today. Big toast to my family for their unwavering faith in this dream which at the time sounded like an April Fool’s joke. To God be the glory and honour.
Your life has seasons.
When you're in them, you often don't see them.
As you age and look back, you start to gain perspective.
Remember, each season has its own beauty and lessons. Embrace them, learn from them, and cherish the moments.