How Duke Valentino Killed The Generals Who Conspired Against Him

Excerpt from “The Essential Writings Of Machiavelli” “By the early 1500s, Cesare Borgia had become one of the most powerful men in Italy. Since his father had been elected to the pontificate in 1492 as Pope Alexander VI, Cesare Borgia had been made archbishop (at sixteen), cardinal (at seventeen), and finally Captain General of the …

Standing Up For Yourself (A Lesson From Frederick Douglas)

I’ve let people walk all over me my entire life. I wasn’t born with one mean bone in my body, and I’ve always struggled with standing up for myself. Whether the disrespect was verbal or physical, I’ve constantly backed down in situations where I should’ve spoken up and let people know they were crossing my …

Burn Your Ships

Excerpt from “The 33 Strategies Of War” by Robert Greene Chapter 4 Create a sense of urgency and desperation – The Death-Ground Strategy You are your own worst enemy. You waste precious time dreaming of the future instead of engaging in the present. Since nothing seems urgent to you, you are only half involved in …