I went on a search for why and how this has become the case. I started reading about how government works in the United States, how elections work in the United States, and how we the people can fix it. That’s when I came across The Politics Industry. It’s a beautifully insightful search for the solutions to our dysfunctional system. It navigates through the wreckage of the past, unravels the knot of the present, and provides solutions for the future. There are moments in the read when I felt we were trapped in a system that is doomed to fail only to be saved by real concrete recommendations as to how we can all come together to remedy our democracy.

We can not live under the illusion that we will get everything we want, all the time. Life is a compromise. Government is a series of compromises. The polarization of representation in the country is driving a zero-sum outcome for which we can not stand. There are ideas and positions on both sides that have merit and are good and should have a path to implementation. We are better than what we are currently delivering. Understanding what’s broken and what we as citizens need to do is the first step to changing it. The Politics Industry delivers on a plan forward. I am not blind to the fact that these changes will not be easy. Pain is inevitable but suffering is a choice.

I highly recommend you chose to read The Politics Industry and let’s fix it together.

https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Industry-Political-Innovation-Democracy/dp/1633699234

2. there is no substitute for hard work

3. the only substitute for working smart is working smarter

4. the sexiest thing in the world is being really smart

5. not everyone is going to like you and that’s ok

6. you are always better off striving to be the best you rather that striving to be like someone else

7. find friends that are loyal and generous

8. be a loyal and generous friend

9. the path to receiving has a big arrow that says ‘Give this Way”

10. Breaking up hurts every time

11. hire slow and fire fast

12. invest in people and hire people that you want to work for

13. your authentic self is a perfect reflection of your experience

14. have fun with children but never make fun

15. eat home cooked meals whenever possible

16. work out regularly and make the most of the time spend doing so

17. laugh at yourself

18. find even more opportunities to laugh with others

19. dance whenever given the floor and the right song

20. you can’t buy health and time slowly takes it from you to savor it like it’s the only thing you got

21. re-invent your relationship with your parents once you become an adult

22. Life is who you travel with

23. People do change it just a slow process

24. Think in decades not years

25. Forgive people, it’s easier than holding grudges

26. Brush your teeth

27. Do things that scare you and translate the fear into excitement

28. Work toward leveling the playing field for others

29. Ideas are cheap execution is valuable

30. Drink more water than you want

31. There’s only one earth treat it right

32. Giving becomes generous when it is uncomfortable

33. Read good books

34. Avoid comparing your life to others

35. If your doctor isn’t coaching you when you are healthy find a new doctor

36. Find hobbies and practice them

37. Getting married isn’t a goal but being married is

38. Being vulnerable opens relationships to possibility

39. If you don’t measure it you can’t improve it

40. Make data based decisions

41. Maybes are usually procrastinated no’s

42. Don’t neglect the value of sleep

When you have the opportunity to ask some of the most interesting people in the world about their lives, sometimes the most fascinating answers come from the simplest questions. The Thrive Questionnaire is an ongoing series that gives an intimate look inside the lives of some of the world’s most successful people.

Thrive Global: What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?
Ashton Kutcher: Stretch and drink water.

TG: What gives you energy?
AK: Appreciation.

TG: What’s your secret life hack?
AK: Leave my phone on Do Not Disturb.

TG: Tell us about your relationship with your phone. Does it sleep with you?
AK: I don’t bring it into my bedroom. And don’t look at it until I have set my goals for the day.

TG: How do you deal with email?
AK: Email is everyone else’s to-do list for you. I always focus on my outgoing before I review my inbox. I schedule an hour in the morning after I exact my initiative and an hour in the evening to close shop.

TG: You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do with it?
AK: Eat.

TG: When was the last time you felt burned out?
AK: Today.

TG: Share a quote that gives you strength when times are tough.
AK: Everyone is doing the best they can with what they got.

Ashton Kutcher: I Don’t Bring My Phone Into the Bedroom was originally published in Thrive Global on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.