It does some things well
I don’t know if Al Gore invented it or not but I love the internet. If you asked me to turn it off and go to the mountains for a few weeks I would survive. The internet allows a guy living in South Dakota to connect with people all over the world. It gives dreamers making killer iPhone stands the funding they need. It gives guys in Kentucky the ability to create their own network where they can spread ideas all over the globe. The internet is a place where you can meet new people, order stuff that will end up at your house the next day and read books for free that make your life better the minute you finish it.
Don’t make it everything
The internet is a lousy place to have coffee. It’s a lousy place to confront someone. It’s a lousy place to cry on a shoulder. It lacks something and it always will. The internet puts something between us. It is between us. The internet is a wonderful tool and it has profoundly changed the human experience for much of our planet. It doesn’t replace first dates, play dates, family reunions, conferences, coffee chats, having a drink at the bar, getting a quick lunch, taking your wife out and opening doors for her or tucking your kids into bed. It can sortof do all of those things. When you can be there (in person), be there. When you can shake someones hand, shake their hand. When you can tuck them in, tuck them in. Don’t put the internet between you and people. In person is always better for building deep relationships. The internet can do many things but that doesn’t mean it should do them.
It’s a tool
Face to face, handshakes, mannerisms, scents, nuances. The internet doesn’t do those things justice. I love it but it’s a road to a destination, not the destination.
You’re a wuss
I’m a wuss and so are you. We hesitate. We do NOT want to stick out. We want to be different but we fail because we use normal things to do it. The closest we get to wanting to be different is having a 2012 model instead of a 2011. That’s not different, that’s newer.
Julien Smith wrote a short book (length doesn ‘t matter by the way, it’s still awesome) about our human reaction to being different. The book is called Flinch and it chronicles our human desire to fit in and our deep rooted hesitation to do anything difficult.
He’s right.
Read MoreAccess to information used to be the problem. Books were chained to something because they were too rare to lend out. There was no mass distribution channel. Then the printing press came along and changed humanity. Ideas could spread regardless of the creator of those ideas. The printing press didn’t distinguish between truth and lies, it just printed. The tool did it’s job.

There are always obstacles
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Tadaa is a great Instagram alternative that I’m using for my picture taking. Here’s a short review and why I like it more than Instagram. Hint: http://www.Tadaa.net/AndyTraub.
You can also share your pictures on Facebook at Twitter on the last page of the publishing steps.

The post on Facebook

The picture Tweeted

Tadaa App for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch from Andy Traub on Vimeo.
Read MoreThis is 2,500 words so the button below will send it to your Kindle if you want to read it there.
(This has not been edited in any way so please just read and enjoy. Editing always comes after production and reflection.)
I wanted to write a profound marriage book. The kind of book that becomes a staple when you hear a friend has recently gotten engaged so you bring up the title as sort of a manual on marriage. Then I decided that was too much responsibility so I wrote what you’re reading now instead. Mrs. Ellis, Mrs. Mullin, Mrs. O’Brien, these were the women who tried to shape my writing. I’m afraid they may have failed. The only person who I really understand most days is me so I’m going to use the work “I” a lot in this book. I used it three times in that last sentence alone. Maybe I’m egotistical so I like to write about myself. Maybe I’m too prideful to go to a councilor so instead I’m writing this book. Maybe I genuinely want others to know that marriage is a lot of work. Maybe I don’t remember anyone fully explaining the real image of marriage when I was telling them I got engaged (which I’ve done twice). If you forget everything I write please remember THIS – Marriage is work, but it’s good work if you can get it.
I like long forks. As the youngest of four children by the time I could remember rifling around in the silverware drawer our forks were all the same size.
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Nozbe (affiliate link) has become my go to tool for project management and managing my to do list thanks to a recommendation from my friend Michael Hyatt. I interviewed the founder of Nozbe (affiliate link) this week. Michael Sliwinski is also the creator of Productive Magazine. Check out both tools for making you more productive in 2012.
Listen to my interview with Michael…
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