Why I do what I do:

“Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to answer some questions I had from Ready, Fire, Aim. It’s much appreciated, and I’ve been putting your advice to use.” – EG

“It’s a beautiful morning… thank you so much for all the wonderful teaching you share. Here’s a pic of my office…” – AD

Re my May 30 essay on accepting responsibility for your own life: 

“Your sentiments should be etched in stone.” – JM

“Loved the statement you wrote [about what to think when feeling victimized]. I’ve cut it out and taped it up on my son’s bathroom mirror!” – LD

Re my productivity system: 

“I love [your productivity system]. I still use it. With some modifications of my own. Would be so helpful to me and others, I think, to see how you’ve modified this to consistently get so much done.” – ND

My response: I’ve written several essays on my time management system as I’ve developed it over the years. And I intend to keep writing about it. Meanwhile, if you don’t already have them, you might want to get a copy of Wealth Planning for Freelancers and/or Making the Most of Your Time. These two books are in limited supply. For availability, contact us.

Re the availability of my books: 

“Please let me know how I can secure copies of your books.” – DWS

My response: Most of my books are available on Amazon. You can access them directly on this website by clicking “My Books” in the menu in the upper-left corner of the Home page.

Re my concerns about the US economy in the May 13 issue: 

“The economic numbers you cited are scary. Have you made any adjustments in your investments in response to them?” – PL

My response: No. I haven’t. Since I favor income over appreciation as a general investing rule, more than 80% of my investments should either keep up with or beat inflation. And half of the other 20% is in precious metals – mostly gold bullion, which will likely increase in value in the coming years.

Re what I said about conceptual art in the May 16 issue: 

“You should listen to your partners about conceptual art. Nobody in the business will take you seriously if you discount it as you do.” – BB, a gallerist from New York

“You are so right. Most conceptual art and performance are rubbish. But, that’s also true of so much of what is called abstract art. Question: What do you think of Cy Twombly?” – CCF

My response: I like a great deal of abstract art. Even COBRA art, which is basically finger-painting writ large. But I have to admit, I never got Cy Twombly or any of the artists that specialized in scribble-scrabble.

Re my presentation at the AWAI Bootcamp in Delray Beach on May 10: 

“Thanks for your advice on copywriting as a ‘financially invaluable’ skill. I never fully understood how many doors it can open in my career. I’m stoked!” – CCJ

“Your explanation of the ‘product development cube’ was brilliant. It gave me a dozen new ideas about how to expand my business. That one technique was worth the cost of the bootcamp.” – AP

Re my lists of “Actors That Make the Difference” in the May 9 issue: 

“I don’t agree with all of [your] categorizations, but it’s the type of thing where everybody will have their own likes and dislikes.” – AS

“I pretty much agree on your Actors list but… Jennifer Lawrence over Meryl Steep? No Sophia Loren?” – KK

Re what I said about war in the May 9 issue – from JM, an old friend and Vietnam War veteran: 

“I believe everyone underestimates the common man. When I was 17, I believed exactly as [you] did. I thought that volunteering for medic school would allow me to not have to carry a gun, but I did not get that assignment, after which I had to make the best of my bad situation and try to survive. I had a nagging sense of duty to which I anticipated a sense of shame if I did not answer it. It was a nightmarish time of my life.”

Re what I said about honesty in the May 2 issue: 

“I wholly agree with your take on honesty. I thought you might like this zinger from William Inge: ‘Let none of us delude himself by supposing that honesty is always the best policy. It is not.’” – CR

Re my interest in visiting Cape May, NJ: 

“Hey, Mark, I can’t say I’ve spent much time in Cape May… but I can tell you that Cape May Brewing Co. makes some very good beers. Their Belgian Ale, Devil’s Reach, stands out. At 8.6% ABV, I’d say it qualifies as a ‘vacation beer.’ Enjoy!” – JZ