Scott Mautz spent most of his working life in the corporate world. He made more and more money and his lifestyle got more and more expensive. By the time he realized he wanted more out of life, his ego was too invested in the idea of climbing financial and social ladders for him to walk away. He wanted to pursue speaking, writing, teaching and coaching, but he feared he would have to take a pay cut. His wife was completely willing to cut their lifestyle for him to pursue another direction, but he had trouble allowing himself to take the chance. Writing for Inc. magazine, Mautz tells about his decision to take the chance — and how that change has given him the joy he wanted from work and unexpectedly allowed him to make more money than ever.
Briefly: With 193,900 words published this year, should I write books instead?
I discovered tonight that I’ve published 193,900 words here this year. For context, the typical popular business book is about 50,000 to 75,000 words. So I’ve written enough to have published several books instead. So the thought occurs to me that maybe I would do well to take a break from here and write a book instead. I don’t know what I think, but it’s an intriguing thought. Let me know if you have any thoughts about that. If I wrote a book right now, what do you think it ought to be about — based on the things you see me write about. Any thoughts?
What if emotional baggage we carry isn’t really our core issue?
I’m not the same person I was 15 years ago. I’m a better version of myself. I feel certain of that. But am I fooling myself?
When I was looking for an old email a few days ago, I ran across something I wrote 15 years ago. I’ve updated it a couple of times since then, but this was the first time I wrote it. It was a detailed discussion what I perceive to be my faults and flaws. I was trying to explain my negatives to a woman, because I wanted to make sure she understood what she might be getting into by dating me.
I know I’ve grown a lot since then, so I thought it should be satisfying to read this old list. It would show me how many of the items I’ve struck off because I’ve conquered them.
After I read it, I felt confused. There’s no question that I’ve experienced massive change and growth since then. But every issue I wrote about 15 years ago is still part of my life.
How could that be?

Briefly: Does everyone have a ‘true love’? It’s ridiculous, but my heart believes
Briefly: Alabama debates backing away from Common Core
Briefly: It’s insane to pretend Dr. Seuss and his books are racist
Briefly: Older gentleman reminds me that ‘acting your age’ is a choice
Briefly: Nature’s beauty connects us to something greater than we are
We’re neither friends nor enemies, just strangers who share the past
Society needs storytellers to help make sense of a changing world
My bad teen poetry suggests I’ve always hungered for missing love