I intentionally keep naseba separate from this blog, however, as we are recruiting for Beirut and Mumbai, as well as for our current offices in Dubai and KL , I will use this entry to focus on naseba and to explain a bit of what we are looking for in potential recruits.

Several people have left comments about working at naseba, but I am not involved with recruitment.
Please send your cv and emails to the address listed on the advertisement.
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“naseba is not for everyone” is big and bold on our recruitment collateral.

If you are looking for an easy, cushy job with minimal return… naseba is not for you.

If you are a super bitch, who prefers to sit around and moan and complain about things, or someone who focuses on the negatives in life…naseba is not for you.

If you are sloppy, and have allowed yourself to become grossly out of shape…naseba is not for you.

If you are looking to be challenged to use your talent to the fullest; become the best, sharpest and successful person you can become – naseba is for you.

Download the recruitment criteria

“Pressure is a privilege.”  Billie Jean King

This is what Billie Jean King reportedly, replied when someone asked her how it felt to be playing in her first U.S. Open.

I like this quote.

I have hammered a similar theme over and over ….too many people waste their time searching for easier, cushier ways to go through life.

…we tend to forget that all great men and women who achieve extraordinary things … they didn’t t just “stumble” to the top of their proverbial summit; they didn’t just achieve without making it happen.

Think about the great people in your life.

What makes them great?
Are they constantly looking for cushier, easier ways to do things?  Probably not.

I think most people understand (but we often forget) that the greatest things in life are the hardest to achieve.

As Billie Jean King said, pressure is a privilege … if it was easy, everyone would go to the US Open.
If it was easy, everyone would be successful.

The Economist recently had a cover page dedicated to an article which claims research suggests that life begins at 46…

After some philosophical banter about when our “happiness” levels peak and fall …. I learned that when we turn 46,  we start to have a more positive mood swing up and we become happier, thus the article claims: “our life begins at 46.”

What a bunch of bull shit.

Why is this world so focused on the constant, never ending search for a cushy-fluffy-happy life?

We’re hammered daily by the media telling us that we’re not comfortable/happy/fulfilled.

however, if we had a bigger HD TV or an IPAD…..

Many many people spend so much time “trying” to be comfortable that they end up wasting their lives searching for those nonexistant easier ways to “try” to enjoy it.

Sophie and I went to Cuba for 9 days over the Christmas holidays.

Cuban’s don’t have two nickels to rub together, but most of them seem happier and content with their lives than many of us.

There is a palpable passion for life in Cuba –most probably, because there’s not the same pressure, or maybe I should say … there’s not the same pursuit of happiness as we, westerners enjoy…

I mean, it seems that so many people in our world are chasing after that bigger, better HD flat screen TV — and once they get it, they discover their neighbor has a bigger, better one….

Cuban’s can’t afford flat screen TVs … I am not sure they even know what they are.

Sorry.

My jet lag is distracting me from the point of today’s blog…

We don’t need bull shit university studies to tell us when we are happiest or fulfilled.

People should stop thinking about how unhappy they are…

Better yet:

People should stop sitting around with their friends and family focusing on the negative in life, moaning about how unhappy everyone is….

make your life happen.

I recently, saw the movie “Social Network” supposedly, the story about facebook and how it began.
I enjoyed the movie very much.

However, for me …. the real “great story” in the movie and book is Sean Parker’s story.

Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning changed the world as we once knew it — they created the first online music swapping site – Napster.

Napster was instantly popular, but lawsuits from the music industry killed the site, and both Fanning and Sean Parker got sued to oblivion.

Incredible to think:  Sean Parker (comparatively speaking), didn’t make any money from developing something which changed the music and movie industry.

Over the years, I have thought of Sean… and always wondered what it would be like to change the world, yet —receive nothing for it,and get sued to the point of ruin.

How many people could come back from this kind of disappointment???
Imagine you and your friend launching the idea for what became itunes… and have to watch others make billions from your idea….

….most people in the same situation would become crippled by negativity, and probably just sit around and moan and complain for the rest of their lives…

For many years after Napster, (from all the interviews I have read) – Sean was nearly broke and had to sleep on his friends couches…but he kept fighting to succeed.

His genius and persistency paid off …

Sean Parker played a crucial role in launching facebook to what it is today.

Once again, he changed the world.

It’s a great story – not because Sean Parker is finally a (well deserved) multi-hundred millionare…

But because he never quit climbing and chasing his summit.

No matter how many times he fell…

He got back up and kept climbing.

In my opinion, Adam Smith’s invisible hand has been crushed and replaced by an open out stretched one, wanting instead of earning; expecting rather than deserving….“free loader syndrome…” is sweeping across America and most probably the world.

I was in NYC last week … at lunch, I had a young, efficient waiter from the south (I consider myself from the south) so I instantly liked him.

He is university student at a school in NYC and told me that he has two jobs and is trying to get a degree in finance.
He wasn’t pushy or salesy – just a good, quiet waiter.

My bill was $53.00 … and I gave him a $100 bill and told him to keep the change – I figured he needed the money more than I did, and it would help him have a better Christmas holiday.

I wasn’t looking for a hug, but I was annoyed to receive nearly, no appreciation from the guy… ok, he wasn’t a “free loader”, but acted as if he felt entitled to the money.

Ironically, every single taxi I took in NYC… I had to almost negotiate with the taxi driver to get out of the taxi because they were never happy with the tip I left them.

Not to mention, over the week …. I must have had 20+ normal looking people come up to me (over the week) asking (begging) for money…

But what really makes me want to vomit…

Recently, I came across a great blog about an America couple who sailed around the world – I read their blog for a couple hours until…. I noticed on the side of their site it’s written: “buy us a pizza” with a link to paypal where I can “donate” money to them…

Why would they expect people to buy them pizza, or send them money?

Why would they have such little honor to troll for money … as if they’re fishing.

All that is written:  “Buy us a pizza!”

I wanted to write “Fuck off – buy your own pizza”  but Sophie talked me out of it….

I could go on and on with other examples of “free loaders” bouncing in and out of my life, but its a waste of time to talk about it further…

But seriously.

There was a time when people had honor; and no one would dare ask their neighbor to “buy them a pizza.”

A time when people would do everything humanly,  possible before they would ask their neighbor for money.

But nowadays…

too many people are thinking “why shall I work, if I can get someone to provide for me.”

Its worth mentioning…I was in Libya a month ago – and tried to tip/give money to a young  man who I met in the street who gave me a lift back to my hotel, but he graciously refused.  Even when I left the money on the seat, he got out and brought it to me…

Last year in Yemen something very similar happened where I tried to tip someone, but they refused my money..

The two above examples … these people dont have two nickels to rub together, but they have something so many people no longer have: they have honor.

The american couple who sailed 4 years around the world in a kick ass sailboat … are trolling for a free pizza with no shame…and no honor.

Where is John Galt?

We have all made mistakes; we’ve all made poor choices which negatively impacted us.

To be frank:  everyone has fucked up once or twice in their lives …

What’s important is learning from our mistakes, and climbing higher.

A couple of years ago, Michael Vick, a black NFL football star was convicted and sentence to federal prison for his involvement with dog fighting.

I won’t give my opinion on whether I think he would have gone to jail if he was a “white” star athlete …
Nor will I give my opinion on whether I think serving 21 months in a maximum federal prison was necessary, considering he didn’t fight Lassie against Hooch.

I definitely wont adventure into discussing why Madoff who stole billions, ruined countless people’s lives sits in a medium security, camp-like prison, but black Vick went to a maximum security … for dog fighting.

None of that has to do with today’s theme…so I will keep my opinions on those issues to myself.

At the end of the day, what Mike Vick was allegedly involved with was illegal, and a jury of his peers found him guilty, convicted him … and he served 21 months in prison.

Michael Vick made some poor choices, and suffered the consequences for his poor choices – however, his mistakes did not hurt the lives of others; he did not kill anyone; didnt steal billions; he didnt rape….
(just to be clear:  in my opinion, theft, murder, rape, etc …. are not mistakes or poor choices, they are heinous crimes)

After he served nearly 2 years in a maximum federal penitentiary, he was released … and spent another 2 months in home confinement before being released.

During this time, he went bankrupt – losing something like 100+ million dollars…

After he got out of prison –  the Philadelphia Eagles (one of the only NFL teams who would) decided to give Vick another chance.

To make a long ramble short – Michael Vick (his first full season back in the NFL) is having an incredible year, and has guided the Eagles to the top of their division in American football.

What a great story – the guy fuck’s up … accepts the consequences for his actions, doesn’t moan or complain about the severity ….and serves his time.

Many people would have been further sucked down by negativity; or feel sorry for themselves for the rest of their lives — the guy lost everything, and had  to start over….

I really hope to see him win the super bowl.