27 – Guest Essay By Warren Cassell, Jr.: We Become What We Are Surrounded By

“Hang around thinkers, and you’ll be a better thinker. Hang around winners, and you’ll be a better winner. Hang around a bunch of complaining, gripping boneheads, and you’ll become a better complaining, gripping bonehead.”-

Sharon Lechter & Greg Reid, Three Feet of Gold 

What an honour it is to be writing a guest post on The House Newf today. I am a teen entrepreneur from Montserrat, and this year I set off on a journey to encourage others to listen to what nature has to teach us because I believe that nature offers us a wealth of wisdom, if we are willing to listen. This journey inspired me to publish The Farm of Wisdom: 25 Unforgettable Tales that Will Ignite a Wiser You, a book which not only shares life lessons through memorable stories, but also makes readers more conscious of what animals, plants and nature in general are seemingly teaching us.

Plants and animals have taught me that we become what we are surrounded by! The environment that we are in and the people who we are around play a major role in our development. What follows is a parable about eight guavas who found out the hard way that the atmosphere we are in can either nurture or spoil us.

26 – Upcoming Essay By A Special Guest

I’m happy to report that I’ll be sharing an essay from a guest essayist in a few days time. You can read an essay by Warren Cassell Jr. right here this coming Sunday, September 15^th.
  

25 – Special Essay On Medium

My new essay is ready. But it’s not published here. It’s my second essay on Medium, where I published this one previously. 

24 – Music For Making Sense Of It All

I like having days off. They leave so much time to do so many activities. Like writing. I’ve published two House Newf essays today. That wasn’t planned. But the Facebook conversation I recently had with my uncle about the subtle brilliance of George Harrison’s songwriting changed all that. It sparked the idea for this little essay. Nothing beats the unexpected feeling of inspiration.

23 – How You ‘Just Do It’ Matters

Twenty-five years ago Nike unveiled one of the most iconic slogans in marketing and cultural history. Along with the ‘Air Jordan’ and ‘Bo Knows’ campaigns of the late 1980s, those three little words helped Nike completely alter the landscape of sports marketing and consumer culture. You know the slogan even if you don’t think you do. And it’s impossible to say those three little words without seeing the equally iconic swoosh flash before your mind's eye. 

But it’s not enough to ‘just do it.’ How you ‘just do it’ is just as important.

22 – Wisdom In The Store Aisle

This is an unexpected essay. The following episode from my work life popped into my head while I was watching the waves a few days back. And I realized that it demonstrated valuable things about gaining understanding by confronting chaos. 

21 – Who Cares What Anyone Thinks of You

One of my best friends, The WaterDragon Potter, has a son who's just turned seventeen. It reminded me of how I felt and acted when I was seventeen. And that seemed a good opener for this essay.

20 – Stars Can Make Us Better

I like looking up at the stars in a clear night sky. I don’t do it because I’m an astrology enthusiast. Nor am I practicing to impress girls. I believe that stars offer valuable lessons in how to be better people, and that starlight carries important cosmic messages from the deep past.

19 – Quitting Doesn’t Mean You Suck

I’ve just started a new job. I’m pretty excited. It’s a fairly labour-intensive position that requires a sharp mind at all times. I like both. It’s a win-win situation. 

18 – Listen, It’s Good

I mention in the 'What's a House Newf?' profile section that I write about things that add value to my life that may add some value to yours. Music is one of those things. I love it. I’m a big fan of many genres and artists. As I’ve taken to telling people who ask, I’ll listen to anything from ABBA to AC / DC. With a few exceptions, of course.