We could tell you what’s hot and what’s not; we could thrill and delight you with gripping tales of upcoming and unavoidable trends; we could do all that and much more… But we’re not going to… Nope. Sorry. Not this time. We’re going to bless you with some ‘wise’ words. These proved to be useful to us. We hope they can be of some help in your particular and personal quest for a fulfilling life.

EMBRACE CHAOS Chaos is the birthplace of all new things. In fact, chaos was good enough to start the entire universe. Why wouldn’t it hold some opportunities for your projects and ideas? PURSUE ORDER Chaos has its rewards and opportunities, but at some point, it will only distract you from your goal.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS You need to ask the right questions to find the right answers to your problems. The quality of your question will define the quality of your answer. Most of the time finding the right question already kind of answers the problem. THERE ARE NO ANSWERS There are only possibilities. You get to pick the one that seems to suit you best, but remember that every answer is just another question in disguise.

BE ORIGINAL Copying what has been proven to work can feel reassuring. But just because it worked for someone else, that doesn’t mean it will work for you. One size does not fit all. Think about the first word that comes to mind when people talk about you. Do you want that word to be ‘copycat’? COPY OTHERS Don’t be afraid to copy what has been proven but mix it up with your personal blender first. If you blend it the right way, you might end up with a unique result after all.

GO BEYOND Don’t limit yourself to the possible. It’s not because it has never been done before that it can’t be done. People tend to stick to the familiar routes, but if we all think like that, we will keep running in circles and we will never be able to live on mars. There is much universe to be explored beyond our usual sphere. Don’t be afraid to push your suppliers, partners or clients out of their comfort zone. KEEP IT REAL, MAKE IT POSSIBLE We all love to dream. We all should dream, too… but there comes a point when you want your dreams to be distilled into something tangible. That’s why you can’t lose touch with reality. The realm of dreams and the realm of reality should blend, not suddenly collide and make your project explode on impact.

TALK Share your ideas. Talk to people. Big things always come from sharing multiple views and ideas with others. Humankind evolved into what it is now by cooperating. Open source is the new black. SHUT UP About the things that could be your ticket to a tax-free haven. There are lots of sharks in the ocean and most of the time they look like cute little goldfish. These people don’t care about sharing. All they do is steal and use your ideas to their advantage. Don’t take the bait: shut up and keep swimming your way.

BE HUMBLE Question yourself, your motivations and your actions from time to time. Don’t believe yourself blindly. Looking at the man/woman in the mirror will prevent you from making unnecessary mistakes. It might even make you a better person. Knowing your limitations is already being beyond them. BE GREAT Too much doubt will paralyze you and prevent you from going forward. Once you set a goal, believe in it and go all the way. Believe in yourself and people will start believing in you. Stand out and you will be noticed.

LISTEN To your clients and to your audience. They know what they want. They will arrive at your doorstep carrying certain expectations. They are experts in their field. If you neglect this, you will probably lose their trust and their interest. DON’T LISTEN To your clients and to your audience. They may be experts in their field, but you are the expert in yours. The magic happens in that sweet spot where both kinds of expertise touch. If clients are trying to interfere in your field of expertise, kindly tell them to back off.

DON’T CATEGORIZE As the wise men sayeth: “Categorization leads to mental poverty.” CATEGORIZE As the wise men sayeth: “Categorization will help you bring structure to complexity and will show you the way forward.”

THERE IS NO BLACK There is only grey. THERE IS NO WHITE There is only grey.

THE TRUTH IS A LIE Truth is what you perceive as reality. Think about it. It’s totally true. FIND YOUR TRUTH Without some solid truth-seeking of your own, your life will be built on quicksand: you‘ll soon get stuck and sink deeper and deeper into nothingness.

KILL YOUR EGO Or it will kill you. Your ego is your ‘I’ divided by the knowledge you have. You do the math. LOVE YOURSELF If you don’t love yourself you will never be able to fully commit yourself to anything, nor will you be able to really love someone else.

BE BROAD-MINDED Limiting your interests or being convinced that certain things are not for you will only keep you back. The more you open up, the more you will grow as a person. The more you let yourself be guided by the perception you have of yourself, the more you will become a dull and predictable indi vidual. It is in the collision of randomness and the acceptance of what seems unacceptable that creativity is born. FOCUS Sometimes it’s time to put away your antennas and switch to tunnel vision. It’s the only way to hit your target with full force.

MAKE MISTAKES Mistakes are the best teachers you’ll ever find… if you listen to them. Fail. Learn. Grow stronger. Repeat. BE PERFECT Try to be as good as you can in what you do. Don’t settle for the easy way but push yourself every time to strive to perfection. Don’t forget the rule about allowing yourself to make mistakes, though. Perfectionists who don’t allow mistakes tend to become unhappy and frustrated individuals. Now that’s a mistake you don’t want to make.

THE MORE YOU KNOW The more you will realize you actually know nothing. The more answers you find, the more questions will be hidden inside. THE LESS YOU KNOW The more convinced you’ll be that you know everything. So when you catch yourself thinking: ‘I got this’, like you know everything or almost everything, beware of the trap you might be setting for yourself!

BE DIFFERENT Go where no one else has gone before. Standing out will get attention and getting attention will allow you to show them what you’ve got. BE SIMILAR Being avant-garde can be tempting, but you’ll only please the happy few. If you want to do big things and please bigger audiences, you’ll have to find a balance.

CHERISH YOUR COMFORT ZONE Surround yourself with people you’re comfortable with. Only then you will be able to let your guard down and let your creativity flow to the fullest. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE This is where life really begins, where you will run into the unexpected and end up with new ideas, new perspectives and meet a different you.

PAY PEANUTS GET MONKEYS There are no cheap solutions. Quality has its price. If you’re not prepared to pay for it then don’t expect to get it. PAY GOLD GET DIGGERS Spend your money carefully. Big budgets are like shit to flies. Pick out the right flies to feast on your shit.

GET MONEY For it will give you the means to fulfil your dreams. But don’t forget that money is a means to an end, not an end in itself. BE SUSPICIOUS OF MONEY Money acts like a drug: the more you get, the more you need. Don’t become too dependent on money or it will guide your life and work in the wrong direction.

BE POSITIVE Spread the love! It will catch on: give love and you shall receive. Love what you do and others will love it too. Love is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. It is the most profound provider of meaning in human existence. EMBRACE THE NEGATIVE Try to channel your hatred and negativism so it becomes a constructive power. Use it to change yourself or the object of your hatred. Be careful with hatred. It’s up there with love as one of the most profound forces in human life.

DON’T BELIEVE YOURSELF Question your motives and your conclusions. Make sure emotion doesn’t take over your decision-making. Your mind can make you believe anything. Be sure it’s telling you the truth. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF For only then can you believe in the goals you set.

LISTEN TO PEOPLE’S ADVICE Don’t be stubborn and listen to people’s advice, it might come in handy and help you when you’re stuck. BE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE’S TIPS Maybe they worked for someone else in some other situation. But you are not someone else and you are not in their situation.

BEAUTY CAN BE FOUND EVERYWHERE Often it can be found in places where you least expect it to be. And don’t forget the truth wrapped up in the cliché: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. BEAUTY IS FLUID What is perceived as beauty is often culturally defined. The benchmarks tend to shift. The beautiful and the ugly are often the same, only perceived within another timeframe or location.