This is actually a guest post from Nick, a reader of The Promise of a Pencil:I just turned 30, am working in a well-paying but emotionally bankrupt job and have found my life lacking the purpose or compelling mission that I so desperately want.

I'm gearing up for some upcoming travels and it got me thinking. As someone who's traveled relentlessly since my early 20's, I have a tremendous appreciation for great travel gear.

We each know the sensation. You struggle to come up with that big idea that will solve all your current problems, and then one day it suddenly appears.I call them “lightening moments” and they’re one of the best feelings in the world.It almost feels like a bolt of energy hits you all at once, and suddenly you’re unstoppable.

Millennials have been on my mind a lot lately, so I’m rolling out a series of posts about them and their leadership skills.You can read the first part in the series here: Social Consciousness and Why Millennials Prove InvaluableIn my career I have ONLY managed Millennials.

In October 2008, I opened a new bank account with just $25. In six years we bootstrapped that meager deposit into an organization that raises millions annually and has broken ground on more than 250 schools around the world. How did it happen? How do you turn $25 into the company of your dreams?

Are there certain phrases, addresses, or numbers that you find yourself consistently typing into your iPhone? How many times per week do you enter your email into a form field, or send someone your office address including the floor number and exact cross streets?

Last month, I noticed a few people on my Facebook feed sharing a link to a Reddit post that announced the launch of something called the Pineapple Fund. The person behind it wrote that they’d been an early investor in Bitcoin and felt as though at a certain point, enough money is enough, and he or she now wanted to donate $86M in Bitcoin to charities.

When my friend Dan Teicher sent me the music video above, it did just that. For years he's been telling me about his desire to craft a music video using the years of footage he has of his grandparents' life together.

It's not every day that you have the opportunity to meet one of your real life heroes. Not a mainstream celebrity, but someone who you've watched and admired from a distance thinking, "Am I the only one who is so transfixed by this individual?"

Every so often you come across a clip that's just so insane you have to share it. This crew of "urban skiers" prove that you can pursue your passion in any environment. Using wooden crates, cinder blocks and snow, they create ramps out of abandoned buildings, rooftops and anything else you can imagine.This clip is well worth all 10 minutes.

Sometimes you see news headlines proclaiming miracles that seem too extraordinary to believe. “Man reunited with lost love fifty years later,” or “Child falls thirty floors and only suffers a broken leg,” they read. I’ve always questioned the truth of these tall tales, but for the first time in my life I read one of those headlines last night and when I clicked to watch the local news story, I saw a member of my own family being profiled.

Imagine a world where disruption isn't a constant threat, but a playground for innovation. Where leaders, instead of scrambling to keep up, are shaping the very landscape of their industries. This isn't science fiction – it's the power of foresight.

Why the best advice I've ever received or given - "Make the little decisions with your head, and the big ones with your heart" - is such a transformative ideology for so many.

This is an abbreviated version of the original article that appeared in the First Round Review called "The Habit Behind This Founder’s Fast Financings, Product Development and Book Deal" on September 20 2017. Written by the First Round team.

Within the last year, I have moved across the country, immersed myself in a new industry, and launched a new company. But most notably, I became a father.With the joy of welcoming newborn twins into the world this past November, I experienced a tectonic shift. My personal vision, my professional rituals, and my overall life mission ceased to be certain to me.

Now that fall is approaching and kids are headed back to school I find myself fascinated with the act of motivation.When it strikes, suddenly you're eating healthy for the first time in months or working all day on a brand new idea you deeply believe in.

There's a graphic circulating around the internet that includes a quote from Elon Musk. He says, “My proceeds from the PayPal acquisition were $180 million. I put $100 million in SpaceX, $70m in Tesla, and $10m in Solar City. I had to borrow money for rent.”

In recent years, sustainability has transcended its status as a buzzword to become a driving force in the business world.Companies around the globe are increasingly recognizing that adopting sustainable practices is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity.

Bayla and Dylan, you may not know this but you surprised your mother and me when you arrived six weeks earlier than your due date. You both came out strong and healthy, but your mother almost gave her life to bring you into this world.

Let's start by acknowledging that sleep deprivation is an awful experience, and not good for anyone. There are many reasons that people struggle with sleep, and there's absolutely no denying that a good night's rest is one of the most essential and important activities that we can undertake.But in certain circumstances, a night of bad sleep can be a good thing.

You were deceived by our culture, by the good people at the institution of higher education you attended, and unintentionally by those who love you most. When you made the decision 4-5 years ago to attend the college of your choice, the prevailing wisdom of the day said that this was the best way you could spend your time and money to get ahead in life.

I'm a millennial.The “official” definition, coming from the book Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069, defines us as the phone-toting, selfie-snapping people born from 1982-2004.

There are nearly 350,000 results in the Amazon store when you search for the word “happiness.” Books like The Happiness Project and 10% Happier have sat on the bestseller lists for months, verifying our cultural obsession with the pursuit of happiness.But what if I told you life’s biggest winners are motivated by something different from happiness. Would you believe me?