Nathan Brooks Thompson -
  • About
  • Life Advice
  • Mixtapes
  • Everything Else
  • My Favorite Books
Nathan Brooks Thompson -
About
Life Advice
Mixtapes
Everything Else
My Favorite Books
  • About
  • Life Advice
  • Mixtapes
  • Everything Else
  • My Favorite Books
Everything Else

Riding Ducatis Down the Pacific Coast Highway

Nice GoPro capture of me obeying the speed limit somewhere near Big Sur.

There are certain things a man desires above all else. The loving affection of another. The respect of his peers. A life of perfect health. Abundant and lasting wealth. Oh, and one more thing. To hear the sweet siren song of a Ducati twin-cylinder Testastretta motor resonating through dual carbon fiber pipes as you blast along the winding coastal cliffs of Highway 1.

I can’t remember the exact date I added riding Highway 1 to my bucket-o-adventures, but I can tell you, after many years of dreaming, the catalyst for action came down to one simple concept: FOMO. My friend Matt knew riding a motorcycle down Highway 1 had been collecting dust on my goal list for several years. So he did what any good friend would do—he tried to book the trip without me.

A few minutes of “can we actually do this” anxiety later, and the PTO was scheduled, the plane tickets were purchased, and I was on the EagleRider website putting down an $800 deposit on a Ducati Monster 821. Five weeks of agony followed as we counted the minutes until we could trade our corporate gingham and laptop bags for armored jackets and waterproof backpacks. We passed the time by filling in the logistical blanks. We’d pack next to nothing, carry our helmets onto the plane, stay with friends and in Airbnbs along the way, and capture the entire thing with helmet-mounted GoPros.

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June 15, 2017by Nathan
Everything Else

Why I Write

The man is only half himself, the other half is his expression

This weekend I happened upon a few pages I’d written as a college senior—a stormy time in my life to say the least.

I was struck by how personal and vulnerable the writing felt. I caught myself nodding in agreement as I captured the difficulties of writing, and to a larger extent, life. How tough it was to find sustainable inspiration and to express a particular understanding or observation in a meaningful way.

I often wonder why I feel the need to write. Why do I continue to guilt myself into writing paragraph after paragraph? Why do I struggle to make something from nothing? I don’t have an answer, but I did find a clue in one of the lines I dug up:

I write because I am only half myself, the other half is my expression. As someone who lacks the artistic vision of a painter, or the golden voice of a musician, I turn to writing. I write because it’s the only way to express the other half of my thoughts. The only way to share the rest of me.
July 6, 2016by Nathan
Everything Else

A Short, But Growing List of Leadership Lessons

I aspire to be a great leader. But aspiring is not the same as being. Being a great leader means being a life long student of leadership.

A few lessons I’ve noted in my short journey:

1. Hire people smarter than yourself. Smart people test you. They provoke you to understand your motivations. They often ignore what you say and instead read your actions. They can drive you mad with doubt. But stay confident, build their trust, push them beyond your own skills, and stand behind them when they struggle. They stay loyal to the end result, meaning they won’t let you get in your own way.

2. Have empathy for your team, but expect it to go both ways. It’s okay to relate with a person’s situation, especially if they come up short. But expect that they have empathy for you when you must follow through with the consequences. Teams exist to be greater than the sum of their parts. But when individuals fall short, it impacts the goals of the entire team, which is why a leader needs to be both empathetic and willing to take action to correct shortcomings.

3. Context goes a long way. Telling someone to do something is easy, but it does not build trust. Giving context ensures a smart team will find the flaws in your request. As the leader, it’s not about having all the answers, but in being able to describe the end result and ask the right questions to get there.

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June 24, 2016by Nathan
Everything Else

The First Ride

The buckling of the suspension caused by my panicked chopping of the throttle serves only to piss off the bike and unhinge my nerves.

As the road ahead clears, I see my opportunity. I adjust my boots, pull my helmet down, and then twist the throttle.

The acceleration is violent.

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December 15, 2013by Nathan
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Better yet, if you find yourself in the wrong stor Better yet, if you find yourself in the wrong story, leave.
“People tell you who they are, but we ignore it “People tell you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be.” - Don Draper
"There are risks and costs to a program of action, "There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction." - John F. Kennedy
When you struggle to stay motivated, remember, the When you struggle to stay motivated, remember, the debt you owe is not to yourself. Our potential is the product of all the people who have influenced, guided, and believed in us. Prove them right.
"Sometimes magic is just someone spending more tim "Sometimes magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect." - Teller
"It is always in my mind, still, that I can crush "It is always in my mind, still, that I can crush anybody. If you don't believe you can win tournaments anymore, then you can't do it." - Roger Federer (Ranked #3 Tennis Player in the World 22 Years After Turning Pro)
Success is not final in the same way that failure Success is not final in the same way that failure is not final. It is the courage to move on from past successes that keeps yesterday's winners from becoming today's losers.
"He who is not courageous enough to take risks wil "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." - Muhammad Ali

“We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand." - C.S. Lewis

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