Predicament: The day has started. You want a curated list of awesome music because you have a deadline by 10:00 AM for a Photoshop mock-up, and not even coffee will get you moving quick enough to let those keystrokes take you to the golden gates of completion. You need 144bpm of acoustic vibrations.

Quick interlude: Here’s where to start.

Different styles of music energize different people. I’m a synth guy – a trip to Tomorrowland would expose me to the most progressive and body bouncin’ music that Earth has to offer. Different festivals are geared towards different styles of music, and these events are in fact curated lists of awesome music. Very generous folks laboriously compile these songs in to a playlist and make them accessible via one click of the mouse.

A very profound realization dawned on me that devoting hours to following music blogs is not needed to fill my musical arsenal with great music. These graciously generated festival and event playlists are the sneak-peaks needed by a lot of people.

Bonus round! Here’s a birthday present that I made for myself.

What’s the formula for happiness?

Lots of folks think that for entrepreneurs it’s all about the exit. But it’s not.

An essay in today’s New York Times by Arthur C. Brooks, the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C., posits something crucial about what it’s really about. And he does it by quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt:

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”

Brooks follows with: “In other words, the secret to happiness through work is earned success.” And later: “If you can discern your own project and discover the true currency you value, you’ll be earning your success.”

It’s adventure. It’s adrenaline. But mostly it’s about doing good work. Actually, it’s about doing your best work.