Have you noticed how people don’t know how to take a compliment?

Try saying "That is a beautiful sweater!" or "that presentation was really good!" or“you look gorgeous!”

I see so frequently people who don't let the compliment in. "What, this old thing?" "Oh, nonsense. That was nothing". “Oh, shut up!”

But, what about criticism?

We believe that immediately.

It brings us down.

We open the door wide for the bad. Shut the door for the good. 

This is preposterous.

Consider that words, thoughts, intentions become reality, and they add up. And what they add up to is our perception of who we are.

I propose that we all resolve to take compliments in. Don't shun them. Don't bat them back. Don't lessen them. Don't shake your head.

Stand there and take it.

And then say "thank you".

First of all, understand this is completely different from the FBI situation. The FBI wanted access to encrypted data. Apple literally can not do that. The macOS and iOS systems are designed to protect encrypted data from all unauthorized viewers, including Apple. If you want the data on the MacBook Air and the disk is encrypted, Apple cannot help. It’s just technically impossible, unless you find your grandfather’s printed out iCloud recovery key[1].

If you just want to erase the machine and start fresh, there are options.

If the machine is not iCloud locked, you can simply reinstall the operating system. If you boot into recovery mode or Internet recovery mode, you can erase the disk and start fresh.

If the machine is iCloud locked, you will need to get it unlocked to reinstall the operating system. This is intentionally difficult, to prevent thieves from unlocking stolen devices, but it may be possible. If you have access to his email, just reset his iCloud password at iforgot.apple.com. If not, Call Apple. They will walk you through a process to identify yourself as a legitimate owner and remove the iCloud lock.

The device cannot be unlocked in a way that accesses encrypted data, but it can be unlocked to create a usable freshly installed device for an heir.

There’s a lot of smart answers here already, so I won’t repeat them in my answer. Rather, I’ll put a bit of a perspective on my own life.

You may have seen this picture:

What can we learn from this picture? The guy with a ball is far ahead of others. But we also see all the rest of the cube he left behind. At one point, this guy looked at the cube he was pushing, and said to himself: “Why the hell am I working this hard? I’m smarter than that.”

While he stood in one place, not moving an inch forward, others who pushed the ball hard, moved ahead of him. They were calling him lazy, stupid, ignorant and a bunch of other things. But Bob didn’t care. Bob made a sphere. And then he passed the other “smart” workers whistling his favourite song.

Well, I might not necessarily be like Bob.

For me, this picture is an analogy of going to school, getting a degree and living happily ever after. But for me, I would be living far from happy if I was pushing a giant cube, while watching others push a sphere much faster and easier than me.

So I decided I won’t go that path. I’ll start cutting my cube down.

At first, I just dropped my cube and went looking for spheres. Obviously I didn’t find any laying around. So I came back to my cube. I figured that I need to work really hard for some time, to be able to have it easier later.

That’s my example, though it may not be as literal, I believe you get the point.

For me, hard work is doing something pointless and hard. Smart work is doing something that’s interesting and hard. That way I learn, and do things I love doing.

To write an actual example of smart work, I’ll say that it’s planning. I mean, the only alternative to smart, is stupid. Therefore, if not planning is stupid and inefficient, planning is smart and efficient. It takes you way less time and stress to do something preplanned, rather than plan on the way. But there’re some exceptions where that’d better be the other way.

You can see it in a person's eyes where they stand mentally.

If you don't believe me, go to a pre-school (ages 4-5) with average kids and speak to one. Look them in the eye.

Then go to a pre-school for gifted kids and look them in the eye. You can see it within, that there is something... "more". You can see their effortless focus and attention on you, and you feel that they are "there" listening and processing what you're doing, saying, etc. It's as if you can see their little gears effortlessly turning away, figuring you out. It never goes away and stays with them throughout their life. They may be able to hide it, but it's there if you look.

Young ones haven't learned to hide it yet, and most don't even realize they have it, but you can see it, plain as day and night.

Follow up: What is your story of becoming discreetly wealthy?

I met an old entrepreneur that had several successful companies. He made millions and stills owns a lot of businesses. He doesn’t brag about the money, he speaks about the people he met (he quoted Steve Jobs) and share knowledge.

When he offered to pay our breakfast (50$ in Paris) he joked about being older and richer than me to not split the bill. He paid with a classic gold mastercard. Not a black card, not a centurion, a simple gold card.

We got out of the brasserie, and was I amazed by my scooter: a small electric Cityscoot moto that any one can rent for 0.2€ per minute in Paris

When he headed to his office, he went on foot. Not in a uber or expensive car. On foot. He has time, the most valuable thing in the world.

Beeing discreet wealthy is being able to pay things without showing off and to spend time instead of money.

There’s this common phrase that you can’t shock a psychologist because they’ve heard it all. Is this really true?

Shock isn’t exactly the right word, but surprised comes to mind. One of my very first clients walked in, sat down and introduced herself, lifted her skirt and showed me that she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

Squashing my instant impulse to get the hell out of there before losing my license and beginning a new career as a car washer, my wonderful mentor instantly came to mind and in her wisdom commented: “She doesn’t want to seduce you, dumb ass, it’s her first salvo as she tries to defeat why you are both there.”

With face blazing and eyes avoiding the obvious, voice three octaves higher than normal, I squeakily asked: And what brings you to my office today, miss?

From Johnny Bai

When I am oversea and want to buy some gifts to my friends in China, then I saw something that looks good, good quality and affordable, and then I saw "made in China " tag..... 

I feel tired because I have to continue search. ... What is the point of buying Chinese goods oversea and send back to china...

A friend is struggling with life. They were very successful in their early 20s, making 6 figs. A series of chronic health issues and disappointments followed and life has gotten worse. This person is taking meds, but they’re struggling and had thoughts of ending it at a few points. What do they try?

This is going to sound trivial and far too simplistic but hear me out. I've had some pretty low points in my life. In fact, I'm in one right now. I've attempted suicide when I was younger and seeing the effect that had on my family paired with the fact that I got through it has made me able to say that it's pretty much off the table for good.

That said, things can still get pretty bad without ending your life. Life can pretty much stop completely. I went a couple weeks without showering. I wasn't eating. My apartment was a flipping disaster and I don't mean a little messy. I'm talking could be on a tv show dirty. Not as bad as hoarders but give it time and I could give them a run for their money.

My mom has spent two days cleaning my place while I cried and tried to help but I'm so incapacitated that it's pathetic. (I have the best mom in the universe)

Your friend needs to keep moving. Literally and physically moving. When I finally told someone about how bad my situation was and how ashamed I was it was my doctor. The first thing she did was switch my meds because they aren't working. Your friend should consider that.

The next thing that happened was my mom practically dragged me outside and we went for a walk.

That's all. Just a walk.

And I could feel myself breathe again.

I could feel the sun on my skin.

I could feel the breeze in my hair.

I felt bloody horrible.

But I'm alive. And I'm putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward physically and metaphorically. And it felt good.

Moving forward physically tells your body and brain that you're still moving. That you have to keep moving.

It seems so simple and small but it's huge.

Just walk. It doesn't have to be far and it doesn't have to be long. Maybe half an hour or even fifteen minutes to start but walk.

It can save your life.