[Top 5] The Best of 2015...By James Altucher.

I don’t want to overwhelm you... I usually write lists of 10. Ten things I’m grateful for. Ten ideas a day. The New Year is weird. It’s a scam. But it inspires you. You start making lists. Reflecting and writing resolutions. Days later, you’re still on the couch. And it fades. Maybe next year? But you can stop that from happening. I had a lot of great interviews this year. Authors, astronauts, drug dealers-turned-philanthropists, entrepreneurs and vegans. I learn from these people. When you listen, you will, too. So here is what I want you to do...read through these, find the one that will help you the most today, and listen to it. Learn from it. You'll also learn about yourself. And from there, you have possibilities. A starting place... A New Year of your own. -

1. Freeway Rick Ross: How to Manage Your Employees When They’re All Carrying Guns

He’s the CEO of cocaine. But that’s not why he inspires me. He ran the world’s largest drug empire better than any company I’ve ever run. If you have a startup, a full-fledged business, an Etsy shop, an idea—anything from which you’re trying to make money—and you don’t listen to this interview, you’re taking a risk. And if you fail, you might deserve it. If I had the business acumen of Rick Ross, I’d be a lot better off. Or maybe I’d be in jail. But that’s the other reason why this interview is so powerful. He graduated from jail. Jail was like school for Rick Ross. Jail became an opportunity. He taught himself how to read. He was a grown adult, unable to read and unafraid of change. He changed. Really, he proves that you can be at your best even when you’re at your worst. He’s a philanthropist now. He’s a writer. He inspires me. He’ll get you high. No drugs necessary. -

2. Make the Impossible Possible – The Power of a Space Oddity

I hope you had a good year. Even though New Year’s is a scam. What’s so different about next week? Last week was nice. And two weeks from now could be good. You can start over anytime. I’ve said this before: Every day, I have to start from scratch. This interview will help you do that. It will teach you to believe in your dreams. Because when you hear astronaut Chris Hadfield talk about “the world in its completeness,” you believe. And that little bit helps. Chris says, “You will not reach the potential you’re capable of—which to me is the ultimate risk, the ultimate loss—if you let yourself be minimized by fear.” Listen to Chris Hadfield and you’ll find yourself believing in you more than you thought possible. And then you’ll start from scratch. -

3. Dan Ariely: Dishonesty, Irrationality, and Money

People aren’t rational. We lose focus in love, in business and in how we spend money. And we experience a lot of pain. But that can change. I learned a lot about rationality from Dan Ariely. He’s the author of three bestselling books that have helped me: “Predictably Irrational,” “The Upside of Irrationality” and “The Honest Truth About Dishonesty.” Dan started studying pain at 19. He couldn’t leave the hospital for three years. He had burns over 70% of his body. His skin was soft. The tissue was exposed. Every day, the nurses tore off his bandages. They did it quick. And he begged them to do it slowly. “They were doing it because their gut intuitions were wrong,” he says. “There was something inside them that told them the right approach was the ripping approach.” From that point on, he started thinking about all kinds of cases in which we think we know what's right, but our intuitions are wrong. That’s why there’s power in knowing how you think. Because then you can think about how to think differently. Dan says, “Think about something as mundane as shaving, and ask yourself if you can make the experience better. If you start calling it ‘my moment of caring in the morning’ it might better the experience than if you called it ‘my daily nuisance’ right?” He’s right. Some experiences don’t need to be as painful as we make them. Listen now and you’ll learn how to have less pain. -

4. Rich Roll: Stop Killing Yourself

He used to drink vodka tonics in the shower before heading to work. He was a lawyer, an alcoholic, and 50 pounds overweight. Now, he’s “an accomplished vegan ultra-endurance athlete.” “You realize gradually you’re living someone else’s life,” Rich says. But that’s why, if you’re lucky, you have a moment of clarity. This episode can be your moment of clarity. -

5. Art of Manliness

I’m about to sound like your father. I’m sorry. I’m going to tell you what it takes to achieve something great. If it weren’t for the times I spent sitting in a foam-padded closet, this podcast wouldn’t exist. For Brett McKay, founder of the website, The Art of Manliness, it’s the same story. I know a lot of listeners are going through something. You’d like to pursue a passion or build a business on the side or build a website. We talk about this. We talk about how he went from having a hobby to being a “founder.” He makes a lot of things clear. Like what makes you stand out. Not just in business. Also as a lover—specifically a man. He helps women in a different way. There’s a lot of clarity in The Art of Manliness. He explains what’s wrong with guys. And how we can grow up. Because men don’t grow up so seamlessly. Women are better at growing up. He tells me the difference between ancient Roman and 21st century manliness. “Manliness meant being a person or a man of virtue,” he says, “It meant developing temperance. It meant developing courage—not just physical and martial courage, but also moral and intellectual courage and being able to stand up for your beliefs or a cause. And a man who developed these virtues was given the title of ‘man.’ You’re not just born a man in ancient Rome or ancient Greece; you had to become one, and that was through virtuous living.” When I took tango lessons, the key thing I learned is that a woman could become a successful dancer if her partner is just really good at leading. In this episode, you’ll learn tricks to lead. And you’ll be the type of leader that helps others. You’ll be a strong leader. A good leader. And, if you listen to Brett, you’ll achieve something great. KINGSMITH.