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Theres a mountain of evidence that having a sense of purpose is correlated with feeling happy. And while an inanimate object such as the moon cant feel emotions, humans have much to thank our natural satellite for in terms of its purpose. From the tides to seasons to gravitational stability, if the moon were a person it would no doubt feel pretty content. Even better, our moon is somewhat of an entertainer, putting on a dazzling display every few weeks that we here on Earth call the full moon. And this months full moon is no exception: Septembers “corn moon” will reach its peak illumination on Sunday, September 7. And if you are lucky enough to live in certain areas of Australia, Asia, Europe, or Africa, you will be graced with a total lunar eclipse. Even those who live outside those regions can enjoy the show, with a clever solution that bypasses both geography and weather. Read on to discover more about this months full moon and how to see it. How did September’s full moon get its nickname of the ‘corn moon’? The Old Farmers Almanac collected and popularized different names for the monthly full moons, immortalizing them in print. These monikers are apparently based on Native American, Colonial, and European traditions. Septembers full moon supposedly gets the title of the corn moon because this month is traditionally when corn was ready to harvest. Whats the science behind a full moon? Simply put, a full moon occurs when the Earth is directly between the sun and the moon, which means the entire face of the moon becomes visible as it is bathed in sunlight. The full moon is one of several lunar phases that mark the moons orbit around the Earth. While the full moon has a peak when it is at its fullest and brightest, it remains full to our eyes for a couple of days before it starts to wane. When is Septembers corn moon? Septembers corn moon will be at its fullest on September 7 at around 2 p.m. ET, according to the Old Farmers Almanac. That means the moon will be below the horizon, but it will remain full and bright to our eyes for a couple of days before it starts to wane. What is a total lunar eclipse? Colloquially known as a blood moon, a total lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes through the Earths shadow, also known as the umbra, effectively blocking out the light from the sun. Earths atmosphere filters and refracts the suns light, so although the moon doesnt become entirely dark, it turns a deep red or orange color. Thats because short wavelengths of light, like blue and violet light, tend to scatter more easily than those with longer wavelengths, like red or orange light. When, where, and how can you watch the total lunar eclipse? The upcoming total lunar eclipse will take place on the evening of September 78, depending on your location. It will last around an hour and 22 minutes, according to NASA. Skygazers located in Asia and Western Australia will have the best seats in the house for this natural phenomenon because they will be in the path of totalitythe zone where the eclipse is most visible. Other night sky enthusiasts in western Africa, western Europe, and eastern Australia and New Zealand will also get to see the eclipse to some degree. Unfortunately for moon fans in the U.S., a lunar eclipse is visible from half the Earth, and this one is not going to be visible from North America. But that doesnt mean the show will not go on. Space.com has your back and is hosting a free livestream and blog with updates of the total lunar eclipse, so you can catch the whole thing live despite geography and potential cloud cover. The website Time and Date is also covering the event. The curtain rises at 11:28 a.m. ET and totality occurs at 1:30 p.m. ET. The full runtime is 82 minutes. And never fear if you dont catch this one: The next total lunar eclipse that will be visible from the U.S. is set to occur on March 3, 2026. Happy moon-viewing! Perhaps thats your true purpose after all.
Category:
E-Commerce
In my 25 years as an entrepreneur and advisor to owner-led companies, Ive seen too many business owners be consumed by the thing thats supposed to give them independence. They work longer hours and solve complex problems. Their company grows, yet theyre no closer to the life they wanted to create. To be clear, growth in business is generally a good thing. But it does start to become an issue when you want to be bigger for the sake of being bigger. Its a problem when theres a voice inside your head saying that if you just get to $100 million in revenue, then youll finally be a big shot: that youll get respect from your parents, your peers, and even the people you do not care about at all. The power of ego The subconscious reason youre drawn to bigger is that its exactly what your ego wants. Ego is your worst enemy. Its weak, frail, and emotional. It clouds your judgment by convincing you that bigger is better, pulling you toward it like a moth to a flame. It doesnt know why youre going to the flame, or what will really happen once you get there. Your ego isnt concerned about risk. It lets you become complacent, distracted, or arrogant. It disconnects you from reality, providing you with bad feedback at the very moment you need clarity most. Ego tells you that your success to date was because of talent, rather than the years of grinding and hard work. Its the voice that discounts the important role that discipline and trial and error play in your success. Whether your net worth is $10,000 or $100 million, the endless pursuit of more can drag you into a doom loop, a cycle of poor choices, and mounting pressure. Thats why growth for growths sake is always a trap. The discipline of better Better companies will grow because theyre better. They compound improvement across the four areas that matter mostbetter teams, better customers, better offerings, and better financials. Growth becomes the outcome of doing the right things, rather than the goal in itself. Better is a choice. It means shaping your business so it enables you to live in the most rewarding way possible for you and the people you love. Better is about building a better life by design. Not just financially, but across the domains that matter: your health, your wealth, your wisdom, your happiness, and your family. Better is about building an asset that compounds wealth, where that asset works for you. It is about having a business that excites you, that challenges you, and that you enjoy being part of. It is about being intentional with your effort. When your focus is solely on growth at all costs, theres no guarantee that it will result in the life you want. In fact, many times, the chase for bigger ends up creating problemswhether thats toxic teams, indifferent customers, mediocre products, or ultimately unprofitability. The irony, of course, is that when you focus on building better, you often end up with a bigger business anyway. But along the way, you also build freedom, wealth, and happiness. What a better business looks like If an owner-led company seeks to become better, what does that mean in practice? A better business needs to inspire its people. It should energize owners, leaders, employees, customers, suppliers, and even those watching from the outside. A better business needs to earn loyalty. That means creating a real connection with customers so they trust you, stay longer, and become advocates. A better business needs to focus on what it can be the best at. That means striving to offer products that are not only good, but great. Better businesses also need to be financially strong, and that requires a structure and operating system that can withstand tough times. Most importantly, a better business shouldnt drain the energy of its owner. The greatest energy drains come from poor planning, poor strategy, and the absence of a system to run the business. In the end, a better business is one that creates value, sustains itself, and gives its owner the freedom to live life on their own terms, not the one that values growth above everything else.
Category:
E-Commerce
Tesla hasnt enjoyed a lot of good news lately. Just the last few days have brought news of the electric car-makers dimming sales in Europedown 42% in the European Union compared to a year ago, in the face of competition from Chinese rival BYDand a recall in Australia of Model Y SUVs to address a potential software glitch that may cause passenger windows to close with excessive force. In its most recent quarter, the company reported revenue of $22.5 billion, a 16% decrease. So it makes sense that this week Tesla made a fresh effort to change the story about the brand and its trajectory. It did so with the release of its latest Master Plan, a public document intended to declare its future goals and plans. Its safe to say, not everyone was convinced. Critics complained that, at best, its vague, and at worst sounded like AI-generated buzzword soufflé. (Our desire to push beyond what is considered achievable will foster the growth needed for truly sustainable abundance.”) While this did not appear to be the conversation-changer Tesla sought, the company is right to try to give the narrative around its business a boost. CEO Elon Musk seemed to acknowledge this when he posted on X that 80% of Teslas value will eventually come from its Optimus robotsa prediction that, while lacking details, was quickly picked up as a sign that he is thinking beyond EVs. The problem is that Musk has projected similar narratives before: namely, that Teslas future is really about self-driving taxis, humanoid robots, artificial intelligence, or a combination of all the above. The narrative hasnt stuck, partly because Tesla isnt really a leader in any of those sectors. Even his latest Optimus prediction was tossed in among what has now become a familiar manic barrage of X posts about a variety of cultural and political issues that have nothing to do with making cars or running a business. The Tesla Master Plan seemed to be worth only a sliver of the CEOs attention. (And thats despite the company recently granting Musk $29 billion in new Tesla shares in what seemed like an attempt to get him to focus). A master plan to rule all other master plans This is actually Teslas fourth Master Plan, and in a way they have all been marketing documents. The first two were written by Musk himself, basically blog posts as impassioned manifestos; the third was a nerdier, benchmark-filled white paper. Each offered a narrative around Teslas mission, its context, its supposedly world-changing implications. But lately, the Tesla narrative has come from without: the apparent flop of the Cybertruck, the loss of market share for even its more successful vehicles, the endless controversies stemming from Musks DOGE adventures, culminating in his de facto dismissal from President Trumps inner circle. The upshot is an ongoing case study of a once-mighty but now-tarnished brand. And to be clear, the brands historic strength is significant, and retains considerable loyalty from consumer and investor fans alike. The company is still worth more than $1 trillion, and its shares are trading at around $340, which is right in between a recent range of about $220 in March to $488 last December. It might even get a short-term sales bump from EV shoppers looking to buy before the Trump administration phases out consumer incentives. The whole sector is in for a challenge once that happens. While Tesla spins its wheels on putting forward a story about that brands next chapter, rivals are racing to define the brand from the outside. Musk, his attention still seemingly divided as he posts constantly on X, flirts with politics, and scraps for a lead role in the AI free-for-all, used to be the lead author of the Tesla narrative. Its a brand that has been defined far less by traditional marketing than by its CEOs endless zeal. With that zeal directed elsewhere, a different Tesla story is taking hold: an EV maker run by a guy who doesnt really care about cars anymore.
Category:
E-Commerce
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