Wednesday, April 30, 2008

First Things First - Steven Covey

5 steps to take now for a better life from the author of this book and of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
  1. Educate your conscience. Think deeper, and spend more time reading and studying.
  2. Personal leadership. Write your personal mission statement.
  3. Double the time you spend on important, none urgent tasks. Study, improving communication, getting feedback, preparation, planning, education, seizing opportunities, personal development and developing others.
  4. Rebuild one relationship you care about. Boss, spouse, child, parent or friend.
  5. Spend time on the physical, mental, spiritual and social aspects of your life every day.
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

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Can a Robot be Human? - Peter Cave

5 of my favourite questions from this thought provoking philosophy book that I received from my big sister.

  1. Why are all the things the way they are? Metaphysics/God
  2. Can you sincerely want a more equal society while knowingly being wealthy? Politics/Ethics
  3. What makes me me, and continue to be me? Metaphysics/Selves
  4. Morally, ought you not kill one person to save the lives of others? Ethics/Politics
  5. Why vote? Politics/Rationality

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Vagabonding - Rolf Potts

5 quotes for long term traveling from this book, which its self includes many quotes.

  1. This book views long-term travel not as an escape but as an adventure and a passion - a way of overcoming your fears and living life to the fullest - Rolf Potts, Vagabonding
  2. My greatest skill has been to want little - Hendry David Thoreau, Walden
  3. A good traveler has no plan, and is not intent on arriving - Lao-Tzu, The Way of Life
  4. What I find is that you can do almost anything or go almost anywhere, if you’re not in a hurry. Paul Theroux, The Happiness Isles of Oceania
  5. And in the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know it for the first time. T.S. Elliot, Little Gidding

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The Game - Neil Strauss

5 tips for meeting women from this interesting and funny book about the lives and subculture of “PUAs” (Pick Up Artists).

  1. 3 second rule. Don’t wait longer than 3 seconds from making first eye contact or seeing a woman you would like to meet before talking to her.
  2. Try not to approach directly/head on. Start conversation casually or over your shoulder
  3. Give yourself a deadline. Let them know you’ll be leaving soon.
  4. When approaching a group, it’s good to ignore and make fun of the woman you want to meet while you befriend the other men/women in the group.
  5. Be the alpha male of the group. Dominate and make decisions, but always with a smile on your face.

How to Learn

5 reasons why learning through teaching is so powerful

  1. When you know you are going to teach, you learn better. Change your role from learner to teacher. You will learn 90-95% of what you teach.
  2. It motivates you to be socially committed to live it. If you think it’s good enough to learn and teach to others, why aren’t you doing it/living it? To learn something but not to do it, is not to learn it.
  3. Increases your capacity to listen. You make sure you get all the key ideas to share.
  4. Makes change acceptable. Significant learning events allow people to listen to and accept ways you may have changed.
  5. It’s bonding. It deepens relationships by sharing the experience of learning.

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Saturday, April 26, 2008

Happiness and money

How much money does it take to be happy? Everyone wants to be happy, right? People have different views on the matter. A lot of wealthy people talk about realising your potential, setting big goals, finding your passion, believing you can do more and then doing it. Examples of this type of person would be Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, and the motivational speakers.

Next there seems to be the less is more, simplicity, voluntary poverty type. As long as you meet your basic needs, you’ll be unburdened by the worries of money and the world will be yours. This would be Gandhi, Socrates, Jesus, and several other modern philosophers.

Finally, we come to the hallowed Mens Health magazine model... Average earning people (28,000GBP in the UK apparently) are the happiest. A mixture of low expectations and many meals with family and friends is the route of happiness through this model. i.e. Focusing less on that super-yacht and working overtime to please the boss frees more time for social activities, families and relationships.

In conclusion, the world needs all of the above type of people and it looks like all can be happy. It’s everywhere, if you look for it!

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