Life in Bangalore

Consider whether you desire the same things today that you desired yesterday Seneca Letter from a Stoic Pg 53 My mind is at sea. leading in various directions according to the course of wind (other people's opinions and social fads) i need to test myself everyday - if i am desiring the same things today that i desired yesterday what a fantastic test! A settled and solid mind (one with purpose) does not wander from place to place and time to time .says Seneca and such a person is much likely to make some progress and headway On the other hand An unsettled mind , keeps tossing up and down ...movement without purpose Authors Seneca        Mukund

It is not enough to be busy. Question is what are you busy about? Pg.36 take your time Eknath eswaran In terms of time management , we equate being busy with being active and energetic; so much so that we are proud of it while being energetic is not bad at all, too much energy without purpose will result in unnecessary motion and energy wastage; in yoga , this energy state is called Rajo guna; being in vibrant state- while it may seem good - it is a state that signifies impatience …being busy with too many things leads you nowhere! i am reminded of the picture from Greg Mckeown from "Essentials" This is where pomodoro technique of focus comes in ; focus your energy and time on one thing for 25 minutes and followed by 5 minute break I had seen this work well for me : when i focused on thought - wrote notes and researched on a particular for 30 minutes several times on the same topic and made notes and finally a powerpoint deck ; then the outcome came well; I thought deeper and

  Hearclitus says that "One day is equal to every day" A day is the microcosm of life - it is the shortest unit of time that can resemble the longest space of time - as it contains within - Light and darkness, Uptick, Downtick - Ebbs and Tides - rise and fall Thoreau says that " day is an epitome of an year - Night is the winter, Morning and Evening - Spring and fall, noon is Summer" everyday ought to be regulated as if it closed the series , as if its rounded out and completed the existence Says Thoreau! That man is happiest and secure who can wait the morrow without apprehension says Seneca And you secure the day by securing the every hour in your grasp Remarks Pg 15 letters from a Stoic Authors Seneca Henry David Thoreau      

  THOREAU SAYS "every morning is a cheery invitation to make my life of equal simplicity with nature herself" engraved in the bathtub of king ThingNichThang " "renew thyself completely each day" the morning (spring) is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour - thorea u pg.47 walden Vedas say : all intelligences awake with the morning so use the morning for divinity and spirituality to awaken the spiritual and intellectual being I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of a man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor" Thoreau Walden Let me have a draught of undiluted morning air Thoreau , Walden Pg 73 Authors Henry David Thoreau       

If you can keep your mind in one lane, your concentration is unbroken , you can be a master of your attention. In USA , i had to relearn to drive the car in highway 😉😆😁. A major thing in USA is to stick to your lane driving at a certain speed. if you do so you can switch on the cruise mode and drive along without distractions..No issues whatsover. now when you need to take an exit...you do need to switch lanes... by switching on the indicator first...look for blindspots and switch lanes and take exit. now this lane switching consumes time and distraction. repeated lane switching leads to fatigue. So keep your mind in one lane for at least 30 minutes with focus and concentration and attention The most effective to accomplish a lot is to do one thing at a time and do it well. Efficiency comes from complete concentration on one thing at a time even when one has to manage several tasks.! Christine Eswaran Secret to peak performance is the unbroken flow of attention...Flow state Authors

Lucius, Hold every hour in your grasp...Lay hold of today's tasks and you'll not need to depend so much on tomorrow's - Seneca Timeboxing is an important technique to create focus and concentration. for example , set aside 30 minutes and assign a topic as focus for 30 minutes ; and do not waver from it for the next 30 minutes ; you keep writing , reading or learning about the topic for the next 30 minutes. No distraction allowed ; if distracted you need to start all over. This is the technique of Pomodoro Ingvar Kempard , IKEA , founder says that Life happens in 10 minutes. my take is that Life happens in 30 minutes at a time. So follow the timeboxing method and you would have laid each hour in your grasp! Remarks pg 1 Letters from a Stoic Authors Seneca      

                        Image Source: Twitter   It is not enough if you read and read books - you got to reflect on it and convert into your understanding.  This is done by assimilating reflection into smart notes . Following which the mental models - lattice network - gets created lattice network is nothing but an hieracrchy and cross-linking of my understandings. Thats when the essence of reading is obtained - like the exercise i am doing now. without these reading is just another binge exercise!!! Remarks How to live on 24 hours a day Authors Arnold Bennett        Mukund

  My purpose at work is : First To prevent problems and then to solve problems. I need to become a Thought machine and using that become problem-solving and problem preventing machine! I would use the 5 core disciplines of thinking to attain the above purpose. My critical drivers to meet attain the above purpose is : Thinking time : how many Pomodoro am i spending everyday to prevent and solve problems Focus : How much concentrated I am in those 30 minute thinking sessions? Remarks pg 14 Road less Stupid Authors mukund

1. find the unasked question ? create the question that will result in clarity and better choices 2. Seperate Problem from Symptoms: 3. Check Assumptions : Differentiate facts from story (your own) and opinions 4. Consider 2nd order consequences 5. Create the machine : executable plan, people structure, Money, Process that convert input into outcomes Remarks Pg 14 Road to less Stupid Authors Keith J Cunningham

  in my MBA course , one of the professors, Prof. Manohar Reddy, used to insist on the question - "What do You think ? What is your take? What he meant was : Leave out others opinions and thoughts ...what is your take? Seneca says " You need to put forth something from your own stock" Dont keep looking for social proof! Take a stand ! Be Courageous ! I should not merely be a mouthpiece for other's words. But rather be original, clear and express what I think, learn and understand. This is best done through writing. Seneca adds that : you can indeed use old road of the predecessors- but in doing so you need to cut a new road - one that makes shortcuts and is smoother for travel - for your fellow travellers and posterity. So cut the new road branching from old . Dont be afraid to imitate leaders. but then innovate , find your voice and cut your own road ; And Writing is the best solution towards creating clarity of your thoughts.

Tit for  Tat is a sub-optimal strategy for Life Shane Parrish Shall I not hurt him         Who has hurt me? You ask  In first place consider         What hurt is? If someone does an unjust act       That man has already hurt himself  Why shall I then hurt myself        By causing an unjust act to him Why do you confuse injury with hurt?      Injury is detriment caused to body or possessions Hurt is detriment caused to faculty of will      That Is modest and faithful  Others can cause injury     But none can hurt you Except yourself!

 Book of Life! Jiddu Krishnamurti pg.154 That which is practiced is no longer awareness! for in practice is implied the creation of habit! the execution of effort and will -  All Effort is distortion! When you consider your own inward strife you condemn it or justify it you are incapable of observing this inward conflict without choice or justification To be aware of your thought and feeling without identification and denial is not tedious and painful but in search of a result , an end to be gained  conflict is increased  and tedium of strife begins!

 Book of Life, Jiddu Krishnamurti Most of us cannot face that emptiness , loneliness and we run away from it We must have the radio or books ot talking  incessant chatter about this and that about art and culture. (We depend on that because we can't stand being alone with ourselves!) We have a very good job, work furiously , write books, but inwardly this tremendous vaccum exists! we use dance, amusement, religion etc., to fill it up (The question then is -) Why dont I face the fact and see what happens? the observer says " I am empty, I dont like it" The Observer says : "I am different from emptiness" But the observer is the emptiness,  It is not the emptiness seen by an observer; The observer is the Observed !  (the concept of unity : Not duality - Advaita!)

(Inspired  from Book of Life, by Jiddu Krishnamurti!) Attention without motive -  I need to focus to be attentive without a motive  of : To be or not to be  To do or not to do To have or not to have Attention - just pure attention - Listening - with all the five senses  And when we do that : we don't rush and when we dont rush - we care : and Love shows up! for example, try this : set up 30 minutes on timer - pomodoro technique just turn-up - no expectations - even to just "half-ass" it as a Gym coach says 😈 No goals and No objectives - just turn-up! Master Batsman Sachin Tendulkar says this about his batting objective:  "To just spend time in the middle , and the runs shall come-by as by-product!"  

  Book of Life, Jiddu Krishnamurti It has become part of us -  this wanting and not wanting loving and hating, craving and renouncing (the opposites) we are continually creating this duality  in which this thought-feeling is caught up! And the cause is craving! Opposites cannot be fused and they are  to be transcended ! through the dissolution of craving!  (Don't solve for it - dissolve it!) Each opposite must be thought out, felt out, as extensively and deeply as possible though all the layers of consciousness -  (is this related to the 5 Sheaths ?) through this thinking out, a new comprehension is awakened, which is not the product of craving or of time!

 A question for you all: What is the difference between finish and complete? When you marry the right person : you are complete! When you marry the wrong person : you are finished!😉😁😄 When faced with an activity, I always think in terms of time - to finish it off ASAP - and claim victory - it could be a PPT making or weekend podcast or prayer!  Finish-Finish-Finish is my mindset! And when I touch finish line - I feel empty! Why?  probably there was no care put into it along the way and quality along with! to finish something means to end it! To complete something means to fulfill it! If you are race-track driver mentality , you will rush to finish! If you are relaxed monk-mode mentality, you will complete it! 

 Seneca : Pg.16: Letters from a Stoic : Quality of a great soul is to  scorn great things and  to prefer that is ordinary Too rich a soil makes grain fall flat Branches break under too heavy a load Excessive productiveness does not bring a fruit to ripeness so is the soul, that gets ruined by uncontrolled prosperity Prefer that is ordinary and you place yourself beyond the jurisdiction of Chance!

 Focus less on specific individuals and case-studies and more on broad-patterns! The Psychology of Money ,Morgan Housel:   Studying specific individuals can be dangerous - they are extremes of probabilities - more extreme the outcome , more likely it is not applicable to your own life! because , Outcomes are influenced by extreme ends of luck or risk! rather you get closer to actionable takeaways  by looking for broad-patterns of success and failure. More common the pattern, more applicable it might be to your life! Trying to emulate Warren Buffet investment success is Hard - because his results are so extreme that the role of luck in Life time performance is very likely high  Luck is something we cannot really emulate!  Seneca say this :  The way is long if one follows precepts , but short and helpful , if one follows patterns

 Straighten your spirit day-after-day! Seneca says " Happy is the man who can make others better, not merely when he is in others company but also when he is in their thoughts"  For me , it is my Father : His standard of discipline is so high that , If I tend to think ill, and I remember my father, asking myself - "Will my father be proud of my this action?"  I stand protected from doing wrong every time! I call this the "Invisible fence of values" to protect myself -  It reminds me of Epicurus saying :  Cherish some man of high character and keep that before your eyees living as if he were watching you and ordering all your actions

  Pray for a sound mind and for good health, first of soul and then of Body! Letters from a Stoic , Seneca Don't pray for yourself, your goods ; Don't queue up to God with a set of wishes - without having a gratitude for what's given already! Athenodorus says this : Know that you are freed from all desires, when you have reached a point that  you pray to God for nothing  except  what you can pray for openly!

  What chance has made yours is not really yours! Seneca , Letters from a Stoic  I am living in the mercy of favors of fortune Lady luck smiled upon me and has given me - Money, Position , Health !  But all these can be taken away! I fantasize that I hold them in my grasp -  I got them by my hardwork, my willpower etc.,  maybe I did all of above but it is also primarily that luck favored upon me! I need to have a stable mind that tells me - Failure is Fickle! So i need to learn to  lead a life of "voluntary poverty " as below - "Eat merely to overcome hunger  Drink merely to quench thirst  Dress merely to keep out cold  House merely against personal discomfort! " Everything else is superfluity!

 If you give luck and risk proper respect , you realize that when judging people's finance success - both your own and others - Its never as good or as bad as it seems! Morgan Housel - Psychology of Money When you talk "odds" in Life ,  you see the role of - Long-tail - in successful people and outcomes , What is long-tail? -a miniscule few that are Rich, successful and famous and all. Rajnikanth, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet are all in long-tail!  one in a billion probability! you really cannot mimic them and replicate their success - because its not method alone but also madness that comes into picture in form of luck and environment! No doubt about the effort they put in - Due respect - but they also have been aided with the role of luck For every successful person, there are thousand others who had put in equal effort  but did not have the role of luck - they faced failure- despite sheer hard-work so the point is that -  dont get carried away by your own success or ot

 Warrenn Buffet was on  a par 3 hole with his companions - Warren  is a lousy golfer - His friend tells him : "I'll bet $20 you dont hit a hole in one;  Warren : "What odds will you give me?" Friend : 1000 to 1 This means that , If Warren hits hole in one , he would get $20,000 else he would lose $20; Warren : No bet ; Bad Odds; Friend : "Why ? !!!!" Warren : Given my golfing skills , even if I  were to hit 1000 shots none will go into hole in one  - very remote chance . So bad odds .  Stupid in small things ; Stupid in big things!

 What matters is that a blackjack card-counter knows that they are playing a game of odds, not certainties! pg.121 : Psychology of Money , Morgan Housel Life - you have to think in odds and not in certainties!  Odds involve probability - more specifically - success and failure are both possible outcomes !  I play chess as an amateur - I used to think of certain moves expecting that my competitor will make specific moves with certainty! but that never happened! Bertrand Russell puts it this way : " The whole problem with the World is that , Fools are always certain of themselves and wiser people full of doubts! "  Why wiser folks are doubtful ? because they think in possible outcomes and probabilities! As you do so, you will become humble as well! As you become humble , you act normal! As you act normal, you really come across as amazing! The riskiest moment is when you think you are right"  Peter Bernstein - Economist!  

  No man is able to borrow a sound mind!  Seneca pg.43 : Letters from a Stoic You cannot appear learned - just by surrounding yourself with learned; you have to learn; Develop a sound mind day after day; A sound mind in a sound body! Same for the body as well! you got to cross the valley yourself!

 From the book : Go slow to grow fast! - Brent Tilson Say you took all the people around the table and  morph them into NBA players! it would be foolish to hit the court without warming up first. Muscles might tear. Ligaments snap up we re to go through the slow ritual of stretchign and warm-up! A similar thing needed for mental relaxation as well - I need to do this everyday - to overcome resistance - anxiety- cool down a little  through rituals of walking - meditation- jogging - that act as speed-breakers for the thoughts! An exam student faced with anxiety approach Brett Tilson Student : I am anxious, nothing going into my mind! Brent    : Have you ever watered a plan or vegetable garden? Student : of course! Brent    : When you see water start to pool on top of soil, do you keep pouring? Student : No. I let it drain in! Brent    : Would it not be quicker to keep pouring? Student : No! Water would just run away over the sides. stop when enough! Brent    : well there you are! Go play

 I am glad to learn in order that I may teach! Seneca  - Letters from a Stoic Seneca says that nothing ever pleases him  no matter how excellent or beneficial  if one must retain knowledge to herself! for no good thing is pleasure to possess without friends to share it! So learn so that you may teach to others!  the benefit being - you clarify to yourself if you really understood the topic! Feynman says to- Learn to Teach! A popular misbelief is that - My learning is my competitive advantage - why to share it?  The answer is - Share and See what you know!  magic happens!  you ask - what magic !!! - you share and see for yourself!  Secrets of magic cannot be revealed!

 Character must be rescued from the mob! It is too easy to side with the majority! Seneca - Letters from a Stoic! We can be shaken by a crowd - either by applause or by heckling result is imitating or loathing the world - both of which to be avoided! The greater the mob we mingle, greater the danger - says Seneca! rather practice solitude!  democritus says - " One man means as much to me as multitude, and multitude as much as one man" Another author (unknown?) : " I am content with few, content with one , content with none at all"  Epicurus : " I write this not for the many, but for you; each of us is enough of an audience for the other" you may ask - what purpose did I write this - It was for myself 😉😉😉

Seneca says : "You need to follow someone who teaches us by their lives ,  who tells us we ought to do and prove it by practice" Now , the thing is - while doing the practice - I should not turn this into a circus;  an public exhibition - doing for the sake of show-casing one should practice for express purpose of improving themselves and not for sake of self-seeking. Dont fall into pleasure of being praised-  rahter be roused to the matter and not the style; get enamored by the subject you are dealing , and not by yourself; Dont be a peddler -rather be a philosopher Practice for the " Audience of One " - yourself! Work for Work's sake!

7 Universal Skills  by Darius Foroux 1.  Self-Discipline 2. Personal Effectiveness 3. Communication 4. Negotiation 5. Persuasion 6. Physical Strength / Stamina 7. Physical Flexibility 

When you repeat the basics You don't only become great - you will stay great! -Darius Foroux Repeat 🔂 the basics of many things in your Life: 1. Fitness - Walking  2. Philosophy - read your favorite Author - everyday! 3. Kindness - random act of giving  4. Business -  What is the purpose of business? 5. Writing  -  Read the "The Elements of Style - Strunk & White"  Its very simple : Figure out the basics of the given field : 5-6 principles And repeat them day after day Back to the Basics! If you do so , you will lead a life with chronic White-belt mentality 😅 leading to Humility  even if your performance is that of a Master Black-belt! If you do so,  you not only become an expert of the field you will stay as one!

  Don't Compete! Create! -Darius Foroux "You get rid of the thought of competition. You are here to create, not to compete for What is already created.  You do not have to take anything from anyone" -Wallace D Wattles My Notes: Most of us are in scarcity mindset - Sharing the pie 🥧 mindset ; Competition - Competition - Competition This has been ingrained in our minds from the schools! Even MBA schools teach more about competition in business! How to carve out your share of the pie! Rather Darius Foroux has a different   proposal : Growing the pie bigger🥧  or even better is to create a new pie! If you want a specific career , go out and create it! Adopt an abundance mindset Create! Create! Create!

 Divide your day exactly into two-parts: 1.     Productive Mode :          Focus on urgent activities : Delegate, Doing , scheduling timeblocks to do deep work 2.    Creative Mode :          Reading, Writing, Learning-  Have a creative notebook (Physical or digital) and keep making notes           Serendipity will strike you with genius level ideas , while you taking bath! Infact start your day in the creative mode even if its just for the first half=hour! The key point is that you need to have creative mode built into the day irrespective of its proportion with Productive mode!

 Power of Philosophy is to blunt the blows of Chance! pg.78 : Letters from a Stoic - Seneca My Notes: I am living a life of Chance -Luck- Fortune! God, Nature and Universe have been kind to me! I should be grateful and thankful for that! I should not be carried away that : it is due to "me" and "myself" alone all success reached to me! Let me quote a real-life instance here : In Dec'20 and Jan'21 , I landed up in sever back pain ; What started as a minor niggle in the lower-back,  soon become so worse that I was unable to stretch my legs out ! Despite a few treatments , things did not improve  and I was mentally disturbed! The issue on-hand was nothing close to major - but it made me realize how a minor niggle can disturb me  and made me realize -  How I need to be more grateful for all types of wealth - physical, mental, financial, emotional  How much do I owe to this World that has bestowed so much upon me? How much Luck has played a role in all this! And

 You cannot control nothing but your own will! Arnold Bennett - The Human Machine When you feel friction in transactions with Universe, the machine (ie., you) is always at Fault; we are dealing with an Universe where 'oughts' are flagrantly disregarded!

 At the critical moment, the brain does not remember  Concentration shall Cease! The Human Machine : Arnold Bennett It is not that I don't know principles; At the critical moment , brain-fade occurs; I forget; Old Habits take-over me! Demons take over me , 😆 I have been unconsciously     led into the Habit of Distraction!!! Forgetting the basics Groaning and Moaning  When will I learn that Root cause of Problem is  Situated right there  in between my two ears!

 Both Ambition and Anger will wish to have same rights over me as pleasure! Seneca - Letters from a Stoic - Pg.74 When I succumb to pleasure - pulled to pieces - amidst compelling passions Ambition- Ambition - Ambition - No; rather - Freedom, Freedom, Freedom; Not being slave to any circumstances of any constraint, any chance; compelling Fortune to enter the life on equal terms; When I have freedom, should I take order from anyone?

 Faults which you attribute to circumstances are in yourself! Seneca , Letters from a Stoic , Pg.72 I ascribe the faults of mine to place or time or (another person); My timing was wrong; I chose the wrong place; That man caused all my troubles; But when shall I understand that those faults will follow me  no matter where or when? I am not self-seeking , but can you tell me how else can I live in Rome? I am not extravagant, but how else to survive in  this Big City? I am wandering and wavering, but how else a youth lives? Why do we deceive ourselves as above ? Better we understand that disease is within and begin the cure!

 Philosophy ought not to proceed by claptrap and quibbles Seneca : Letters from a Stoic : pg,69 Philosophy offers counsel to men and women in need of help Who are waving their hands from "Ocean of Life" seeking help! So the role of Philosopher is to help others! But what is happening in reality?  Philosophers (So-called) quibble or clamor for claptrap among themselves they fall into the ABC's of scholastic pendants -  (arguing over) minutiae of differences and fight and create rival schools ! Then are you fit enough to be a Philosopher first? My Notes: Claptrap : A trap cast out in the form of claps ; applause ; prestige; fame; Don't fall into it; Its the pleasure trap; Seneca through quote above  chides the "Philosopher" who forgot what Philosophy is : According to Seneca : "Philosophy is this :  Understand What Nature has made necessary and what is superfluous How pleasant and simple is life for those who knows the above difference"

  Source : Twitter: GoLimitless The first thing in the morning : Disrupt your thought pattern! Most of us wake up with a loaded mind :  of half-remembered night dreams , thoughts of the day ahead  and the related pain and pleasures to go with! This circular loop of thought patterns stemming from these perturbations leads to utter lack of clarity and the ability to think clearly! In the mornings So what to do?  Disrupt this thought pattern by Habits : Cultivate the habit of reading and writing in the morning - Read a book on elevated thoughts and write a paragraph about that! Another habit is Physical exercise : Do the Roadwork or  go to the Gym and push yourself through a cardio workout or weights! As you do so , the mental rut due to circular thinking is gutted and you end up cutting through the mental clutter! And emerge with clarity!