Life in Bangalore

  Reasoning! Seneca Letters from a Stoic Pg.21 Seneca asks us : to use philosophy to guard our living  Philosophy enables wisdom And wisdom enables reasoning. Now the key question is  Whether living with reason alone is a safe harbour from Fortune or Ill-luck? Seneca answers this in his letter to Lucillius “Sometimes a vessel perishes at the Harbour; Innocent people perish” Who would deny that?  But the vessel perishes more frequently in the open sea; The person who does not act with reason perishes more frequently! “ But still I need to continue working with reasoning;  By continuing to work on my brain every day Acting with reason is in my power!  Fortune decides the outcome!

  Indifferent! Pg.87  Epictetus Six-pack Stoic What are things Indifferent?  Epictetus says: Things that are not in our Power!  Like a dice in the game!  Those that are not in our power are nothing to me!  Those that you call: Exile, imprisonment, Death or Power, Position or Prosperity Am indifferent to them!  Epictetus says :  “Like a dice - I do not have the power that What number falls upon me; But I have the power to use that number to advance my position; So there are two types of things: Real Goods and indifferent Goods ; Real Goods: Joy, Peace, Enduring adversity, Humble-Calm-Gait Indifferent Goods: Those that are not in your control !  “Anytus and Melitus may kill me indeed, but hurt me they cannot,” says Socrates. To injure me is beyond their power

  On Contemplation! Pg.77  Epictetus Six-pack Stoic Epictetus says :  “God introduced Man to be a spectator of Himself and His Works Not a mere spectator, but as an interpreter as well; It is a shame for Men to behave like Brutes do Rather he should begin there and  Leave where Nature leaves off in us; (by reason and thought!) That is by contemplation, understanding, Manner of Life That is in harmony with herself!

Why should I demand of Fortune that she give, Rather than demand of myself that I should not crave? Seneca Letters from a Stoic Pg.22 Stoicism: First principle is that 👍Focus on things you can control Your body, your mind, Your Intellect, Your Ego!  Seneca asks me today a fantastic question for me to ponder over: Why don't you demand of yourself?  Desires are a weight upon the Soul!  Desires crush the soul! Why don't you then control it?  Why should I keep praying to God for more and more -  Power, Position, Money! All temporal things!  That is beyond my sphere of control and influence! Rather why cannot I focus on things in my control That is  Not craving - for Driven by reason rather than revenue!  Demands are driven by Desires that are driven by mind fed on: Consumption   mindset!

  Don't get into the mode of Zero-points for winning Bill Walsh  Score takes care of itself  Pg.218 Get satisfaction and gratification from “small wins” - or even in defeats Look for metrics that are growing And improving and take pride in that  This is very important! If you take pride only in that “big-win” - it becomes Cocaine No longer the big win excites you as much You look for an even bigger win Or next big win Current win does not count!  Zero points for winning!  Victory just means delay of Failure …Bill Walsh!  Winning, Winning , Winning …is not always a solution Because you are just delaying the Failure Pursuit of prize becomes an exacting exercise - expectations unattainable And then profession you loved - all your life Becomes unenjoyable and unendurable!  And then when you cannot win even when you win Then comes a point, when you cannot see pint in continuing!

  Dont worry too much about approval of and acceptance by others Bill Walsh  Score takes care of itself  Pg.237 Treat activity such as Work - Intellectual activity -  like a scientist searching for and fascinated by mathematical equations of “Quantum Physics” As you work, Do deep work - thoughtful -Intellectual - Creative activity  Rather than be judging and judging , be like the ant scientist : Observing

  To prove them wrong…is wrong!  Bill Walsh  Score takes care of itself  Pg.237 Don't undertake pursuits to - prove them wrong  Or to - prove yourself right ; If you do so , you will burn yourself - winning/losing ! Undertake pursuits for their sheer intellectual activity 👍 Deep-thought Execution Leadership Teaching Coaching Learning Chase the pursuits for :  “To care about what you do and to teach others to be great as they can be” (Last line of the book:  Score Takes care of itself)

Out of the Crisis Edward W Deming Don't underestimate the power of pride in the workmanship of the Team! Edward W Deming There are two sources of variation: 1. Special causes 2. Common causes  My Notes: Special causes are easily understood and resolvable through Root-cause analyses and taking subsequent corrective actions But the common causes of variations are difficult to address as they are driven by random causes; Solutions to address the common causes of variation are: 1. Simplify the process 2. Provide the better training and retraining to the People

  Role of Management: Out of the Crisis Edward W Deming (Dr.Nelson, Director of Statistical Methods for the Nashua Corporation) 1. The central problem of management - in all its aspects- of Planning, research, Design, Personnel, Accounts and Law is -  “To understand the meaning of variation - and to extract information contained in the variation” 2. You cannot set a target for improvement without a rational plan for improvement 3. Most important figures needed by management of any organization are Unknown and Unknowable 4. In a stable system, action initiated on appearance of a defect - will be ineffective and will cause more trouble 5. “...and if you can’t come . send nobody”  William E Conway , CEO , Nashua Corporation meaning…If you don't have time to do your job, there is not much that I can do for you!

  On Love Hannah Arendt Maria Popova Blog “Love, but be careful what you love” “So long as we desire temporal things We are constantly under this threat And our fear of losing always Corresponds to our desire to have!  Temporal goods originate and perish Independently of man who is Tied to them by desire- Constantly bound by craving and  Fear to have a future full of uncertainties! We strip each present moment of its calm!  Its intrinsic import Which we are unable to enjoy And so the future destroys the present!  …. The present is not determined by the future as such But by certain events which we hope for ir Fear from future And which we accordingly crave and pursue Or shun and avoid!  Happiness consists in possession  In having and holding our good and  Even more in being sure of not losing it Sorrow consists in having lost our good and  Enduring its loss However for Augustine, happiness of having Is not contrasted by the Sorrow (of losing) But by fear of losing The trouble with huma

  On Walking Henry david Thoreau The word ‘Saunterer’ seems to be derived from The ‘A la Sainte Terre’ - on way to the Holy land - seeking charity in the name of going to the Holy Land; Because of this the the word Saunterer connotated with Idlers and Vagabonds   Thoreau says: “Saunterer in the good sense  Is no more vagrant than the meandering river Which is all the while sedulously Seeking the shortest course to the Sea! For every week is a crusade Preached by some “Peter the Hermit” in us To go forth and reconquer this Holy Land From the hands of the Infidels!  My Notes: Go for the walk and hear the signals from within  The verses from the holy land with in you Walking helps you tune yourself in-sync with the Universe!

  On Effectiveness Henry david Thoreau Maria Popova Blog The really efficient laborer will be Found not to crowd his day with work But will saunter to his task surrounded By a wide halo of ease and leisure There will be a wide margin for Relaxation to his day - He is only earnest to secure the Kernels of his time and not  Exaggerate the value of the Husk!  ….. ….. He does nothing with haste and drudgery But as if he loved it He makes the most of his labor And takes infinite satisfaction In every part of it He is not looking forward to the sale of his crops Or any pecuniary profit - but he is paid by the constant satisfaction - which his labor yields him!  My Notes: Warren Buffet : says this : I tap dance to work everyday!  When you don't crowd your day - you build relaxation in your schedule Relaxation not as in - idling - but - building in thinking time -  Then only you will be able to secure the “Rice” - the kernel out of the work - the main product Otherwise you just be satisfi

  On Hurry Diary of John QUincy Adams Maria Popova Blog Every day starts new game to me Upon the field of my duties But the hurry of the hour Leaves me no time for the pursuit of it And at the close of my career I shall merely have gone helter-skelter Through the current business of office!  And leave no permanent trace of  My ever having been in it behind!!!