12 Notes
Quincy Jones
Summary
Timeless lessons from one of history's most famous music producers
Rating: 5/5
Notes
Do what’s never been done before
Share what you know
Giving back isn’t something to be praised, it’s something to be done, regardless of recognition
We all have creative potential and we all need to realize it, it’s only a matter of if we allow ourselves to fulfill it
Do not hold onto anger for if you do, the bitterness will destroy you
We need you, your gifts and your talents
Life is a beautiful responsibility but also a beautiful burden. It’s ultimately yours to protect for the time you’ve been given
There are so many flavours in this rainbow we call life and I hope you get to taste every single one of them
‘Not one drop of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me’
God gave us two ears and one mount because we’re supposed to listen twice as much as we talk
If you learn the language, you’ll learn about the food and music
You’ve got to know where you’ve come from in order to get to where you want to go
It’s a beautiful thing to reflect and learn rather than reject and repeat
If you don’t know who you are from the start, you’ll lose yourself, at best, and let someone else decide for you, at worst
Always be prepared for a great opportunity
‘Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration’ - Thomas Edison
Good luck usually falls the collision of opportunity and preparation so be prepared
Whatever you do, do it well or not at all
There will be plenty of moments where your work goes unnoticed but someone is always watching
‘You've got to know the rules in order to break them’ - Picasso
To create art that invades the subconscious mind and leaves a lasting impact, you have to properly blend soul and science
The quality of your output as a creative is directly proportional to the input of your effort
Do not restrict yourself to a box and don’t let other do it for you
‘Just write and turn the page, never look back’
If your work gives you goosebumps and makes you happy, it likely will feel like that for someone else
Move out of your own way so that you can make way for what comes naturally
Don’t walk around boasting you’re the best because your work will speak for itself
Slow and steady wins the race but ego will end it
Giving yourself permission to dream and do what’s never been done before gives others permission to do the same
Big dreams don’t come without big failures. Things will ge tough and you will make mistakes, repeatedly
You must work on yourself just as much as you work on your art
Have humility with your creativity and grace with success
‘Learn to deal with valleys because the hills will take care of themselves’ - Count Bassy (hills = success, valleys = failures)
What you do when no one is watching is the foundation you build your life and career on
Don’t underestimate the impact you can have on those you come in contact with
The simple yet complex gift of living life itself is the ultimate achievement
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Make Something Wonderful
Steve Jobs
Summary
The life of Steve Jobs in his own words
Rating: 5/5
Notes
Make something wonderful and put it out there
‘You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear’
When you’re a stranger in a place, you notice thing you don’t otherwise (Jobs after India trip)
Whenever you start with nothing, always shoot for the moon. You have nothing to lose.
You never achieve what you want without falling on your face a few times
Never be afraid to fail. You never achieve what you want without falling flat on your face a few times
We are never taught to listen to our intuitions, to develop and nurture them. But if you do pay attention to these subtle insights, you can make them come true
Creativity equals connecting previously unrelated experiences and insights others don’t see
Believe that some of what you follow with your heart will come back and make your life richer. And it will. And you will gain even firmer trust on your instincts and intuitions
Make your avocation your vocation. Make what you love your work.
The journey is the reward. The reward isn’t in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it’s in crossing the rainbow
To find A+ talent, if experienced, look at their track record and results
The world we know is a human creation and we can push it forward
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do (read whole ad ‘here’s to the crazy ones)
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit - Aristotle
Hire people better than you are
You can’t plan to meet the people who will change your life
It’s impossible to connect the dots looking forward, but they make sense looking backwards so you have to trust the dots will somehow connect in your future
Everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you
***
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