Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu
Summary
A timeless classic written thousands of years ago, this book has all of the OG lessons. Definitely one I will re-visit multiple times in my life because I know I'll learn something new every time I read it.
Rating: 4/5
Notes
Rid yourself of pride and desire, put aside your fancy manner and lustful ways. They will bring you nothing but harm
The Taoist glows with inner light, but seems actually dull and foolish
The greater Tao cannot be told, it is your inner light
The mystery of mysteries is the Taoist fuses being (outer desires and senses) with non-being (intangible marvel of the inner world)
The taoist dwells in non-action. The myriad things arise and none are rejected
Every that is also a this and every this is also a that. Right creates wrong and wrong creates right
Once false knowledge and desire are gone, once the worthy are no longer honoured and rare goods are no longer prized, then there is no contending, no theft but instead order, a full belly and firm bones
Many words harm the person. If the mouth keeps opening, if the tongue keeps wagging, misfortune will surely follow
The taoist puts others first and self last, is sparing towards self and generous to others
Letting go is better than filling the brim. Non-being and emptiness make things useful
The Taoist shines, but never displays, is radiant but never proud, accomplishes but never boasts, endures but never brags
The Taoist knows the usefulness of the useless, the utility of the futility
Instead of striving to achieve a goal, we should take things as they come, we should let them unfold. If we succeed, well and good. If we fail, that is good too.
All excess is harmful, but the Taoist is humble and discrete
Let go, float on the great flux of things
Achieve a goal and let go
To understand others is wisdom, to know self is illumination
Do not be an embodiment of fame. Do not be an undertaker of projects. Embody to the fullest that which has no end and under where there is no trail
Higher power that does not assert its power is true power, lesser power assets itself and loses its true character
The Tao is non-action
To know when to halt, to be disentangled from gain, to be unperturbed by the senses, is to avoid, peril, is to befriend fortune
The greatest calamity is discontent, the greatest harm is desire to acquire and achieve.. True contentment, sure knowledge of sufficiency, these endure
Once who knows values deeds, not words
Fortune and calamity are a part of each other. Calamity is latent within fortune
A great nation seems to gather others and nourish them
Embark on difficulties while they are still easy
A journey of a thousand leagues starts with a single step
Three treasures to cherish are compassion, frugality and self-effacement
To know self is to have faith in self, not others. To cherish self is to have no regrets about self, not to be proud towards others, not to exalt self
Achieve and then retreat
Nothing prevails against water which is soft and gentle
Trustworthy words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not to be trusted.
The good do not dispute, those who dispute are not good
The more money they give to others, the more they have. The more they share, the more is theirs
The Taoist accomplishes but never contends
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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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