Will
Will Smith
Summary
Will Smith's memoir. Fantastic book into understanding the psyche behind one of America's great entertainers
Rating: 5/5
Notes
Focus on one brick, not the whole wall
Never argue with a fool because from a distance, no one can tell who’s who
When you’re unaware you’re able to do something, then you just do it
All fantasies fail. No matter how hard you fight, the truth is undefeated. Reality remains the undisputed champion
It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war
It’s nearly impossible for the quality of your life to be higher than the quality of your friends
Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it
Be nice to everyone on your way up because you may pass them again on your way down
Living is the journey from not knowing to knowing. From not understanding to understanding. From confusion to clarity.
Life is like school with 1 key difference - in school you get the lesson then take the test. In life you get the test and it’s your job to take the lesson
It’s better to die than walk around scared
Choosing the city you live in is as important as a choosing a life partner
It’s respectable to lose to the universe. It’s a tragedy to lose to yourself
The universe is not logical, it’s magical
Things are always impossible right up until they’re not
Magic demands awareness/faith, preparation/work then surrender/patience
No paralysis through analysis
Change can be scary but it’s utterly unavoidable. Impermanence is the only thing you can rely on
Nothing lasts forever. Everything rises and falls
You tell me what you want and I’ll tell you who you are
What you think of as your ‘self’ is a fragile construct
For everyone who loves a dreamer: everything comes second to the dream
Dreams are built on discipline. Discipline is built on habits. Habits are built on training and training takes place in every second and situation in your life
Never underestimate the power of what you do
It is impossible to build something that is of higher quality than the quality of those around you
Don’t conflate success with love and happiness
Nobody gives a shit about anything except how they feel
The problem is the more you get, the more you want
Explore, experience, experiment, expand
To love and be loved is the highest human reward and ecstasy
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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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Free E-book download here
