Sure I haven’t seen too much of this world yet, but
let me tell you a small secret:
If you don’t read Nicholas
Bate’s simply awesome 101s,
you are missing out on things big time.
This 101 project of his must be one of the most
creative themes I’ve ever seen. Just pure awesomeness in there.
This movie was literally jaw-dropping. I couldn’t
help myself but watch it in complete awe.
This world of ours is a miracle.
A few days ago I
watched a TED video with Mihaly Csikszenthmihalyi, a Hungarian psychology
professor and author of the Flow.
Check it out
right here:
My personal
notes on the video:
Question to the Self
What were those
activities in the past that you felt “in the flow” and how can you use this
insight in to enhance your life or career?
Kind of late, huh? But let's get this year rolling like they've never seen it before!
What I mean is... let's kick some butt in 2009!
This is a plea for myself, the author of this blog. You – the dear
Reader – are already thinking for yourself. Since this is a Da-Vincian diary
(oh, by the way: did you know that Leonardo was left-handed? Please Google this
one and do try to find the connection between being left-handed and certain
brain functions.) I do post reminders for my future self.
Phrases like
“The All is Mind.”
and
“Intelligence is the ultimate aphrodisiac.”
can make or break the future.
Anyway, I just wanted to remind myself – and ask You, dear Reader – to read
and re-read some magnificent material out there.
Nicholas Bate’s
blog – gotta love this
120 Ways to Boost Your
Brain Power – just discovered this blog. Author is Luciano Passuello – I think
I’ll remember this name.
The
War of Art – by Steven Pressfield. I just finished this book yesterday…
Okay, I’ve been sitting here in front of the laptop for more than 5 minutes
now, trying to express the feelings and insights this small book gave me. A Symphony of Inspiration. This book is True Art (yeah, with capital letters).
…what others say? This is your Life! Your rules!”
Yesterday I met a friend on the train home. We chatted about what a
great time we had during our university years – the parties, cool (and not so
cool) professors, our peers, stuff like that. At some point my friend mentioned a
girl who was not so cute even though the girl though about herself as being cute. And
there – kind of unconsciously – I asked my friend the above question.
“Who the hell cares what others say? This is your Life! Your rules!”
I went on explaining how I found this such a beautiful paradox of Life.
That girl may be not cute in our eyes. But hell, she will convince herself that
she is beautiful. And she will find a guy who will think the same about her. So
in the end she was right: she was indeed beautiful.
We live in a world which continuously tries to tell us who we are, how
we should behave or what we should do. Think about this for a few minutes. How
easy it is to just follow the rules, just follow those orders, follow the
patters, follow the ideals… just follow. No thinking necessary.
So make a decision today to break that shit.
Start thinking.
Start creating.
Start leading.
Start being yourself.
Oh, and follow Nicholas Bate’s most powerful advice. “Love Life.”
“The world has the habit of
making room for the man whose words and actions show that he knows where he is
going.”
Napoleon Hill
Nas – Untitled Album (2008)
The new standard of rap. In my honest opinion.
In the past few weeks I have developed a great – and fun – habit.
I call it “In search of Wow”.
(Yeah, reading Tom Peters can mess with your mind in a highly positive
way).
It goes like this: anything I find extraordinary and cool – be it a
product, service, sound, feeling, behavior or person – I observe for a few
moments and then I jot down my thoughts in my “Ideas” Moleskine.
A few days ago I was sitting on the tram leaving from work (oh, I’m
working as a communications professional by the way). At one stop a truly magnificent
girl got on the tram and sat down right in front of me. I was really stunned by
her beauty but the real thing – that Wow moment – happened a minute later.
See, the girl had short black hair and she was dressed as kind of a
punk. This got me really thinking because – as my “logic” went – with such
beauty I could have imagined her in anything but in black punk clothes. Serendipitously
another girl was standing right next to her – a very cute blonde in tight
clothes. I thought, damn, this beautiful black haired girl sitting in front of
me should be dressing like the girl standing next to her.
And then it just hit me. I got my Moleskine out and jotted down these
words.
Unique
A girl.
Our perception says she should be on one side.
Instead she chose to be on the other side.
It’s a shame she got off the tram before I finished.
"75 percent of your income
depends on your communication skills."
- Earl Nightingale
Personal note:
Communication skills = speaking + listening (!!) + presenting + influencing
