Csaba Toth's Blog

101s

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.

Jaw-dropping

This movie was literally jaw-dropping. I couldn’t help myself but watch it in complete awe.

This world of ours is a miracle.

Flow

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:

• Synchronicity – life will produce opportunities to guide you towards your passion (an unshakeable vision to find out what makes people happy)

• Curiosity – an open mind is always welcome (lecture on flying saucers by an unknown man, instead of that it was a lecture by Carl G. Jung)

• Action – take action

• Money and happiness do not correlate over a certain level

• Ecstasy – stepping into an alternative reality

• In the state of ecstasy (be it writing, dancing, singing, composing music, or anything), in this state of flow the person itself seizes to exist and only the act remains

• You can create something new and original after 10 years of experience on a particular field

• You have to enjoy what you are doing; and you have to feel that you contribute something worthwhile

• Flow-state: the meeting point of high challenges and high skill level

• I’ll definitely read the Flow after watching this great 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?  

Happy new year!

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!

Think damnit, think!

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).

“Who the hell cares…

…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

A new standard...

Nas – Untitled Album (2008)

The new standard of rap. In my honest opinion.

Unique

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.

Business as unusual

Cluetrain
From: tecorporation, 1 year ago

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Cluetrain: the markets are conversations.

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Quote of a Lifetime

"75 percent of your income depends on your communication skills."

- Earl Nightingale

 

Personal note:

Communication skills = speaking + listening (!!) + presenting + influencing