The art of not giving up.

Recently I was on a (video) podcast called Forward Obsessed. It is hosted by two guys who started a place called “The District” in New Haven CT.  It’s a business incubator space the built out in an old brick building the bought from the city for one dollar – and it’s cool!

It’s on YouTube.  Search “Forward Obsessed Larry Janesky”.

Here’s a link.  Enjoy!

Why predict bad things?

This Think Daily message comes from a Think Daily comment made by Brad Glazer – 

“I’d rather be positive and wrong than negative and right!”

Thanks Brad!  Now let me explain why Brad’s statement is true.

We will never outperform our own expectations.  If they are low, we will only meet them, if not fall short.  

If they are high, we have a shot of hitting them.  If we fall short, we learn and keep believing and acting with belief, and we will make our positive vision come true.

Aim higher!

You are your beliefs

What you believe has a direct impact on your confidence, enthusiasm, likability, the quality of your relationships, and your success.

What beliefs do you have about the world, yourself, other people, and the future?

Stepping Stones

As I look back at the toughest times my life – I must admit – I had to be there, to be here.

Everything happens for a reason.  Even bad news is a stepping stone for something good to come along – if you don’t stop there, and keep stepping.

Want to complain? Here's some perspective –

This is from the book called “Living Untethered” by Michael Singer.  I love his books.  If you are ever in despair, read them.  Start with “The Untethered Soul”.

“Here’s a technique for getting perspective.  Put your mind in outer space and realize that there’s nothing out there but 99.999 percent emptiness.  There’s just empty space between all the stars.  Your nearest star after the Sun is 4.2 light years away.  To get an idea of how far that is, imagine holding a light beam above Earth.  Now, let it go for one second.  In that one second, the light circumnavigated the globe about seven and a half times.  Travel that speed every second for 4.2 years, and you’ll reach the next star.  There’s pretty much nothing but empty space in between.  We call it interstellar space.  That’s how it is between all the stars, all over the universe.  

How would you like to be out there and see nothing?  Because that’s what 99.999 percent of the universe is.  What you get every day is a miracle!  There are colors, shapes, and sounds along with all the amazing experiences you get at each passing moment.  Yet all you did was say ‘No, it’s not what I want.’  Of course, it’s not what you want.  That’s not the point.  Instead of comparing the moment in front of you against the preferences you’ve built up inside your mind, why don’t you compare it against nothing?  Since that’s what makes up 99.999 percent of the universe.

If you do this you’ll find yourself being thankful that you get to have your daily experiences.  They are certainly better than empty space.  That’s how a wise person lives.  The alternative is to suffer because things are not the way you want.”

The Dunning – Kruger Effect

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is that smart people think they are dumber than they are, and dumb people think they are smarter than they are.

Dumb (ignorant) people think the body of knowledge to be known is small and that they know most of it.  They are overconfident as they overestimate their ability to do something they know little about, including their ability to judge it or comment on it intelligently.

It’s probably not a good idea to be in this group very often.

Smart people realize that the more they learn, the more they did not know already, and the more there is to know and learn.

“The more I learn, the less I realize I know.” – Socrates

Surround yourself with people who make you better

If you hang around people who constantly complain, don’t make themselves useful, don’t try very much, have low expectations, and have nothing to teach you – how can you get better?  You won’t.  You’ll get worse.

Who are you spending time with?  

Improve the mix, and improve yourself.

Your body is a machine

There is no warranty. 

Repairs can be costly.

Avoid them in the first place.

Have you learned from experience?

“A learning experience is one of those things that say ‘You know that thing you just did?  Don’t do that.'” – Douglas Adams

Have you done things that produce a negative result, got that negative result, and are still doing it from time to time?

“People who aren’t good at learning from experience generally don’t fare any better with other modes of instruction.” – Dr. Mardy Groethe

Experience is expensive – let someone else pay the bill

“Experience is a good teacher, but she sends terrific bills.” – Minna Thomas Antrim

Learning from experience is great – you never forget it.  But it takes lots of time and is expensive and it can really hurt.

It’s better to learn from the experience of others.  Look around.  Observe.  Study and read.  It’s cheaper, faster, and hurts less.  

“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” – Douglas Adams