Blog posts
1.
The first book I have been reading really peaked my interest and that was Booker T . Washington's autobiography: Up From Slavery. Why this book intrigued me so was first, and undoubtedly, the painstaking effort he put in in order to acquire an education, which started with building his own mini-library before he had ever entered school.
Then when he did enter school, rarely would he get more than 4 hours of sleep as he worked as the janitor while contending with his studies. His reality mirrored my own and resonated with me at a core level.
Most of all it was that passion to rise up.
I digress.
The interesting aspect of his book is that he must have been researched by Dale Carnegie because the mannerisms and gentleman like behavior could be repeated word for word in either book and Booker T Washington came first.
As I went through the book, I came upon two truths in regard to Mr.Washington, he was socially and emotionally aware, of others wants and needs, and rarely deviated from his doctrine, of refraining from insulting another.
In all his speeches that I had a chance to research, he was so effective because he never quite ridiculed an individual race or individual person. He praised them, wholeheartedly for their efforts and told them that here is where we must improve.
He was always as cordial as ever and never used sarcasm as a means to belittle another or make fun of.
For me, I find that this is a skill that gained him a great following and to limit the appearance of weakness, he upheld his reputation through his actions and work ethic. Had he solely been cordial and a push over, he would have had friends rather than admirers.
In business, if one is too nice, they will never survive. There must be a set of standards that are expected and from Booker T Washington's tone, this was evident.
It Is interesting because in the book "Compelling people," it speaks of striking a balance between empathetic and "dictatorial" behavior. If one is used more than the other, then the results will always tilt away from the desired result and that is respect and efficiency.
2.
The second Book on my list of readings was Peter Drucker’s “Managing Yourself.”
The title tells the purpose of the book and that is to gain a deeper understanding of what You want and how You learn and function, most efficiently.
The first concept is concentrating on Your areas of strengths. The funny thing is, this fact of life is ubiquitous in many of the books I have been reading. To be more efficient, You must prioritize where You put Your energy.
In my own life, I have always tried to be the best at everything. Whether I was playing basketball or attempting football, in math class or English class, my goal was to be the best and in hindsight, I was pretty good but never great. I guess when You think about it, we all have a limited supply of energy and time on a daily basis and when You begin to increase Your activity, You need to divide the energy in order to complete the tasks; however, this means that there is less energy going to each task. It’s basic mathematics.
This reminded me of the CEO, of General Electric, who upon taking his position, got rid of all sectors of the business that they could not be# 1 or #2, in the industry they were individually competing with. He’d sell off those portions and invest the capital (about $300 million) into the sectors that they retained. When I heard this, it made me so excited. Like this guy was a genius and he did something so simple that made his business more efficient.
For the last 2 years, I have looked at school this way. We are taught to spend our effort and time to be very proficient in all our classes and yet the philosophy should be to gain as much exposure and understanding as we can.
“Those who pursue grades and money as means to become successful will benefit society.
Those who pursue knowledge for their own gain, will benefit themselves and consequently, through pursuing their own curiosity and passions, will benefit the world and others, through their presence.” -Mbaga Sales Kayondo
#3
I have finished reading the 48 laws of power and my biggest take away is the power of manipulation. This book literally throws morality out the window for success.
While I read through the laws, I began to think of Larry Ellison for some reason and it got me thinking, "if my goal is success, does it honestly matter how many people I use in order to reach it?"
The answer was complicated because there is no problem with using people as long as they benefit, or at least feel that they have. I figured that was the definition of collaboration.
One of the laws stated, "Always conceal Your intentions." In what I wish I knew I was 20, the author spoke on restraining yourself, from burning bridges, and showing courtesy to all that You meet. So for m3, I adopted the idea of showing courtesy to many of the people that I meet and collaborating with them, as long as I gain an overwhelming benefit.
If a situation or person is of no use to me, remove myself but with a sort of flattering elegance that does not leave them with ill-emotions.
The other thing I found quite interesting was the idea of guarding Your reputation as if it were Your life and never losing control of Your emotions. This was especially noteworthy because I tend to let my emotions tip on the scale, whether that is over-excitement or an overwhelming disgust for an individual. Its something that's quite easy for me to control and I prefer to anyway.
The last thing is not related to any of the books I read but it was a reading, from a manga I read. One of the characters stated,
"If our paths are different, that makes us nothing but enemies."
It found it interesting because the path I have chosen to take is definitely different from others. It is one that has constantly required an isolation from people and an absurd amount of energy to balance through countless nights of acquiring information so that I refrain from making mistakes as I attempt to make strides in my progress.
I guess the easiest way to explain what I'm saying is is to mirror the words of Kobe Bryant. You stated that I could never be a great great husband a great father a great friend because I'm so focused on perfect my journey that if I leave room for perfecting everything else then I can never be the best at what I am most passionate for.
This paraphrased quote comes from his newest documentary MUSE.
When I look at my life I've always tried to affect every aspect and that was my mistake. In the process I fail to notice that one of my, actually my best and closest friends who I considered a brother was attributing to my lack of progress. I was so focused on being the best friend that I could be, focused on our success, that I forgot about my success.
I forgot which law it is but it states that one must be weary of friends and learn to utilize enemies.
The takeaway is that almost everyone I meet will be on the different paths or an opposing pack to mine and because of that everyone must be first considered an enemy rather than an hour which means nobody matters but me with that is family friends some stranger on the street, it doesn't matter... my success is it a priority
4th:
What I wish I knew when I was 20 is a good book. There are some pages how she does like a chapter that I believe is irrelevant, at least to my own life but the second half definitely has profound messages.
My first takeaway was the idea that every problem has a solution. The solution might be unorthodox however it's still a solution. You simply have to be creative. Coupled with this must be a lack of shame, which Brene Brown preaches in her newest book, and a removal of stress as the reaction to pressure, which Sadh guru preaches.
This idea of staying calm throughout the duration of trying to stay calm is mandatory and for me, the taking point is to let the mistakes go. I tend to try and fix some long-standing issues that have reached the point of being outside of my control so I need to let them be and focus on to the next experience/ step.
The second message was to stop trying to stay pre-occupied, with a flurry of activities. This tied into the idea of concentrating Your efforts on what You desire. Ms.Seelig uses her past as an example to learn from. After graduating, with a Bachelors, she stirred up the courage to forgo her Masters and spent some time in California. A lot of that time was spent doing odd jobs and the other half, on the beach...thinking.
She did not know what was coming next and she did not have some grand scale plan. She kept up her studies and simply lived life and when she found an opportunity, she took it.
Personally, I have long contemplated, taking a step away from school. Maybe permanently but when I look back at her story, she had the credentials that would allow her to take advantage of any opportunity that came her way. However, her path and mine are not and will not be the same. So…….I should do whatever feels right. Whatever is beneficial. Man people think that four years is a good investment but it can also be a sacrifice that has many implications after. I do not want to live a life unfulfilled. And I have been doing that.
Ms.Seelig stated that it was hard to hold off on her Master’s because of her parents.
I guess for me, its the same but from a financial perspective. If I do not go to school, I have to fund myself and I can do that so Ill figure out a way to become financially independent.
The last great message came from her son. He wanted to do something great in regards to athletics. I believe it was body-building. He had never done an event like that. What was inspiring was how much time, effort, and diligence that he put into mastering his craft. He was probably a little younger than me. He drove to meet professionals. He found the best trainers he could find to invest in him. He changed his whole diet. He worked hard on a daily basis and he would eventually break the state record, on his first try, during an event.
And this tied intom another quote I heard today, “Unrealistic expectations require an unrealistic work ethic.” So I guess Ill get back to work.
5th.
Attached has been a great read. It discusses four types of people:
Secure- Comfortable enough to be in relationships.
Anxious- Scared to lose relationships, need to in one. Need constant reassurement.
Avoidant- Very independent of people, avoid attaching to people
Anxious-avoidant- Avoid relationships because they are scared of them.
I think I have been all four. I tend to steer towards secure and avoidant however. I am comfortable enough to be in relationships with people but I also don't like useless or temporary relationships so I tend to be picky about where I spend my time and effort.
In business, these classifications can hold great weight when it comes to interactions that occur between partners. As I read on, I recalled Tai Lopez referring to Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger as secure individuals who just clicked when they first met each other. I recalled my long-standing relationship with my friend that was tainted with jealousy.
My growth was in great part to my security with who I was and his avoidant nature, in order to calm this accelerated growth caused me to become anxious as I sought answers ti my continued failures.
These classifications have allowed me to identify individuals who I would love to work with and qualities that I would welcome such as skill, focus, a sense of humor, self-confidence and most importantly loyalty and passion. I've also added in the quality of not wasting my damn time.
6.
Seneca's essay on the shortness of life was a short book that I was fortunate to find an audio to. Over the course of three mornings, I listened to his message. Basically, I do do not understand how we are defining entrepreneurship. it seems like our goal is simply to produce a product that isn't even of any use to anybody and try to make as much money as possible. while reading this essay, I came to the conclusion that he and I share a common philosophy in regards to life and that is, life is too short to focus on accumulating excess. life is too short to simply have such a flurry of activities they do not reach your goal. I mean when I think about our class was so focused on being like every other entrepreneur or being able to succeed as an entrepreneur that we forget what an entrepreneur is and while reading this essay a lot of it has to do with character. I think we aren't learning the skills we need to and we're not becoming or we're not gaining the mentality of an entrepreneur which isn't solely focused on the business aspect. It is not solely focused on getting things done. Are just for me I thought entrepreneurship was a new way of living. In the sense that you're not wasting your time doing work that is unimportant. I thought entrepreneurship open my eyes to a certain freedom period of freedom where I can take pride in my work however after taking this class it seems like for me I didn't necessarily want the entrepreneurial definition that we produced in the beginning of the year. Yes I do want the freedom, the ability to say that I am my own boss, and because life is quote on quote too short, I don't want to waste it simply doing task after task after task. For me I've always looked at entrepreneurship, as a journey towards becoming amor virtuous person. I don't know what's going on in our class but it's definitely not virtue that I am seeing.
Argue entrepreneurship as my means to to incorporate the study of philosophy into my life and for Seneca, he stated that lifelong learning, in an effort to understand oneself and one's surroundings is to incorporate the commendable task that few take upon themselves.
7.
The self-made billionaire Effect:
~How Extreme Producers Create Massive value~
By John Sviokla
Mitch Cohen
The book starts with a quote by Mark Twain where he states, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. This reminds of a quote by Earl Nightingale, which reads,"Observe what the vast majority of people are doing and do the exact opposite. If You do so, You will rarely make another mistake in Your life."
I found this interesting because in order to separate Yourself from the Pack, You actually have to separate Yourself from the pack.
In whatever direction they choose to go, if it is not in the direction that You wish to go then You should not.
I view the vast majority of people as average and what else should one expect. The definition of average, in itself, is based off the actions and realities of a majority/group.
So another quote popped in my head and that is "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation" by Henry David Thoreau.
Im sure You yourself understand where You stand on the spectrum of fulfilment. I, myself, know what I seek in life and to describe it is very difficult. I seek my own personal perfection. That perfection is attaining the aura and character of the man I envision myself to be. I do not seek any grand amount of wealth or even social life. I seek something of greater value and that is self-respect: A pride in oneself.
I have yet to read an extensive amount of the book and I have been fortunate enough to read summaries and it speaks on one's ability to handle dualities. The authors define it as the mark of an intelligent and refined mind.
And a necessity towards becoming highly successful.
Another thing Mr.Lopez speaks on about the two authors is that they mention the idea that if You're going to learn how to do something, You might as well learn from the best because even if you only turn out to be 10% as successful as they are, you'll still be elite, especially if you compare yourself to the rest of your competition.
I haven't had a chance to find worthy mentors, who are accessible to me; however, the books I have bought as well as the training programs are working out to be great substitutes.
8.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UVk9cQKsWa0
Elite Education= Youtube channel.
So I am still waiting for my book, Rich dad Poor dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I have only been able to read summaries on the book and a few of his videos online.
I like his style. He comes across as sincere. Few people I have watched or come across supply me with this sense authenticity.
Anyway, three take-aways have been this idea of school vs financial literacy and for some reason, I began to question the idea of needing connections/contacts in the business world.
First things first. The entrepreneurial class is useless to me. It has turned into a class, where we are just doing assignments to learn something. It's weird to say but I think the point of the class is to gain the courage to be an entrepreneur because the bulk of our time I've been spent making phone calls or writing emails. What has not occurred is an improvement in regards to financial literacy. I still do not know how to make money, from the time I have spent in the class. Everything I know, the school. Game, have come as a result of my own work ethic my own desire my own curiosity that is pushed me to go outside and find resources find books find online programs find YouTube channel that actually provide me with information that makes me financially literate. He goes on to talk about how you can become an entrepreneur but you can still be a salary sleep because if you don't understand tax law the simple tricks, you end up losing more money than you're making. Instead of chasing revenue streams, cash flow, we have either been chasing money or a pay check.
He talks about the Rich mentality, the Middle class mentality, and the Poor mentality and right now I think we were just taught the middle class mentality. It does not make it bad or good, all it means is that we have been chasing security rather than financial independence and prosperity. I have no inclination to adopt bad debt and he goes on to state that there is a such thing as good debt because that is where other people pay for your debt such as in owning multiple properties where rent is paid and a portion can be utilized to pay off what you owe.
The other idea he talked about is knowing oneself. It got me thinking about this notion needing connections. In my experience, you don't necessarily need connections are contacts you need the ability to create them because I have burned many bridges, in a smart and redeemable fashion, rebuilt them when need be and created new ones to replace the old that I didn't like.
The last off-topic subject was in regards to his marriage, which the illustrated as a means to demonstrate The effect of the unconscious. his understanding was that we are usually mad at ourselves for mistake on an inability that we have or hide and we usually last out on other people because we made a mistake and they simply triggered that memory. I found it interesting
All in all the class is pretty good and as my instructors always say, "This is the first year; we are still trying to improve and find what works."
9.
So back to the billionaire effect.
The ability to handle dualities which is basically being able to argue both sides of an argument or see the benefits and cons of two sides. it's like having sound judgment but also an Imaginative/ risk taking ability.
The billionaire effect states that those of the majority can usually only see the benefit of one idea and failed to be able to argue the other way as well. It is basically this awareness of all the components and facets of a situation.
They state that there are three types of people that will always show up.
1. The person who agrees.
3.The person who disagrees
3. And rarely, the person who challenges themselves to understand all sides.
~If you are one of the first two, You are average.~
It got me thinking about why I read so many books now and educate my mind so greatly using online programs and YouTube videos and that is because I like to know a lot of information so that I can assess the situation that I used to be find myself in or the conversations I find myself in or what I'm thinking about at the certain moment. Usually I don't take action until I really understand the benefits and cons of what I'm going to do and what the alternatives are. this allows me to minimize mistakes especially when I incorporate the Six Sigma effect.
The other thing is the ability to filter through good ideas and bad ideas. Now there isn't really a such thing as a good idea or a bad idea however there is a such thing as a profitable idea and an idea where there is no customer base or the customer base would be really hard to create or find. so when I look at many of the ideas people have or ideas we've had in class, I look at these ideas as not profitable because even if you make money there is a certain point where you understand that the cash flow will decrease our reach a peak and then from that moment on, you are basically in the red.
The billionaire effect really talk about the idea that all the notion that we know about success are stained by society, schooling, our own ignorant beliefs from our parents and our own interpretation of our life experiences, as well as the media.
The book is really doing a good job of dispelling money being oceans and using real life examples of billionaires to teach me a lot so I am having a lot of fun.
10.
I got back to The Self-made Billionaire effect, where the idea of Blue, Red, and Purple ocean industries was introduced. I still have a fuzzy understanding of what a Purple ocean is but the two latter subsets are easy to remember because the aspects, of each industry, contrast one another. The main goal of this portion of the book was to explain that the tech industry is a relatively new market and this isnt where most current Billionaires make their money. While thinking about this, the fact that already up to 20%, of billionaires, have a relation to the tech industry, I see this as a market that is soon going to grow ground as the concept of long-term learning and the knowledge industry put online product tools on high demand.
I still find myself gearing towards the nutritional and video indsustry.
The other notion that this book talked abot is becoming a “renaissance man,” one who is ecletic.
By pulling knowledge from various industries and finding relationships where most people dont see any.
I feel that with all the new technology that exists, not much of it is not accesible to the general population that needs it. There is also information in regards to health that few know and understand and one basic misconception everyone has about beauty and health.
Our bodies are determined by our genes.
For what I am doing, I am going to need knowledge from:
-several Engineering industries
-Health industries
-Pharmaceutical industries
-Construction and architecture
-Food restaurants
-Law and investment industries
-Consultant industries
-Service industries
-fashion and decorative industries
-Real estate
-and many more
Basically, this chapter taught me that when entering a competitive market or one that is already established, find your edge and dominate Your competition.
The tech industry and the communication industry sought to sell a product to customers that didn't know they needed this technology…..Ill do the same.
