Sunday, October 30, 2022

book: The Hero Code by Admiral William H. McRaven

The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived: McRaven, Admiral William H.: 9781538719961: Amazon.com: Books


William H. McRaven - Wikipedia


Adm. William H. McRaven on his new book, 'The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived' - YouTube


University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address - Admiral William H. McRaven - YouTube


book reviews

The Hero Code @ Heroic / Optimize (Brian Johnson)

Admiral McRaven tells us that it is a moral code and walks us through ten of the core virtues that make up the code. Each virtue has it’s own commitment. 
  1. I will always strive to be COURAGEOUS;
    to take one step forward as I confront my fears.

  2. I will work to be HUMBLE;
    to recognize the limits of my intellect, my understanding, and my power.

  3. I will learn to SACRIFICE
    by giving a little of my time, my talent, and my treasure to those in need.

  4. I will be a person of INTEGRITY;
    every decision I make and every action I take will be moral, legal, and ethical.

  5. I will be kind and COMPASSIONATE
    to at least one person every single day and expect nothing in return.

  6. I will never give up on matters that are important
    to me, my family, my country, or my faith. I will PERSEVERE.

  7. Whatever job I am given, whatever DUTY I am bound by,
    I will do it to the best of my ability.

  8. I will use my unique talents to inspire others and give them HOPE
    that tomorrow will be a better day.

  9. I will use HUMOR
    to comfort others, and never be afraid to laugh at myself.

  10. No matter how great or small the offense against me, I will try to FORGIVE.
    I will be the victor, not the victim.




Saturday, October 29, 2022

book: Think Again by Adam Grant

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know: Grant, Adam: 9781984878106: Amazon.com: Books


Adam Grant - Wikipedia

Podcasts – Adam Grant


excellent podcast interview

Adam Grant: Rethinking Your Position [The Knowledge Project Ep. #112] - Farnam Street

organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant provides compelling insight into why we should spend time not just thinking, but rethinking. In this episode we cover how to change our own views, how to change the views of others, hiring processes, psychological safety, tribes and group identity, feigned knowledge, binary bias, and so much more.

Grant is a Professor of Psychology at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the author of five books, including his most recent release, the New York Times bestseller Think Again. He also serves as the host of WorkLife, a TED original podcast.


Saturday, October 22, 2022

book: How to Decide by Annie Duke

Amazon.com: How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices eBook : Duke, Annie: Kindle Store


Amazon.com: Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts eBook : Duke, Annie: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away eBook : Duke, Annie: Kindle Store


Annie Duke - Wikipedia


reviews / summaries


Getting Better by Being Wrong with Annie Duke @ The Knowledge Project

Professional poker player Annie Duke (@AnnieDuke) and I discuss how to disagree without being disagreeable, spotting biases that sabotage our success, how to find signals in noise, and reliable decision-making models for high stakes, high-pressure situations.


HOW TO DECIDE by Annie Duke | Core Message - YouTube

by ProductivityGame

  • Happiness Test by asking yourself:
    “Will my happiness, a week from now, depend on this decision?” If not, decide quickly.
  • Only‐Option Test:
    “If this were my only option, would I happily take it?” If so, decide quickly
  • Two‐Way Door Test:
    “What is the cost of quitting?” If the cost of quitting is low, decide quickly.

The happiness test, the only‐option test, and the two‐way door test are three quick methods to help you be more decisive. But occasionally you’ll run into a decision: 

  • That could have a significant impact on your happiness.
  • Where no one option you would be happy with.
  • In which the quitting cost is high.
If this is the case you need to go slow, collect information, and construct target estimates. Construct Decision Targets

The Shock Test.
“Would I be shocked if the result was higher than my upper bound and lower than my lower bound?”

There will come a point when you need to stop researching and estimating and make a decision…but when? I like to follow Jeff Bezos advice: “Most decisions should probably be made with somewhere around 70% of the information you wish you had.”



How to Decide | Summary of key ideas | Book by Annie Duke - Blinkist




Thinking in Bets | Annie Duke | Talks at Google - YouTube

Saturday, October 15, 2022

podcast: The Knowledge Project

Podcast Archive - Farnam Street

Hosted by Shane Parrish, The Knowledge Project Podcast uncovers the best of what other people have already figured out so you can use their insights in your life. 


The Knowledge Project Episodes By Subject


book from the same author

Amazon.com: The Great Mental Models Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts eBook : Parrish, Shane, Beaubien, Rhiannon: Kindle Store




book: Influence by Robert Cialdini

Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion: Cialdini PhD, Robert B: 9780062937650: Amazon.com: Books


influenceatwork - YouTube

Science Of Persuasion - YouTube


[The Knowledge Project Ep. #122] Robert Cialdini: The Principles of Persuasion - Farnam Street

How to Get People to Say "Yes" | Robert Cialdini | The Knowledge Project 122 - YouTube

01:26 - Difference Between Influence and Manipulation 03:44 - Influence Principle #1: Reciprocation 22:03 - Influence Principle #2: Liking 31:26 - Influence Principle #3: Social Proof 41:25 - Influence Principle #4: Authority 48:24 - Influence Principle #5: Scarcity 56:30 - Influence Principle #6: Commitment & Consistency 01:02:28 - Influence Principle #7: Unity

Robert Cialdini Explains How Social Proof Works - YouTube

What Actually Happened During the Cuban Missile Crisis (And What You Can Learn About Influence) - YouTube


PNTV: Influence by Robert Cialdini, PhD (#339) - YouTube
by Brian Johnson (Optimize/Heroic)

How to Sell Anything: INFLUENCE by Robert Cialdini | Core Message - YouTube
by Productivity Game


Dr. Robert Cialdini's Seven Principles of Persuasion | IAW

research has identified seven of these shortcuts as universals that guide human behavior:

  1. RECIPROCITY
  2. SCARCITY
  3. AUTHORITY
  4. CONSISTENCY
  5. LIKING
  6. SOCIAL PROOF
  7. UNITY
Understanding these shortcuts and employing them in an ethical manner can significantly increase the chances that someone will be persuaded by your request.

podcast: Dr. Andrew Huberman

Dr Andrew D. Huberman - Wikipedia



Neuroscience Meets Psychology | Dr. Andrew Huberman | #296 - YouTube

brilliant “science geeks” conversation

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson with Dr. Andrew Huberman

the main “currency” is not Dollar, Bitcoin, Euro, it is “dopamine” hormone.

All motivation is based on this “biological reward system

The “life energy”, the way we “feel” is driven by adrenaline, another hormone,
and that is “manufactured” from dopamine, so it is all connected.

And we can “hack” the system by setting and achieving meaningful goals.












Saturday, October 8, 2022

Jim Rohn

A major influencer behind many of today's business and personal coaches. 
Simple and effective life advices.

Jim Rohn - Wikipedia







Jim Rohn - Best Motivational Speech. Use Your Own Mind, Think, & Make Good Decisions! - YouTube
"take advice but not orders"

How to Work on Yourself | Jim Rohn Personal Development - YouTube


Jim Rohn Personal Development - See Things That Don't Exist (Law Of Attraction) - YouTube

Jim Rohn ~ How to Work Smarter Time Management - YouTube

Jim Rohn - Learn These Skills or Live a Mediocre Life - YouTube

"seasons of life"

How some people earn much more than others in same time?
There is no extra time in life; created value makes difference in results;
You can't get more time, but you can create more value.
We primarily get paid for value we bring to marketplace.

It is possible to crate more value if you work primarily on yourself.
To get above average income become above average person.
Frustration: looking for above average pay and job before becoming above average person.
Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.
For things to change for you, you have to change first.

Opportunity is mixed with difficulty: that will never change.
Your life will change when you change.
The only way it gets better for you when you get better. 

Some people don't do well because they major in minor things. 
Life an business is like changing seasons. You can not change the seasons, but you can change yourself. Life gets better not by chance but by change.

4 major lessons of life:

1. learn how to handle "winters" (difficulties, recessions, downtimes...)
You can not change January by changing calendar, but you can get stronger, wiser, better
Don't wish it was easier, wish you are better; don't wish for less problems, wish for more skills;
don't wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom

2. learn how to take advantage of "spring" (opportunity)
"spring" always follows "winter"; days always follow nights; opportunity follows difficulty
Take advantage of spring, you have to do something with it!
You have one of 2 things in life: "plant in the spring or beg in the fall"
Take advantage of spring quickly, only a handful are handed to us, they don't come forever.

3. learn how to protect crops all "summer" 
You have to take care of what you start
The soon you plant in spring, the bugs will come to take it; they will take it unless you prevent it.
You have to learn how to protect what good you start, it is one of the challenges.
a) all good will be attacked, not to think so is naive
b) all values must be defended

4. learn how to reap in the "fall" without complaint and apology (harvest time)
take full responsibility to what happens to you
it is the day when you pass from childhood to adulthood to accept full responsibility
no value in "explaining" and "blaming" for bad results

It is not what happens that determines quality of your life, it happens to everybody.
It is what you DO that changes everything.



Internet Archive Search: JIM rohn

7 Strategies Of Wealth And Hapiness By Jim Rohn : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Saturday, October 1, 2022

book: Courageous Dreaming by Alberto Villoldo

Courageous Dreaming: How Shamans Dream the World into Being - Kindle edition by Villoldo, Alberto. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

from author of Shaman, Healer, Sage by Alberto Villoldo

"Modern physics tells us that we’re dreaming the world into being with every thought. Courageous Dreaming tells us how to dream our world with power and grace. The ancient shamans of the Americas understood that we’re not only creating our experience of the world, but are dreaming up the very nature of reality itself—that is, "life is but a dream." When you don’t dream your life, you have to settle for the nightmare being dreamed by others.

This book shows how to wake up from the collective nightmare and begin to dream a life of courage and grace, a sacred dream that shamans throughout time have known and served. Alberto Villoldo reveals ancient wisdom teachings that explain how to birth reality from the invisible matrix of creation; and reveals how we can interact with this matrix to dream a life of peace, health, and abundance. He shows us that courage is all that is required to create the joy we desire!"


another good distillation on theme of Hero's journey


summaries & reviews:

and a very good book summary by Brian Johnson

PNTV: Courageous Dreaming by Alberto Villoldo (#193) - YouTube

  • Victim => Hero
  • Brain "creates" reality: no difference of memory and dreams
  • No perfection: there are no perfect people, you will not be the first
  • Awesome x3: journaling every day about 3 moments 
  • Ready to die?
Typical fairytale turn nightmare dis-empowering story:
Victim faces Bully and needs a Rescuer

Turn this to into an empowering "hero's story":
Creator (Hero) faces Challenge with help of a Coach



Hero's question: "what do I really want?" then "create it"; challenges make me stronger







we are all living within our own stories, that they can either stay stuck in the past and put on repeat, or we can rewrite them and courageously imagine or dream a better version of ourselves and of our future.


related books:



book: The Wisdom Wheel by Alberto Villoldo

 The Wisdom Wheel: A Mythic Journey through the Four Directions - Kindle edition by Villoldo, Alberto. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


Home - The Four Winds


"The Wisdom Wheel" Alberto Villoldo, PhD - YouTube


How the Shamanic Medicine Wheel Works - Jesse.TV

  • South – Serpent: Shed your identities and find a new perspective
  • West – Jaguar: Face the emotions you’ve been suppressing
  • North – Hummingbird: Enjoy the sweetness of the present moment
  • East – Eagle/Condor: Soar above and see a new vision for your life 









Jan 2012 Newsletter :: Drake Innerprizes | MyNewsletterBuilder