The Force

Star Wars

Yoda Explains the Force to Luke - from Empire Strikes Back - YouTube

No, try not. Do, or do not. There is no try!

The Force | StarWars.com

The Force is a mysterious energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together. Harnessing the power of the Force gives the Jedi, the Sith, and others sensitive to this spiritual energy extraordinary abilities, such as levitating objects, tricking minds, and seeing things before they happen.

The Force - Wikipedia

Star Wars - Wikipedia

George Lucas Expertly Explaining How The Force Works | Star Wars - YouTube

Goals: Self Authoring

THIS Is A Miracle of Stupidity! w/ Dr. Jordan Peterson - YouTube

How the Self Authoring Program Works | Jordan B Peterson - YouTube

you need to develop a vision for your life and that makes delaying
gratification for example and not engaging in impulsive momentary pleasure worthwhile 

because you're building towards something that you actually want to attain

what do you want your life to look like in five years

when you have a vision that's very very clear and high definition, burnout just kind of goes away

help people develop a vision and one of the things we ask people to do is 

just to sit for 15 minutes write for 15 minutes badly

students do that before they went to university
and just doing it for 90 minutes developing that Vision 

drop their dropout rate 50 percent
and increase the grade point average 35 percent

our school system was set up to produce mindless obedient workers...

Self Authoring - What is Self Authoring?

People who spend time writing carefully about themselves
become happier, less anxious and depressed and physically healthier.
They become more productive, persistent and engaged in life.
This is because thinking about where you came from,
who you are and where you are going helps you chart a simpler and more rewarding path through life.

Intro to SelfAuthoring - YouTube

How To Set Goals (And Why You Should Write Them Down)

There’s some impressive science to back up goal setting. And yet it’s something we’re never taught or encouraged to do. But the statistics don’t lie, and make a strong argument for getting good at this skill; and making a habit of it.

A Harvard Business Study found that the 3% of graduates from their MBA who had their goals written down, ended up earning ten times as much as the other 97% put together, just ten years after graduation.

S-M-A-R-T Goals.
This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Timely.

Amazon.com: Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want - Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible eBook : Tracy, Brian: Kindle Store

book: A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century

A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life - Kindle edition by Heying, Heather, Weinstein, Bret. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life by Heather E. Heying | Goodreads

A bold, provocative exploration of the tension between our evolutionary history and our modern woes - and what we can do about it

Blinkist: Big ideas in small packages

Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying on Evolution, Innovation, and Western Civilization - YouTube

Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life | Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying | EP 216 - YouTube

book: Get Better at Anything by Scott H. Young

Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery: Young, Scott H.: 9780063256675: Amazon.com: Books

The author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Ultralearning explores why it’s so difficult for people to learn new skills, arguing that three factors must be met to make advancement possible, and offering 12 maxims to improve the way we learn.

In Get Better At Anything, Scott Young argues that there are three key factors in helping us learn:

See—Most of what we know comes from other people. The ease of learning from others determines, to a large extent, how quickly we can improve.

Do—Mastery requires practice. But not just any practice will do. Our brains are fantastic effort-saving machines, which can be both a tremendous advantage and a curse.

Feedback—Progress requires constant adjustment. Not just the red stroke of a teacher’s pen, but the results of hands-on experience.

When we’re able to learn from the example of other people, practice extensively ourselves, and get reliable feedback, rapid progress results. Yet, when one, or all, of these factors is inhibited, improvement often becomes impossible. Using research and real-life examples, Young breaks down these elements into twelve simple maxims. Whether you’re a student studying for an exam, an employee facing a new skill at work, or just want to get better at something you’re interested in, his insights will help you do it better.

book: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

An old popular book about about power of belief.
While it is based on Bible and with specific religious foundation,
it could be a useful "philosophy" for life in general.
Audio version recommended.

Amazon.com: The Power of Positive Thinking: Ten Traits for Maximum Results (Audible Audio Edition): Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, John Bedford Lloyd, Clifford Peale, Simon & Schuster Audio: Audible Books & Originals

The Power of Positive Thinking - Wikipedia

1952 self-help book by American minister Norman Vincent Peale. It provides anecdotal "case histories" of positive thinking using a biblical approach, and practical instructions which were designed to help the reader achieve a permanent and optimistic attitude. These techniques usually involved affirmations and visualizations

reviews / summaries / quotes

The Power Of Positive Thinking Summary - Four Minute Books

"the roots of success lie in the mind and teach you how to believe in yourself, break the habit of worrying, and take control of your life by taking control of your thoughts and changing your attitude."

Book Summary: The Power of Positive Thinking | LinkedIn

"In "The Power of Positive Thinking," Dr. Norman Vincent Peale delivers a powerful message of hope and inspiration, providing readers with practical tools and techniques to build a positive mindset, overcome adversity, and achieve personal growth."

Norman Vincent Peale: Three Complete Books: The Power of Positive Thinking; The Positive Principle Today; Enthusiasm Makes the Difference by Norman Vincent Peale | Goodreads

The Power of Positive Thinking Quotes by Norman Vincent Peale | Goodreads

book: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout: Newport, Cal: 9780593544853: Amazon.com: Books

~ Do Fewer Things. Work at a Natural Pace. Obsess over Quality. ~

ReThinking - How to be productive without burning out, with Cal Newport

How to be productive without burning out, with Cal Newport (Transcript) | ReThinking with Adam Grant | Podcasts | TED

Cal Newport: Take The Pressure Off Productivity - YouTube
at Daily Stoic with Ryan Holiday

The Joys of Slow Productivity. A review of Cal Newport’s new book | by Anne Janzer | Mar, 2024 | Medium

Book review: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport and Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal - YouTube

Slow Productivity Summary (Cal Newport) | The Book in 4 Minutes

offers a holistic new philosophy for a better relationship with work that allows us to make meaningful contributions at a sustainable pace, rooted in three pillars: fewer commitments, taking our time, and insisting on delivering high-quality work.

book: Holy Grail of Investing by Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins Holy Grail of Investing: Build Your Wealth NOW! - YouTube

The Holy Grail of Investing: The World's Greatest Investors Reveal Their Ultimate Strategies for Financial Freedom (Tony Robbins Financial Freedom Series): Robbins, Tony, Zook, Christopher: 9781668052686: Amazon.com: Books

The Holy Grail of Investing | Holy Grail

book: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

The Creative Act: A Way of Being: Rubin, Rick: 9780593652886: Amazon.com: Books

podcast interview with book author

Rick Rubin: Protocols to Access Creative Energy and Process - Huberman Lab

Rick Rubin: Protocols to Access Creative Energy and Process - YouTube

free creativity, to get unstuck 

"this is what I am making for myself, for now...
and I want to do it to the best of my ability
to where I feel good about it..."

Rick Rubin - Wikipedia

Arete is the Pursuit of Excellence — Arete Transitions

"Arete means 'excellence', the act of living to one's full potential."

app: Atoms - from book Atomic Habits

Atoms - from Atomic Habits on the App Store @Apple App Store

apparently for iOS only, for now?

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones: Clear, James: 9780735211292: Amazon.com: Books

James Clear, of Atomic Habits, launches a new habit app called Atoms
@FastCompany

Clear knows a thing or two about building good habits. His 2018 book, Atomic Habits, has sold 20 million copies globally. It has spent 164 weeks at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list, and it is currently the top-selling book on Amazon across all categories.

Author of bestseller 'Atomic Habits' launches app: Here's what to know | Fortune Well @Fortune

Habits Cheat Sheet.pdf

Introducing Atoms: the Official App of Atomic Habits by James Clear

Atomic Habits Cheat Sheet – The Behavioral Scientist

Atomic Habits Readers - James Clear

book: Nudge by Richard Thaler

Nudge: The Final Edition by Thaler, Richard H.

of one of the most important books of the last two decades, by Nobel Prize winner Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

how we make decisions—for fans of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, James Clear’s Atomic Habits, and Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow

Richard Thaler - Wikipedia

Thaler is a theorist in behavioral economics who has collaborated with Daniel Kahneman, Amos Tversky, and others in further defining that field.

In 2017, he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioral economics.

music: Winter Concert 2024

CHS Winter Concert 2024 - YouTube

Cherokee Highschool

The Four Seasons (Vivaldi) - Wikipedia

book: Mastery by Robert Greene

Mastery by Greene, Robert @Amazon.com

Mastery Summarized in 8 Minutes by Robert Greene - YouTube

summary / review

PNTV: Mastery by Robert Greene (#247) - YouTube

Heroic Interview: Mastery with Robert Greene - YouTube

MASTERY by Robert Greene | Animated Core Message - YouTube

Mastery Summarized in 8 Minutes by Robert Greene - YouTube

Robert Greene - YouTube

Mastery | Robert Greene | Talks at Google - YouTube

Robert Greene: A Process for Finding & Achieving Your Unique Purpose - Huberman Lab

Robert Greene (American author) - Wikipedia

Mastery (book) - Wikipedia

Mastery is the fifth book by the American author Robert Greene.^[1] The book examines the lives of historical figures such as Charles Darwin and Henry Ford, as well as the lives of contemporary leaders such as Paul Graham and Freddie Roach, and examines what led to their success

music: Vivaldi Winter

Vivaldi Winter (1st movement) - LUKA SULIC - YouTube

VIVALDI Four Seasons: Winter 1st movement (Wednesday on Netflix)| Mariko #winter #wednesday #cello - YouTube

Vivaldi Four Seasons: Winter (L'Inverno), original version. Freivogel & Voices of Music RV 297 4K - YouTube

Antonio Vivaldi - The Four Seasons "L'Inverno" (Winter) for piano solo - YouTube

Vivaldi - Winter (from "The Four Seasons") - Piano Sheet Music - YouTube

Let It Go (Disney's "Frozen") Vivaldi's Winter - The Piano Guys - YouTube

book Goals! by Brian Tracy

 Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want -... by Tracy, Brian

Why do some people achieve all their goals while others simply dream of having a better life?... In this book, Tracy presents a simple, powerful, and effective system for setting and achieving goals—a method that has been used by more than one million people to achieve extraordinary things.

BOOK: GOALS!

“Success is goals, and all else is commentary. All successful people are intensely goal oriented. They know what they want and they are focused single-mindedly on achieving it, every single day.”

7 GOAL-SETTING QUESTIONS

1. What are your five most important values in life?
2. What are your three most important goals in life, right now?
3. What would you do, how would you spend your time, if you learned today that you only had six months to live?
4. What would you do if you won a million dollars cash, tax free, in the lottery tomorrow
5. What have you always wanted to do, but been afraid to attempt?
6. What do you most enjoy doing? What gives you your greatest feeling of self-esteem and personal satisfaction?
7. What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you would not fail?

BRIAN TRACY ON TIME MANAGEMENT

For you to develop sufficient desire to develop Time Power, you must be intensely motivated.

By gaining two productive hours each day, you can transform your personal and working life.

Two more productive hours, out of the eight hours that you spend at work each day, is the equivalent of at least a 25 percent increase

When you leverage the power of time management, you will have a greater sense of control over your work and your personal life.

The more skilled you become at managing your time, the happier and more confident you will feel.

You will have more time for your family and your personal life as you get your time and your life under control.

Task: Figure out how you can add two hours of productivity to your day. Make a schedule of your day and find where you can squeeze two hours of time out for maximum efficiency.

OUR TWO WORST ENEMIES

Just as self-discipline is the key to success, the lack of self-discipline is the major cause of failure, frustration, under-achievement, and unhappiness in life. It causes us to make excuses and sell ourselves short.

.two biggest enemies of success, happiness and personal fulfillment, are first the Path of Least Resistance, and second, the Expediency Factor.

How to Set and Achieve Goals | Brian Tracy - YouTube

Personal Development Courses, Plans & Training Programs | Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy - Wikipedia

v

Tony Robbins: hero's journey, the path, 7 steps

Tony Robbins - YouTube

Time to Rise Summit Day 3: 7 Steps: Your Path to an Extraordinary Life - YouTube

Time to Rise Summit Day 2: Expand Your Identity & Relationships - YouTube

Time to Rise Summit Day 1: Break Through in 2024 - YouTube

Tony Robbins presents the Time to Rise Summit 2024

condensed interview version

The 5 Blockades Keeping You From Success, and How to Overcome Them - YouTube

1. Awaken your hunger, desire
2. Find & face the truth
3. MAP: Massive Action Plan
4. Do what is hard
5. Develop daily practice
6. Raise your standards
7. Celebrate, appreciate, give back

example:

Star Wars - Wikipedia

The 7 Steps of the Hero’s Journey and How to Follow Them - YouTube (Tony Robbins with Tucker Carlson)

Hero's journey - Wikipedia

Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth | Ep. 1: 'The Hero’s Adventure' - YouTube

Joseph Campbell and The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers

3 Storytelling Frameworks I Am Using To Transform My Content Writing | by Nimra Khalid | The Writing Cooperative

"The Path" name re-use from recent Tony's book

Amazon.com: The Path: Accelerating Your Journey to Financial Freedom: 9781642937015: Mallouk, Peter, Robbins, Tony: Books

a new book

The Holy Grail of Investing: The World's Greatest Investors Reveal Their Ultimate Strategies for Financial Freedom (Tony Robbins Financial Freedom Series): Robbins, Tony, Zook, Christopher: 9781668052686: Amazon.com: Books

Success: Tenacity vs. Persistence; Kind vs. Nice

names matter, apparently

Tenacity is a Success Code - by Dr. Julie Gurner

People often confuse persistence with tenacity.
While persistence will have you doggedly pushing toward the goal…
tenacity will have you pushing and, often, adapting. Adjusting to continue to win.

You're Too Nice — and It's Holding You Back

But being a “good person” isn’t the same as being a “nice person”…
and a lot of people confuse the two to their detriment.
In fact, being good means sometimes *not* being particularly nice.

Hanselminutes Technology Podcast - Fresh Air and Fresh Perspectives for Developers - Unlocking Peak Performance with Dr. Julie Gurner

Dr. Julie Gurner Book Recommendations | Tertulia

Psychology of Maximum Effectiveness - by Dr. Julie Gurner

book: Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Amazon.com: Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life: 9780306832017: Kabat-Zinn PhD, Jon: Books

a foundational guide to mindfulness and meditation, introducing readers to the practice and guiding them through the process

Jon Kabat-Zinn - Wikipedia

reviews / summaries

PNTV: Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn (#158) - YouTube

Wherever You Go There You Are Jon Kabat-Zinn - YouTube

Jon Kabat-Zinn - Wherever You Go There You Are [Part 1] - YouTube

quotes

Jon Kabat-Zinn Quote: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

videos

Cultivating Mindfulness In Difficult Times - Jon Kabat-Zinn - YouTube

How to Shift the Default Mode | Jon Kabat Zinn - YouTube

5-minute Guided Mediation with Jon Kabat-Zinn | MasterClass - YouTube

Jon Kabat-Zinn - "The Healing Power of Mindfulness" - YouTube

mentioned here as one of the best books

Rick Rubin: Protocols to Access Creative Energy and Process - Huberman Lab (podcast/video)

Meditation On Lovingkindness - Jack Kornfield 

book: Walden by Henry David Thoreau

 Walden: or, Life in the Woods: Thoreau, Henry David: 9781548742287: Amazon.com: Books

Walden - Wikipedia

a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and—to some degree—a manual for self-reliance

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau

Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau | Project Gutenberg

Summary by Bing/ChatGPT

“Walden” is a profound work that encapsulates Thoreau’s two-year stay in a self-built cabin near Walden Pond, Massachusetts. The book is a testament to the virtues of simplicity, solitude, and a deep connection with nature.

Thoreau begins by detailing his move to Walden Pond and the construction of his rustic dwelling. His mornings are spent cultivating a modest bean-field, while his afternoons and evenings are reserved for contemplation, reading, and exploring the countryside.

Despite his seclusion, Thoreau is not entirely isolated. The Fitchburg Railroad, a symbol of advancing technology, occasionally interrupts his solitude. He also engages in conversations with various individuals, including farmers, railroad workers, and occasional visitors.

Thoreau’s connection with society extends to his frequent trips to Concord, where he interacts with friends and conducts business. Notably, he spends a night in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax in protest against slavery.

The book is replete with Thoreau’s observations of nature and the changing seasons. He describes the habits of various animals and his interactions with a Canadian-born woodcutter, Alex Therien.

“Walden” is more than a chronicle of Thoreau’s life in the wilderness; it is a philosophical exploration of life itself. Thoreau criticizes society’s obsession with material possessions and extols the virtues of a simple, self-reliant life. He finds dignity in his daily work in the bean-field and contentment in his simple lifestyle.

Thoreau’s fascination with the natural world extends to a detailed account of a war between red and black ants. He also discusses the balance between the spiritual and the savage within himself, advocating for self-control and a vegetarian diet.

In conclusion, “Walden” is a call to live authentically and deliberately, emphasizing self-reliance, simplicity, and a deep connection with nature.

Quotes from the book

Here are some of the most notable quotes from “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau:

• "I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
• "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."
• "I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."
• "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
• "Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations."
• "We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature."
• "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth."
• "However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace."
• "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity."
• "Things do not change; we change."

These quotes encapsulate Thoreau’s philosophy of life, nature, and self-reliance. They continue to inspire readers to this day.

The Forgotten History of Walden Pond | Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)

Thoreau's cabin inside

A Henry David Thoreau Inspired Cabin...

It measured 10′ x 15′ (150 square feet)

Thoreau Off-Grid Cabin Design Under $1000 : 16 Steps - Instructables

Thoreau built his cabin from recycled and salvaged materials and from rough hewn lumber from trees on the property but he did say the cabin cost him $28.12 ...in 1845
his $28.12 adjusted for 2014 inflation would be $852.12.

How To Build a Thoreau Cabin For Under $1,000 - Walden Labs

Using modern techniques and materials cost seem to be10x more now 

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Tiny House? – Forbes Home

A basic cabin kit can cost between $6,000 to $8,000,

5 Tiny Homes That Are Amazingly Affordable

better tech alternative

Structural insulated panel - Wikipedia

The Surprising Benefits of SIPs Homes vs Framing (Structural Insulated Panels) - YouTube

4D: Eisenhower Decision Matrix: Time Management

The Eisenhower Matrix: Time and Task Management Made Simple - Luxafor

1. DO: “Important” and “Urgent” tasks. These receive the highest priority level and should be your primary focus to complete as soon as possible (most often on the same day).
2. DECIDE: “Important”, but “Not Urgent” tasks. These are the long-term goals and tasks that are important but don’t have a firm deadline yet.  You should schedule them in a timely manner, doing the most urgent ones right after you’ve finished everything from the “Do” quadrant.
3. DELEGATE: “Not Important”, but “Urgent” tasks. These tasks are the ones you can delegate to other professionals or appoint to complete yourself if you must, but only after your first and second quadrant tasks are completed.
4. DELETE: “Not Important” and “Not Urgent” tasks. The tasks are placed in the “Delete” quadrant because you should eliminate doing them. This may vary due to the perception of urgency and importance, but mainly these tasks don’t even need to be done and would be considered a complete waste of time by most people.

The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: How to Distinguish Between Urgent and Important Tasks | The Art of Manliness

 Time management - Wikipedia

This "4D" is the origin of "First Things First" "habit" form 
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Wikipedia by Stephen Covey

book: Same as Ever by Morgan Housel

Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes: Housel, Morgan: 9780593332702: Amazon.com: Books

Morgan Housel.com

Same as Ever by Morgan Housel: 9780593332702 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

"the best story wins"; 23 stories

1. Hanging by a Thread: 
   ...we have no idea where we're going
2. Risk is when you don't see
   ...surprises tend to be all that matter
3. Expectations and reality
   happiness = low expectations
4. Wild minds
   unique thinking: you like & you won't like
5. Wild numbers
   people don't want accuracy; they want certainty
6. Best story wins
   stories are always more powerful than statistics
7. Does not compute
8. Calm plants the seeds of crazy
9. Too much, too soon, too fast
10. when the magic happens
11. Overnight tragedies and long-term miracles
12. Tiny and magnificent
13. Elation and despair
14. Casualties of pefection
15. It's supposed to be hard
16. Keep running
17. The wonders of future
18. Harder than it looks and not as fun as it seems
19. Incentives: the most powerful force in the world
20. Now you get it
21. Time horizons
22. Trying too hard
23. Wounds heal, scars last

The Morgan Housel Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

interviews with book author

Morgan Housel podcast - YouTube

reviews / summaries

SAME AS EVER by Morgan Housel | Core Message - YouTube by Productivity Game

Same as Ever Summary by Morgan Housel (Plus PDF) - Bookies Talk

Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes by Morgan Housel | Goodreads

“Want to understand the changing world? Start with what stays the same. That’s the amazing conclusion of Morgan Housel’s fascinating, useful, and highly-entertaining book.”

From the author of the international blockbuster, THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY, a powerful new tool to unlock one of life’s most challenging puzzles.

Every investment plan under the sun is, at best, an informed speculation of what may happen in the future, based on a systematic extrapolation from the known past.

Same as Ever reverses the process, inviting us to identify the many things that never, ever change.

Same as Ever by Morgan Housel Review - YouTube

Same as Ever Summary (Morgan Housel) | 3 Lessons in 4 Minutes

'Same as ever': Lessons on wealth, greed and happiness from Morgan Housel