gdp's Comments

The Story of 2010 : Election Thoughts: Three things to look out for!

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:20 +0000

Thanks Emma. I'm mainly concerned that the election debate is likely to be based on fear, prejudice and shock headlines. I recently listened to a very good audiobook called "Flat Earth News" which confirmed a suspicion of mine: that the press, and the tabloids in particular, are not taking a specific line, but rather that they are pandering to the perceived prejudices of their readers. Good luck with your application! I'm not sure I'd want to get into local politics again, at least not while trying to earn a living at the same time. I'm sure you'll be excellent though. Do keep me posted! Euan

FinerMinds : The Places that Scare You By Pema Chödrön — Day 36 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 20:45:50 +0000

I really like Pema Chodron's writing style - it's full of joy and totally down to earth. I have an audiobook by her entitled "Getting Unstuck" which is great. The rat poison analogy is brilliant and so, so true. I'm still prone to bouts of resentment, but am aware that it's really only ever going to hurt me.

The Story of 2010 : Goal Setting Thoughts: Who's In Charge?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:49:51 +0000

Thanks for your comments, Jill. It's also worth noting that there are usually many routes to the same outcome goal. One good way is to set ongoing targets that are achievable and commit to them, in public if necessary! For writing, NaNoWriMo is a great way to specifically commit to writing at least a good part of a novel - I took part in 2009 and it was a great exercise in persistence and trust, one I would recommend to anyone. Euan

The Story of 2010 : What can you do when you just can't get started?

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 00:52:07 +0000

Thanks for your comment - I like the idea of really breaking things up into smaller steps... you've added something really good there. By the way, I ought to note that the whole 'baby steps' idea is all thanks to Flylady (http://www.flylady.net) as she uses the 'baby steps' idea as a means of keeping a clean tidy house... Thanks again! Euan

FinerMinds : Think & Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill - Day 14 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:26:26 +0000

This is probably one of the first 'self-development' books I ever bought, and it's still right up there - even though I have to confess that I still have a great deal of work to do in terms of putting the points of the book into action. I think you've done a great job again Brian in terms of bringing this book to life as you have with so many of the others. A 'definite main purpose' is really the central idea of this book and the most important thing to really work on, once you have that then you can bring the other principles to life: a burning desire, faith, persistence using autosuggestion, and so on. I am also going to work through the Law of Success book which I have and is a lot bigger than TAGR - if I remember correctly, this is the book that was condensed to produce TAGR? Perhaps someone can correct me. Either that or TAGR was expanded to create Law of Success. Either way, they are both excellent books. It's great reading others comments too, and how, just as the books and summaries each allow us to see universal principles from different angles and lit up in different ways, so the comments similarly show how each individual person can have a unique take on each book and the principles within. Good work everyone! Euan

FinerMinds : How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci By Michael Gelb — Day 10 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:17:29 +0000

I loved those descriptions too. Incidentally, I watched a video on ted.com by Phil Zimbardo (it's short - only about 5 minutes and worth a look) in which he differentiates between different time orientations and he chooses six: past positive and past negative, present hedonist and present fatalist, future and a sort of transcendental future orientation. Past positive/negative people base decisions on what happened in the past - some based on positive memories and some on negative memories. The present oriented people base their decisions on what's happening now and what they feel like (present hedonist) or they act as if things are predetermined (present fatalist). The future oriented people made decisions based on the future (much like the rat racer) and neglect the present for it - either future in the sense of a future goal, or transcendental future in the sense of life after death. If you get a chance, do have a look. It's probably a bit short to really get into what the categories mean in any detail, but it's food for thought. His argument is that we tend to have a mix of these categories to some extent. Euan

The Story of 2010 : What motivates you?

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:28:16 +0000

Hi Sarah - thanks for your comment. I'm glad you found the post useful. To be honest I've been a bit slack in adding further posts to my blog, but you've given me some encouragement to do so - I have four posts in various stages of editing at the moment! Yes, motivation is an important thing to bear in mind when setting goals, in particular whether the factors beneath the 'top level' goal are about moving towards pleasure or away from pain. Another useful distinction which I will talk about in another post is the difference between outcomes and processes: the 'what you want' is the outcome, the process is 'how are you going to get it', and focuses much more on creating a process. For example I want to run the Loch Ness Marathon in October, but in order to get to the level where I can do that, I need a running programme which works up to that level. Thanks - and do keep checking in for more. I'll look out for Emma Bridgewater's work. Euan

FinerMinds : Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind By T. Harv Eker — Day 6 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:24:45 +0000

Interesting how the use of specific words can change a lot. I used to hear it spoken about as 'wishing' versus 'wanting', but it seems that merely 'wanting' isn't enough. Being committed to something seems much more definite - even to the point at which you are committed to breathing, eating and sleeping.

FinerMinds : Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind By T. Harv Eker — Day 6 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:22:55 +0000

Wow - just listened to this note and this is brilliant. That book is on my list! :) Interesting that the ideas are starting to really come together from different books now - from Day 1 and The Four Agreements - being impeccable with your word and today and committing to not complaining. I found it very interesting what Eker says about affirmations, and speaking AS IF something is already in place. I think affirmations are a big part of Think And Grow Rich, although I think Eker's outlook is a bit more subtle - he still talks about affirmations, but they are affirming a process rather than an outcome. Again, a brilliant concept - one I've also heard from Steve Chandler with his Club Fearless talks where he makes the distinction between outcome goals and process goals. That's very useful indeed. Also Eker is spot on about - well, everything else! I like what he says about comfort zones. I also think he's got me won over when he talks about giving and receiving as two sides of the same coin, and wealth being a good thing as it then gives you the opportunity to make things happen for others - for causes and businesses you care about. Very good. Unfortunately for many people like me (brought up in a northern English working class family) there's a very distinct outlook on life where certainly my grandmother would talk about 'knowing your place' and 'not getting above your station'. I think that outlook is fading but it's still there in the background and I have to be conscious not to lapse into that way of thinking. All good anyway! Keep up the good work, Brian! Euan

FinerMinds : Ask And It Is Given by Esther & Jerry Hicks — DAY 5 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:20:33 +0000

Hi Brian, I really love the ten principles and will be looking out for them to appear more and more through the books you are summarising. I recognised the Greek word 'arete' from the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" where it is used to describe the author's concept of quality. He also describes 'arete' as a respect for the wholeness of life and, pretty much as you say, being true to yourself and making the most of your own abilities. I'll have to have another listen to that and see if it is useful. By the way, I loved your 'fall on your butt 20,000 times' talk too, and it reminded me that as children we are much more prepared to keep pressing on towards a goal - think how many times the average toddler falls over! It doesn't stop them from getting up and trying to walk again! Your talk also reminded me of a quote by Muhammad Ali: "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." Euan

FinerMinds : Ask And It Is Given by Esther & Jerry Hicks — DAY 5 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:09:41 +0000

This is probably one book that up front I had most difficulty with - simply because of the concept of channelling another being, and it seems I'm not the only one. This summary has me won over though, and this book has found its way onto my list for audible.co.uk when I start getting audiobooks again. It's interesting to see ideas written in completely different ways that say things that complement one another. For example, the idea of segmenting from this book and the idea of day-tight compartments from Dale Carnegie. That's something I wouldn't have expected before taking on this challenge. I expect this sort of thing will only happen more and more, a bit like being shown a rare gem but from a number of angles - one at a time. I'm glad of the weekend as I'd like to use the opportunity to consolidate a little and make a plan as to how I'm going to use what I've learned so far in the next week. I'm sure it will be wonderful. In the meantime, have a great weekend everyone! Euan

FinerMinds : Something You Never Knew About Vishen — Shhhh.… (It’s His Birthday)

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:44:53 +0000

Happy Birthday Vishen - I'm the other way round - i.e. I'm 43. I've still got my teeth and my sanity (well most of it anyhow), so you've still got a long way to go yet before you can be described as 'old'. Have a great day! Euan

FinerMinds : How To Stop Worrying And Start Living By Dale Carnegie — DAY 3 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:26:45 +0000

I'm not familiar with this book by Dale Carnegie, although I do have "How to Win Friends and Influence People" as an audiobook which I am still roughly half-way through. His style is really nice to listen to - perhaps helped in my case by a narrator who has the perfect voice for the text (for me, anyway). This note is good in that it continues what to me is a very important theme running over the last three days: being less concerned with what others think, and more concerned with what you can do - and taking action. Looking forward to tomorrow! Euan PS I'm wondering whether a periodic 'summing-up' would be something worth doing, perhaps every five days or so - just a thought that as so much useful information comes our way, it can be somehow brought together in some way.

FinerMinds : The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By Stephen R. Covey — DAY 2 Of The PhilosophersNotes Chal

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:55:19 +0000

This is another good note, Brian. I read this book many years ago, and don't have it now so can't refer to it, but the summary appears to do it justice. Nice that it dove-tails pretty well with yesterday's book 'The Four Agreements', for example 'Don't Make Assumptions' goes well with 'Seek to Understand then to be Understood'. I find the quadrant idea is one I remember most clearly from the book and it's the one idea that I've used most often in the meantime. I'm conscious that as I'm sometimes quite scatterbrained, I can get distracted and therefore spend time out of Quadrant II and instead in the dreaded Quadrant IV. Part of the difficulty there is that if I'm not clear on the outcome, it can be difficult to know the difference! Again, a great note and lots to think about... Euan

FinerMinds : The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz — DAY 1 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:11:37 +0000

Good point - I quit a normal day-to-day job late last year and for sure it's been an unsettling experience - and one that has made me realise how much I was relying on routines set by others. My quest for 2010 is to make the most of myself, my talents, my abilities, and to help others do the same. Well said, and I look forward to reading more... Euan

FinerMinds : The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz — DAY 1 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:05:53 +0000

This is one of the fundamental exercises in the book The Artists Way: you write at least three pages every morning. The idea is that it helps to get all the 'stuff' out of your head onto paper, and helps to neutralise the inner critic/censor. Perhaps it's slightly different to Keri Smith's idea in that you write totally without censorship, including the nasty stuff you would tell yourself when embarking on bringing your artistic self to life. Euan

FinerMinds : The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz — DAY 1 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:00:26 +0000

Brian, your point is an excellent one. Sometimes I can react instantly with annoyance when someone says something unpleasant. If I can take a breath and mentally step away from the instant reaction then I find it easier to change my thoughts as you say. And I find the less I react in anger, the less things get to me. I still have a long way to go in making these four agreements a real part of my life, but your work has helped bring them to life once again. Euan

FinerMinds : The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz — DAY 1 Of The PhilosophersNotes Challenge

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:33:01 +0000

I listened to this book as an audiobook not so long ago - I got it from audible.co.uk - and it seems to be a perfect starting point. The book itself isn't very long, but I think Brian has pulled out the main points very well from it. And it's something I need to be continually mindful of. All four of the agreements are, for me, central in my journey forward. The first agreement is where it really starts - and so difficult too - since we exist with a media that is built on blame and criticism. Lots of think about anyway! Euan