Tag: Buddha

In the realm of personal achievement, an adverse environment is not something to blame.  It is something to outwit and conquer, or at the very least, learn something valuable from.

Like everyone else, I like feeling good about my image but that’s a fickle thing; perhaps I screw up, or someone effectively ridicules me, or I don’t perform to my own expectations.  So rather than self-image, I prefer self-respect.  Regardless of how I see myself, I want to trust in my ability to conquer adversity…

I firmly believe that competence beats [doctrine/tradition/etiquette/theory].  So rather than retreat into the safety of dogma, I’d rather aggress into murky arenas that test my beliefs, and realign them with the evidence I see.

Throughout eras and cultures, accomplishment seems to be a relative thing (simply being literate would have been fairly amazing a few millennia ago), and as we are all subject to the creep of entropy, my theory is that the best strategy is to push myself at the fastest, hardest pace that I can prudently sustain…

Here’s what works for me:  think of every activity like a game or a puzzle, enjoy applying myself at them, and then apply myself every single day.  So not only do I experience short-term fun from progressing through games, but I also experience long-term fulfillment from eventually finishing some of them.   I haven’t found any…

The ability (and willingness) to see nuance is essential.  It allows us to dive into a subject and glean useful information from it while avoiding its pitfalls.  Time and practical considerations will force us to generalize, but being able to see past gross, emotionally charged assessments allows for someone to pull ahead of the herd. …

The greatest lever we have is strategically employed creativity.  Creativity allows for leaps of methodology that reduce effort and overcome obstacles.  But in order to be effective, creativity must be buttressed with the basics:  meticulousness, discipline, and willingness to account for data and evidence, no matter how contrary or strange it may appear.

Money is nothing more than a symbol; its true power does not originate from its inherent worth (a paper bill), its true power comes from the TRUST we place in it, a trust that allows it to be exchanged for goods or services.   Trust is the most valuable currency, and it can be replicated…

I believe after a certain amount of responsibility has been avoided, after a certain amount of truth has been deflected, the choice becomes:  hide deeper and deeper in the cramped confines of comfort, or venture into suffering, and possibly break through into a state of unrestrained fulfillment.  The first option is sure and easy.  The…