January 2021 Edition
Still Life with Flowers in the Vase by Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1720) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”
For the past 12 years I have written around 3000 pages of diary entries. They consist, mostly, of my reflections on books that I read or of the record of my daily habits.
It usually takes between nine months to one year for me to finish writing a 275-page Moleskine notebook. On the first page of each new notebook I write a phrase or an idea that I would like to keep in mind in the next 9-12 months of my life.
The quote by Seneca, which I mentioned above, is one of the only quotes that appeared on the front page of multiple of my diaries. It acted as a daily reminder to pay attention to the direction that my life is sailing towards.
Seneca's quote was often accompanied by another quote, from Dante's Divine Comedy, which said:
“if your pursue your star, you cannot fail to reach a splendid harbour”
I am not going to deny that it is hard to know which port to adjust your sails to. After all, there are many great ports and harbours one can sail to - the hardest part is choosing which one you would like to get to.
Books acted (and still act) as a compass to me. They clarify my mind, my thoughts, and I hope the ones below will help you, as they helped me, in the strange times we live in.
A Field Guide to a Happy Life by Massimo Pigliucci.
'Suppose someone takes your body and gives it to someone else to do as they please. Surely you would be upset, no? So why is it that you don't get upset when other people manipulate your mind so that they can do with it whatever they please?' (Advice number 28)
This book is vademecum; which means it was designed to be small and easy to be carried in your pocket. (vade-go, mecum-with me).
It is written by one of the leading thinkers on Stoicism and contains 53 very brief and very concise lessons/techniques from Stoic philosophy that will help you to take control over your thoughts.
This is Marketing by Seth Godin
'The relentless pursuit of mass will make you boring, because mass means average, it means the center of the curve, it requires you to offend no one and satisfy everyone.'
This is perhaps the only book on marketing I have ever read. It is surprising how badly books on marketing market themselves. They're usually written by people who had never marketed anything other than their own personality.
So, what is Seth's book doing here? His book revolves around the strategy that was described by Steve Jobs back in 2003. In one of his speeches Jobs said, on the example of Nike, that their shoes are no different from any other brand. What Nike sells is a tribe, a story. You buy Nike shoes because people like YOU buy Nike shoes.
If you want to craft your own unique marketing story for your book/ shop / social media - this book is a great place to start.
A book that could had been written by my father. He used to tell me that the winners and losers have the same goals. However, what differentiates them is their habits.
He used to repeat (and still does so):
Your habits shape your character. Your character shapes your actions. Your actions create your destiny.
Clear's book is extremely relevant today since our daily habits were disrupted by the virus. He gives easy and concise step-by-step instructions on how to adopt good habits and get rid of the bad ones.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson.
The bookshops are flooded with the books on Stoicism. You might remember me discussing this in my podcast with Steven Gambardella. However what makes this particular book unique is that it's written by a psychotherapist - Donald Robertson. He worked with many patients who suffered from anxiety and depression using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
In this book Robertson gives you practical techniques which will boost your mental resilience. He describes these techniques by using the life of one of the greatest Stoics - the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Francisco Goya: From Great to Genius.
Is someone born with a genius mind? Or does one become a genius?
I wrote a piece on the great Spanish painter - Francisco Goya. I think the story of his life answers the questions that I wrote above. There is a large difference between being talented and being a genius. Goya knew that talented artists are admired in the present, but often forgotten in the future.
Artists who possess genius, however, are often rejected by the present, but their works outlive themselves.
Music: Hania Rani
My obsession of this month - a Polish pianist Hania Rani.
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