Admittedly, without knowing who the fuck James McGee is (Wiki says he hit a ranking high of 146...), the chaps mentioned in this Amazon snippet can safely be described as being "successful" so if this book from Ryan Halliday is good enough for them, surely it'll serve the rest of us...?
Yet, reading various reviews on book sites like Goodreads, you'd get the impression that it was a folksy, glorified blog post with misplaced anecdotes from history written in the manner of a cheerleader.
So, who's right?
Cutting to the chase & without getting into the debate over "right or wrong" (a whole different ballgame...), the raging peeps leaving the (admittedly small sample of) reviews have seemingly missed the purpose of the book - it's not about glorifying the successes of select individuals from the past or providing ready made strategies to implement on a daily basis, it's more about the ideas & mental positions to adopt when facing difficulties in life.
This book essentially looks to get us to acknowledge the "obstacles and adversities life throws at us" in a dispassionate way, learn from them & then take appropriate action, i.e. turn negatives into positives.
Setting out various lessons from the Stoics with practical examples involving "big hitters" Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, John Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Barack Obama & Steve Jobs etc, it's well worth c 3 hours of your time (at x1.7 speed on Audible #efficiency) so it's suggested that you disregard some angry typists & hop over to Amazon to order it.
For those with a bit of interest & time (perhaps stuck at a train station, bored in a meeting or killing time as a unexpectedly spicy curry fully passes...), the rest of this post looks to provide a summary of the key points (theoretically, at least)...
This book essentially looks to get us to acknowledge the "obstacles and adversities life throws at us" in a dispassionate way, learn from them & then take appropriate action, i.e. turn negatives into positives.
Setting out various lessons from the Stoics with practical examples involving "big hitters" Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, John Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Barack Obama & Steve Jobs etc, it's well worth c 3 hours of your time (at x1.7 speed on Audible #efficiency) so it's suggested that you disregard some angry typists & hop over to Amazon to order it.
For those with a bit of interest & time (perhaps stuck at a train station, bored in a meeting or killing time as a unexpectedly spicy curry fully passes...), the rest of this post looks to provide a summary of the key points (theoretically, at least)...
The premise of DH's work is that everyone has a hurdle, be that monetary (a recession etc), physical (height etc), mental (fear of failure etc) or ability (lack of skills etc), that is stopping them from achieving a specific goal (a new job etc) but by focusing on, & overcoming, this "obstacle", they can be triumphant.
It prob goes unsaid but in no way is there an attempt to imply that, for example, an unfit 50 year old one legged chap would make it as a Premier League star by following the approach set out - realism is still necessary.
There are essentially 3 "parts" to the book which are (briefly) covered below.
1. The Discipline of Perception, i.e. Objectivity
Imagine, you're walking along listening to your fav Aquabats tune (or Bieber / Beyonce for the more culturally current) & you get the news that your boss has opted to promote "Steve" rather you into a position that would have seen you get a 200% pay rise etc.
It's likely that you're initial reactions would be negative & could include thinking "what the actual fuck?!", that you may as well give up on your dream career & that your boss was a complete cretin, dickhead, arse [insert own expletive].
But, what could you say with 100% certainty? Just that "Steve" had been promoted & you hadn't - nothing else - it would be your perception of the episode that would trigger the other aspects.
The first part of the book focuses on this idea that you should (look to) see what is fact, or "truth", & disregard everything else.
&, that external factors, those which cannot be controlled, are neither "good" nor "bad".
Fundamentally, "it is what it is".
A large part of this comes down to controlling emotions which is v difficult, esp. at times of great stress etc.
It would be non-sensical (& there are no suggestions in the book that this would be possible) to argue that feelings can be stopped in their entirety so the "skill" is to acknowledge them but to swiftly move on & focus on the undeniable "truths" of the situation.
As a result, you can "isolate the obstacle in your way", see things simply & have a clear mind to allow (appropriate) action to be taken.
Examples given of such an approach include Rockefeller remaining "steady" during the Panic of 1857 which would set him up as a successful investor throughout his life & Eisenhower shifting the perception of the Nazis' blitzkrieg strategy during World War II to enable a successful counter-attack to be set in motion.
2. The Discipline of Action, i.e. Get Working & Persist
This part of the book is somewhat self-explanatory - now you've clarified the obstacle, start working to overcome it.
It's reminded that action of any kind of is insufficient, rather, directed action to tackle the issue itself is the key.
So, continuing with the example above, you could, for example, rant at friends / family about the situation but that would achieve diddly so instead, accept that "Steve" got promoted & then identify ways you could improve your skills / output to increase the chances of getting selected the next time a role opens up or, alternatively, look for a similar opportunity elsewhere.
Examples in the book include Demosthenes who worked on overcoming a nearly debilitating speech impediment to become (arguably) one of the greatest orators of history & Edison who got through 2,000+ attempts before developing a working lightbulb.
It's worth remembering that there are two elements to taking action - getting started & pushing until the desired outcome is achieved.
Often, the hardest part is the former but starting small & then building on those efforts is key, esp. when motivation is low (a cheeky little segue into Atomic Habits which is a great read re forming habits by "starting small").
& then, after starting, you must remain persistent even if positive results are not immediate, i.e. do not quit - as Edison is (reportedly) famous for saying (in respect of all his inventions): "I've not failed 10,000 times - I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work".
But, equally, do not be afraid to pivot from the current path & pursue another if situations change or desired results are now no longer feasible - it's finding a solution to the problem that's the key, not the means in which you do so.
&, be prepared for things to go wrong &/or unexpectedly - your business my fail, you may get fired & that damn boss many never appreciate you enough to promote you - but these are further opportunities to learn & redirect efforts until the "obstacle" is successfully hurdled.
As Dory repeats to Merlin's distain in Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming".
3. The Discipline of the Will, i.e. Preparation & Acceptance
Whilst the first two parts of the book focus more on facts & strategy, the final part is more personal - it's more about your determination, desire, diligence, discipline & drive (& any other adjectives beginning with "D" it seems).
Without sounding like some hyped up "voice of men" online personality, the essence of this chapter is that you should remain "centred" at all times even when facing extreme pressures from outside influences.
In Stoicism, this includes:
- amor fati - loving whatever happens
- memento mori - knowing you must die
- premeditatio malorum - preparing for negativity
In simple terms, this equates to:
- accepting what you're unable to change (or control), i.e. outside factors
- remembering that death is inevitable
- preparing for times of struggle (seems the Scouts are ahead of most here...)
So, whatever the negative circumstance, adopt a mentality where you accept it & then look to switch it into a positive - laugh at yourself when you trip over uneven concrete in public & ask yourself Qs like, "what can I learn from this?" etc.
&, when weighing up choices in life, such as whether to pursue a different career, proposing to your partner, taking an expensive holiday or even switching from supermarket brand cereal to Kellogg's, remember that you only get one shot at living - if / when you get to look back at things, it'll be the things you didn't do that you'll regret; not those that you did.
&, when make life changing decisions, analyse what could go wrong & the resulting fallout - get prepared for it, even if you hope that such preparations are never required. We all get (or should get) insurance for our homes & cars etc, so why not make provisions if your new career path doesn't work out etc?
Conclusion
To abruptly summarise the key points:
- see obstacles for what they are; not how you see (feel about) them
- accept things that you cannot control - focus your efforts on things than you can control
- learn & take (appropriate) action - identify a (potential) solution to the problem & keep working until it (or an alternative) overcomes it
- appreciate that you will die & proceed accordingly - pursue your dreams & take risks etc
OK, so that's enough for this post.
You may be thinking, "decent read that" or "what a crock of shit", but, remember, remain objective - it's "just" a post with some ideas to (potentially) takeaway with you.
&, you can always jump over to YouTube to get RD's summary of his best seller if you so wish.
Ultimately, it's def recommended that you read (or listen) to the book.
Have you done so? If so, feel free to bang a comment at the bottom.
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