January 2022

Book Summary: Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson.

January 31, 2022 In Book Summaries 13 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

Where do great ideas come? That is the question that author and media theorist Steven Johnson sought to answer in his book,Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation. He identifies the seven key patterns behind genuine innovation, and traces them across time and disciplines.

Chance favours the connected mind.

“This is a book about the space of innovation. Some environments squelch new ideas; some environments seem to breed them effortlessly. The city and the Web have been such engines of innovation because, for complicated historical reasons, they are both environments that are powerfully suited for the creation, diffusion, and adoption of good ideas. Neither environment is perfect, by any means. (Think of crime rates in big cities, or the explosion of spam online.) But both the city and the Web possess an undeniable track record at generating innovation”

Our thought shapes the spaces we inhabit, and our spaces return the favor. The argument of this book is that a series of shared properties and patterns recur again and again in unusually fertile environments.

Top 30 Quotes on Meditation.

January 30, 2022 In Quotes 5 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

One of the most exciting habits that I formed during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown is meditation. I start the day by meditating with the Calm Mental Health App which has daily guided meditations (Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt, Daily Trip with Jeff Warren, and Daily Jay with Jay Shetty), Morning Wake-Up stretch with Christian Slomka, curated sleep tracks, and other great contents. It has been a great experience as meditating helps in paying attention to your breathing, staying focused and grounded.

Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm, and stable state. 1

Here are 30 great quotes on meditation:

Masterclass: Terrence Tao teaches Mathematical Thinking.

January 29, 2022 In Masterclass 7 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

For the groundbreaking mathematician, logical thinking goes beyond theorems and solutions—it’s the key to changing minds and, in some cases, saving lives.

Terence Tao loves a tough problem—the kind that makes you sweat. His work in number theory ¹ and quantum mechanics has solidified his reputation as one of the most powerful minds on the planet, all while opening countless eyes to the beauty, artistry, and universal relevance of mathematical thinking.

An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field. – Niels Bohr

Book Summary – iwoz by Steve Wozniak

January 28, 2022 In Biographies 11 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

In iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It, Steve Wozniak writes about the origin story of Apple, meeting his co-founder Steve Jobs, his upbringing, love for programming, and the values that has guided his decisions. He wrote the book to dispel some misconceptions about his relationship with Steve Jobs and feeling towards Apple.

Start with Why.

January 27, 2022 In Life 5 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how. – Friedrich Nietzsche

German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said “He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how.” Whether is starting a new business, setting a new goal, starting a regimen/routine, going on an adventure, or navigating the roller coaster called life; having a compelling why goes a long way in how far you go. Anyone can feel great and enthusiastic when things are going according to plan, the real test of your resolve/resolution shows when things are not going as planned. As former Boxing heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson once quipped |Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”.

“The real test of a man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself but when he plays the role destiny has for him.”― Vaclav Havel

Steven Spielberg’s 2016 Harvard University Commencement Speech.

January 26, 2022 In Speech 12 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

American film director and screenwriter Steven Spielberg, delivered a very inspiring speech at Harvard’s 365th Commencement on May 26, 2016 – Tercentenary Theatre. Spielberg spoke about the power of intuition.

Salutation to the Dawn

January 25, 2022 In Uncategorized 1 Min Read By Lanre Dahunsi

The Salutation to the Dawn poem is often attributed to Classical Sanskrit author Kalidasa. In his book: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, author Dale Carnegie writes:

John Ruskin had on his desk a simple piece of stone on which was carved one word: TODAY. And while I haven’t a piece of stone on my desk, I do have a poem pasted on my mirror where I can see it when I shave every morning—a poem that Sir William Osier always kept on his desk—a poem written by the famous Indian dramatist, Kalidasa:

Book Summary -Daily Rituals by Mason Currey.

January 24, 2022 In Book Summaries 9 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

Sooner or later, the great men turn out to be all alike. They never stop working. They never lose a minute. It is very depressing.

Success they say leaves clues and for creatives, one of the common themes is their daily routine. Author Mason Currey was fascinated by the routine and regimen of the most creative minds of our time. His curiosity led him to ask questions such as How do you do meaningful creative work while also earning a living? Is it better to devote yourself wholly to a project or to set aside a small portion of each day? And when there doesn’t seem to be enough time for all you hope to accomplish, must you give things up (sleep, income, a clean house), or can you learn to condense activities, to do more in less time, to “work smarter, not harder? Is finding a basic level of daily comfort a prerequisite for sustained creative work?

Top 30 Quotes on Passion.

January 23, 2022 In Quotes 3 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

Passion is a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something. ¹

When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense. – Robert De Niro, NYU Tisch School of the Arts 2015 Commencement Speech.
You know the Greeks didn’t write obituaries, they only asked one question after a man died, ‘Did he have passion? – Serendipity -.Jonathan Trager s obituary

Masterclass: George Stephanopoulos Teaches Purposeful Communication

January 22, 2022 In Masterclass 4 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

George Stephanopoulos, former White House communications director, and co-anchor of Good Morning America, teaches techniques for communicating under pressure. Learn how to leave your comfort zone to become a stronger, more confident communicator and have purposeful conversations with everyone.

Book Summary -Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.

January 21, 2022 In Biographies 8 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

Life is growth, Business is growth. You grow or you die.

In Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc., Phil Knight describe the early days of Nike as Blue Ribbon Sports reselling Japanese shoes, his partnership with his coach (Bill Bowerman), the early challenges of building the brand, and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

Co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates listed Shoe Dog as one of his favorite books of 2016. Bill Gates on Shoe Dog ” An honest tale of what it takes to succeed in business. Phil Knight opens up in a way few CEOs do in his candid memoir about creating the Nike shoe empire.”. In his 2016 annual letter to shareholders, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet had high praises for the Shoe Dog book : “The best book I read last year was Shoe Dog, by Nike’s Phil Knight. Phil is a very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller.”

One brick at a time.

January 20, 2022 In Life 5 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones – Confucius

No matter how daunting a goal feels in the beginning, if you stick with it; you would eventually figure it out. It can be tough and overwhelming to execute on some goals but with the end in mind, Everything Is Figureoutable. As American industrialist, Henry Ford once noted “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right” Everything is impossible before it becomes possible. What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. It all starts with the mind, a single step, baby steps that has compounding effect in the long run.

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

January 19, 2022 In Book Summaries 8 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

In Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, British-American author Simon Sinek shows that the leaders who’ve had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way — and it’s the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek highlights purpose-driven leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, John F Kennedy, Steve Jobs, The Wright Brothers and companies (Apple, Harley-Davidson, Disney, Southwest Airline) as models of how a purpose can be created to inspire a culture together, away from the manipulative society we live in today.

His TED Talk based on START WITH WHY is one of the most watched TED video of all time.

Two Tramps in Mud Time by Robert Frost.

January 18, 2022 In Poem 3 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For heaven and the future’s sakes.

Out of the mud two strangers came
And caught me splitting wood in the yard,
And one of them put me off my aim
By hailing cheerily “Hit them hard!”
I knew pretty well why he dropped behind
And let the other go on a way.

I knew pretty well what he had in mind:
He wanted to take my job for pay.
Good blocks of beech it was I split,
As large around as the chopping block;
And every piece I squarely hit
Fell splinterless as a cloven rock.

Book Summary -Grit by Angela Duckworth.

January 17, 2022 In Book Summaries 5 Mins Read By Lanre Dahunsi

“To be gritty is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To be gritty is to hold fast to an interesting and purposeful goal. To be gritty is to invest, day after week after year, in challenging practice. To be gritty is to fall down seven times, and rise eight.”

In Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, psychologist, and author Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.

Angela’s TED talk is among the most-viewed of all time. She is the co-host, with Stephen J. Dubner (co-author of the Freakonomics books) of the podcast No Stupid Questions.