On Using Life's Obstacles to Your Advantage, Lessons from Losing a Million Dollars, and Searching for Life's Meaning

Books that changed my life

Hi All! 

"3-Book Thursday," is an experiment. It's for individuals who are life-long learners. Those of you who are seeking a rich life. The idea is simple.

Each Thursday, I will post 3 recommendations to books that changed my life.

Here is the first set:

1. Personal development
The Obstacle is the Way
Summary
Often times we are faced with obstacles, this book uses Stoic philosophy to help change your perspective and see how using or embracing the real or perceived obstacle can be to your advantage. This has been extremely helpful to me especially in business decisions, social situations, and even parenting.

• Principle: See things for what they are. Do what we can. Endure and bear what we must. What blocked the path is now the path. What once impeded action advances action. The Obstacle is the Way.

• Insight: Excellence is a matter of steps. Excelling at this one, then that one, and then the one after that.

• Quote: In the meantime, cling tooth and nail to the following rule: not to give in to adversity, not to trust prosperity, and always take full note of fortune's habit of behaving just as she pleases. -Seneca

Author: Ryan Holiday
Themes: Personal development, Culture, Productivity, Leadership
My personal notes from the book
 

2. Personal finance
What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars
Summary
Success is not always a result of good decisions. Sometimes a good outcome can happen from a poor decision that was perceived to be a good decision. And the converse is true, a bad outcome may be the result of a good decision. This book reminded me not to be so sure of my successes and to focus on the decision making process rather than the outcome.

• Principle: Success can be built upon repeated failures when the failures aren’t taken personally. Likewise, failure can be built upon repeated successes when the successes are taken personally.

• Insight: One of the most incomprehensible features of a crowd is the tenacity with which the members adhere to erroneous assumptions despite mounting evidence to challenge them.

• Quote: I think the easiest way to lose success is to become convinced that you are successful -Herb Kelleher

Authors: Jim Paul and Brendan Moynihan
Themes: Personal finance, Investing, Wealth creation, Living a full life
My personal notes from the book
 

3. On Living and Dying
Man's Search for Meaning
Summary
Simply a must read to help you reflect on how to think about life day-to-day. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, teaches us about inner strength, mental fortitude, and purpose. One of my most important take-aways from this book is that no one can make you feel a certain way; no one can make you suffer without giving them permission. Frankl's words have a permanent residence in my thoughts.

• Principle: Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued, it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater than one-self or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it.

• Insight: Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you.

• Quote: He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how -Nietzsche

Author: Viktor Frankl
Themes: On living and dying, Human psychology, Living a full life, Personal development
My personal notes from the book
 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your week

Best,
Adam

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