Wake Up: These Are the Good ‘Ole Days
Books that changed my thinking, behaviors, and life
Hello,
Twenty years ago, I went out for dinner with a group of friends, not knowing it would change my life.
At the time, I was an emergency medicine resident at NYU/Bellevue in New York City. Free time was rare. We worked 12-hour shifts that often turned into 14, so any time out of the hospital felt sacred. A night out with friends, good food, drinks, and conversation—these were moments to hold onto.
That evening, my wife and I hurried through the East Village to meet a group of six friends at a cozy restaurant. We settled in, ordered drinks, started nibbling on appetizers, and one seat at the table remained empty.
Elliot, the last to arrive, finally walked in, offering quick apologies about being delayed by work. But then he said something that has stayed with me for two decades.
He told us that earlier in the day, while working at a café, he’d struck up a conversation with an older man sitting nearby. The man looked at Elliot and said, “Always remember, these are the good ‘ole days.”
As Elliot recounted this at the table, I brushed it off at first, thinking it was just an interesting remark. But as the night wore on, those words started to resonate.
I realized, sitting there surrounded by laughter and clinking glasses, that one day I’d look back at that night, those years spent grinding through residency, living in the heart of New York City, sharing meals with my wife and close friends, and think, Those were the good ‘ole days.
It’s been twenty years now. And yes, they were.
But here’s the thing: that’s not where it ends.
Too often, we live for the future, chasing an imagined prize that seems just out of reach. We plan, we push, we tell ourselves that life will be better when we get there. But the truth is, the real prize is right in front of us, in the moments we’re living now. It’s the process, the journey, that holds the true reward.
So take it from the older man in the café, from Elliot, and from me: Always remember, these are the good ‘ole days.
Welcome to this week’s Three Book Thursday.
1. Personal development
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
Summary
I’ve been a Tim Ferriss fan since 2008. While some people think he’s full of himself, I’ve found the opposite to be true. Ferriss is a genuine lifelong learner who lives at the edges and generously shares his discoveries with the world. He’s honest, sincere, and a remarkable author. Everything he’s created has been pure gold. Don’t be fooled by his book titles. The 4-Hour Body is more than just a guide to health and fitness—it’s a blueprint for unlocking potential through unconventional wisdom and relentless experimentation. Ferriss delves into rapid fat loss, strength building, enhanced performance, and optimal living, challenging traditional approaches with strategies that are as bold as they are effective. What sets this book apart is Ferriss’s journey as a human guinea pig, offering insights not just from experts but from his firsthand trials, failures, and breakthroughs. He invites readers to question the status quo and realize that transformation isn’t the result of grand gestures but micro-adjustments and relentless curiosity.
Ferriss emphasizes that meaningful change comes from the compound effect of small, strategic actions. Whether it’s finding your minimum effective dose for exercise, hacking your sleep for maximum recovery, or making nutrition as streamlined as possible, the key takeaway is clear: focus on what works and discard what doesn’t. His message is both inspiring and pragmatic: life is too short to follow outdated methods or wait for the perfect moment. The path to exceptional results begins with experimenting boldly, learning relentlessly, and taking consistent action, no matter how imperfect it may seem.
Favorite Quote, Insight, & Principle
Quote: Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the lion or it won't survive. Every morning, a lion wakes up, and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter if you're the lion or the gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be moving. -Maurice Greene, Olympic sprinter
Insight: The key to getting started down the path of being remarkable in anything is to simply act with the intention of being remarkable.
Principle: Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
Author: Tim Ferriss
Themes: Personal development, Living a full life, Health and wellness, Peak performance
2. Memoir
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Summary
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is a raw, heartfelt exploration of rediscovery and healing after hitting rock bottom. Faced with the collapse of her marriage and the weight of life’s disillusionment, Gilbert embarks on a transformative journey across Italy, India, and Indonesia. In Italy, she savors the pleasures of food and embraces the joy of indulgence—teaching us that it’s okay to revel in life’s simple, sensory delights. In India, she dives into the realm of spirituality and silence, wrestling with her inner demons and learning to find peace within herself. Finally, in Indonesia, she seeks balance and unexpectedly finds love, reminding us that true fulfillment is often found when we least expect it.
What makes this book special is Gilbert’s openness, her willingness to share her vulnerability and doubts. This isn’t just a story about exotic travel; it’s about facing the uncomfortable truths within us and daring to seek what truly nourishes the soul. Gilbert’s journey encourages us to ask ourselves: What do we need to let go of to become whole again? And how can we find the courage to chase that wholeness, even if it means stepping into the unknown? Eat, Pray, Love isn’t a travelogue; it’s a manifesto for anyone yearning to rediscover joy, balance, and the power of listening to one’s inner voice. It’s a reminder that, while life may unravel, there is always a way back to yourself, one brave step at a time. And after reading the book, watch the movie!
Favorite Quote, Insight, & Principle
Quote: You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughta be.
Insight: It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection.
Principle: Our emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Themes: Memoir, Travel, Personal development
3. Fiction
The Catcher in the Rye
Summary
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is my all-time favorite work of fiction. I first read it as a graduate student (gifted by my girlfriend—who is now my wife!), though I wish I’d discovered it in my teens. It’s a masterclass in capturing the raw essence of youth, rebellion, and the relentless quest for authenticity. More than just a story, it’s an unfiltered journey into the mind of Holden Caulfield, a teenager grappling with the complexities of growing up in a world that feels overwhelmingly phony. This novel resonates across generations because it dares to ask the questions we’re often too afraid to voice and confronts the truths we’d rather avoid. It’s a reminder that adolescence isn’t just a phase—it’s a profound search for meaning and connection amidst the noise.
Holden’s voice is as honest as it is disarming. He yearns for simplicity and stability, embodied in his wish to be the “catcher in the rye”—to protect innocence from tumbling into the harshness of adulthood. The pages are filled with reflections that resonate with anyone who’s ever felt out of step with the world or craved sincerity in an age of pretense. The Catcher in the Rye urges us to embrace the parts of ourselves that don’t fit neatly into societal expectations. It reminds us that feeling lost is part of finding our way and that there is beauty in the imperfect, the misunderstood, and the moments we hold closest to our hearts. For those who seek truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, Salinger’s work is an anthem of resilience and staying true to who you are. This book is an especially meaningful gift for high schoolers, offering a timeless guide through the search for identity and authenticity.
Favorite Quote, Insight, & Principle
Quote: The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.
Insight: I like it when somebody gets excited about something. It’s nice.
Principle: The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them.
Author: J.D. Salinger
Themes: Fiction, Coming of age
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
The Pursuit of Excellence
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We are what we do repeatedly.” -Aristotle
“The key to getting started down the path of being remarkable in anything is to simply act with the intention of being remarkable.”
“The decent method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.”
“Out of clutter, find simplicity.” -Albert Einstein
Reflection
Excellence isn’t born out of complexity but clarity. We often chase perfection as an elusive ideal, adding more and more, hoping for that magical breakthrough. But true mastery is revealed in simplicity—when nothing unnecessary remains. Emerson reminds us that while methods are infinite, principles are few. It’s by honing in on those core principles, stripping away the nonessential, that we inch toward the extraordinary. Excellence becomes not a distant goal but the outcome of disciplined, consistent actions. The simplest, decent method done persistently will always surpass the grand plan abandoned halfway. Excellence, after all, is a practice—a repeated act grounded in intention and simplicity.
The Power of Self-Awareness
“Γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Know Thyself)” - Inscribed at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.” -Richard Feynman
“Tracking even a mediocre variable will help you develop awareness that leads to the right behavioral changes.”
“What gets measured gets managed.” -Peter Drucker
“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” -Carlos Castaneda
Reflection
Understanding yourself is the cornerstone of growth. Without honest self-assessment, progress falters. Feynman’s reminder about our tendency for self-deception highlights the critical need for clarity. Awareness doesn’t come automatically—it’s built through intentional reflection and tracking. Even monitoring the simplest variables can spark the insights needed for meaningful change. And when those insights guide our actions, they become the fuel for transformation. It’s not the external that defines us; it’s what we choose to measure, understand, and improve within ourselves. Whether we end up stronger or more defeated, the choice—and the work—is always ours.
Courage to Act Beyond Fear
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I remain.” -Bene Gesserit, Dune
“Be proactively skeptical, not defensively skeptical.”
“Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction.” -William James
“Small changes can lead to massive results over time if done consistently.”
Reflection
Fear often stops us at the starting line, whispering doubts and magnifying obstacles. But courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s acting despite it. The mantra from Dune isn’t just literary wisdom; it’s a call to embrace fear, let it move through you, and come out stronger. Real transformation, James suggests, lies just beyond our perceived limits. We don’t need grand leaps of faith; small, consistent steps taken despite fear compound into powerful change. Embrace skepticism, but let it fuel curiosity, not hesitation. Growth comes from pushing beyond what’s comfortable, realizing that the real victory is not in a single act but in choosing to act again and again.
Embracing Change and Adaptation
“Everything popular is wrong.” -Oscar Wilde
“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”
“Mysteries are not necessarily miracles.” -Goethe
“The goal is not to simply eliminate the bad, but to pursue and experience the best in the world.”
“The Harajuku moment”
Reflection
True change begins when we stop accepting the familiar as the only path forward. Wilde’s observation challenges us to question the mainstream and find what resonates personally, even if it defies convention. Life isn’t merely survival; it’s about seeking vibrancy, joy, and the subtle moments that remind us of why we’re here. A “Harajuku moment” marks that pivot when we move from passive acceptance to an active pursuit of what matters most. These moments awaken us, compelling us to seek not just an absence of struggle but the presence of something extraordinary. Change is a choice fueled by epiphanies that push us to go beyond surviving and start truly living.
The Pursuit of Purpose
“Stronger than all armies in the world is an idea whose time has come.” -Victor Hugo
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”
“The effort didn’t take away energy, it gave me energy.”
“We are what we do repeatedly.” -Aristotle
“I saw an angel in the block of marble and I just chiseled until I set him free.” -Michelangelo
Reflection
Purpose isn’t just a guiding star; it’s the fuel that powers us forward. The smallest acts rooted in ideals—standing for what’s right, reaching for the best version of ourselves—send out ripples that can change the world. Purpose turns work into something transformative, as Michelangelo’s vision did with the block of marble. It’s the pursuit that gives us energy, not the outcome. With purpose, even the mundane becomes meaningful. We become what we repeatedly strive for, chiseling away at our doubts until only our best selves remain. Embrace the pursuit, and let purpose shape you into the person you’re meant to be.