Clear Thinking...

One book that I have been reading on and off is "Clear Thinking" by Shane Parris of farnam street blog fame.

I am a paid subscriber to his blog at fsblog.com It does cost a bit by Indian Standards but hey! if you can spend on mindless OTV subscriptions, it pays to subscribe to blogs like his (and read them)

While my goal is to use pen and paper as much as possible while reading his book, I would like to capture some of the running stream of thoughts here on this blog. Let's face it. My handwriting and the pace with which I write, means that most of the time the thoughts and conversations that I have with myself vaporise in a few hours after my encounters with my conscience. I don't want that. Pouring out my thoughts here is comforting and is the real world equivalent of what Albus Dumbledore does with his thoughts by putting them in a pensieve.

This is a running draft of my thoughts and experiences as I read, think, ruminate and revisit my understanding of the book's message. This is not a book review or a book summary. This draft will be modified, re-written and re-interpreted multiple times during the course of my readings, re-readings and revisits as I try to apply this in my life to make it better and meaningful.

Now back to the book.

Shane Parrish, talks about how he got hooked on to the idea of being able to think clearly, make less mistakes. Here's a quote early in the book (in the preface) that one should commit to the sub-conscious and also ingrain in the minds of their near and dear ones.

While the rest of us are chasing victory, the best in the world know they must avoid losing before they can win

-Shane Parrish

This might (and will) sound defeatist to those of us who have been innoculated with that vaccine called "Positive Thinking". Positive thoughts are good. Telling yourself that you will win is good. But if you were to eliminate all those roads which lead to your doom, aren't you improving your chances of being on the one that leads to the pot of gold ?

[To be.. continued]