Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on.
3 Quotes
“Do what you feel in your heart to be right. You’ll be criticized anyway.” Eleanor Roosevelt
“In my opinion, there are two kinds of eyes: one kind simply looks at things and the other sees through things to perceive their inner nature. The former should not be tense [so as to observe as much as possible]; the latter should be strong [so as to discern the workings of the opponent’s mind clearly]. Sometimes a man can read another’s mind with his eyes. In fencing, it is all right to allow your own eyes to express your will but never let them reveal your mind. This matter should be considered carefully and studied diligently.” Miyamoto Musashi
“Strategy is an art that requires not only a different way of thinking but an entirely different approach to life itself. Too often there is a chasm between our ideas and knowledge on the one hand and our actual experience on the other.” Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War
The Most Interesting Thing I Learned this Week
“Être fort pour être utile.” (“Be strong to be helpful.”) Georges Hébert
Georges Hébert was 27 years old when he was stationed with the French Navy off the island of Martinique in the Caribbean Sea. On May 8, 1902, his life would change forever. A volcanic eruption from Mount Pelée would turn the island into chaos. Instead of boarding his ship and watching the eruption from the safety of the water, he immediately took action. Hébert helped rescue almost seven hundred people from this disaster. The most disappointing part, he could not help save 28,000 people—who died, burned or were buried by falling masonry.
The experience affected how he thought about what it means to be capable. He believed that athletic skill must be combined with courage and the ability to help others. He eventually developed this ethos into his personal motto, “Être fort pour être utile” (“Be strong to be helpful”).
Exceptional warriors…and dependable men
“A samurai should be excessively obstinate. Anything done in moderation will fall short of your goals. If you feel that you are doing more than is needed, it will be just right.” Yamamoto Jocho
The first known draft of Hagakure was written in September of 1716. Yamamoto Jocho dictated 11 Books to Tashiro Tsuramoto. While the original copy has been lost, several drafts have been copied over the centuries since.
Success leaves clues. When times are tough, tough men act. They don’t strategize. They don’t prepare. They don’t think and talk. They act. Too often today, our modern life has us obsessed with optimization. We look for hacks instead of hard truths. We look for the path of least resistance instead of building the resistance in ourselves to overcome the hard path.
“Thinking about how to win may result in missing the best opportunity to act.”Yamamoto Jocho
Actions matter. More so than words. More so than ideas.
But actions start in preparation. What are you doing to make yourself capable? How dependable are you?
It is easy to run when the sun is shining and the temperature is at 72F. But can you run in the cold rain? Can you find the strength to run in the extreme heat?
How do you handle similar challenges at work or at home? Are you capable of handling stress? If you don’t stress your mind or body, the answer is likely a no.
“All that matters is having single-minded purpose (ichinen) in the here and now.” Yamamoto Jocho
Doing hard work, day in and day out will make you exceptional. It will make you dependable. Your focus is what sets you apart from everyone else. Most people are moving with the herd, trying to force their way onto the easy path.
“Exceptional warriors are dependable men. Dependable men are exceptional warriors. I know this through considerable experience. Dependable men can be relied upon to keep away when things are going well, but will come to your aid without fail when you are in need.” Yamamoto Jocho
You don’t need to prepare for war to be exceptional. But you should wage war. You should wage war against complacency. You should wage war against who you were yesterday. You should wage war against distractions.
Being dependable is a skill that must be practiced. You never know when you will be called to act. You never know when you can be called to war.
When in doubt, be strong and be helpful. Make sure you are both exceptional and dependable.
1 Question to Reflect on
Are you exceptional and dependable? If not, what are you doing about it so you can be?
The Real Con 92