(Some) Things That I Have Learned

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Dr. Paul Kalanithi (Late)

Here is a synthesis of distilled Ideas, (some direct quotes) [Taken from the Bible, Podcasts, books, blogposts, conversations, et al] The Fly by William Blake Little fly, Thy summer’s play My thoughtless hand Has brushed away. Am not I A fly like thee? Or art not thou A man like me? For I dance And drink and sing, Till some blind hand Shall brush […]

Dr. Paul Kalanithi (Late)
The Late Dr. Paul Kalanithi Author of “When Breath Becomes Air’”, sitting with his child. – (Image from the Guardian) To explain the picture , I will say that the autobiographical account has an enduring and special relevance to my own infrequent contemplations of a way to meaningfully navigate a life, whose main feature, is its arbitrary power to terminate itself.)

Here is a synthesis of distilled Ideas, (some direct quotes) [Taken from the Bible, Podcasts, books, blogposts, conversations, et al]

  1. “In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus
  2. Forgiving oneself is a revolutionary act. Forgiving others should be elastic — and not wear out easily
  3. Selfishness is an evolutionary human trait that trumps all others
  4. Acting out of fear almost always leads to the wrong outcome
  5. Your continued interest is what the object depends on for control
  6. Meditation is the solution to the biggest of life’s challenges. It is effortful, requires patience and practice. These are not suggested accompaniments but rather non-negotiable prerequisites
  7. Use it or lose it. Your body is a sentient embodiment of the life you inhabit and can be the centre of the design for the life you desire to live. Exercise is the antidote to death
  8. Everything that happens to you is a form of instruction — so listen, carefully
  9. Adversity is propellant — Anti-Fragility
  1. We suffer more in imagination than in reality
  2. Amor Fati — Embrace and fall in love with your fate
  3. Memento Mori — Remember you will die. Everything is vanity. Entropy is inevitable. Time and Chance happen to us all.
  4. Develop a Week 1 Day 1 Mentality — The work is never finished.
  5. Don’t stop when it is over, stop when you are done
  6. “I am not crazy, I am just not you”
  7. “If clouds are blocking the sun, there will always be a silver lining that reminds me to keep on trying”
  8. The function of Happiness is to liberate you to enjoy the journey, which itself should be the goal -of goals
  9. No one is getting out alive, you might as well play the best possible game you can while you wait. Do — Everything. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Recall too, you can’t think and hit at the same time.
  10. Chop Wood, Carry Water
  11. Of Course, A Poem

The Fly by William Blake

Little fly,
 Thy summer’s play
 My thoughtless hand
 Has brushed away.

Am not I
 A fly like thee?
 Or art not thou
 A man like me?

For I dance
 And drink and sing,
 Till some blind hand
 Shall brush my wing.

If thought is life
 And strength and breath,
 And the want
 Of thought is death,

Then am I
 A happy fly,
 If I live,
 Or if I die.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

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