Greatness

Diving into the life and career of the tennis legend, Rafael Nadal.

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Sources

The Warrior - Christopher Clarey

Rafa Documentary

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0:00 - Introduction

5:10 - The key to nadal's sustained excellence

8:35 - Nadal's intensity

13:30 - The rare ambition

17:17 - How Nadal defines success

22:42 - Toni Nadal and learning to suffer

29:54 - The injury that brought heartbreak and urgency

32:55 - The difference between Nadal and Borg

35:40 - Excellence is the capacity to take pain.

40:30 - Slumps and struggles

44:45- The rituals

48:40 - What matters most to Nadal

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Watch on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbI3DjEOFWg&t=2s

Diving into the lessons and ideas that never change throughout history from Morgan Housel's book, Same as Ever.

Learn why happiness is all about expectations, why luck plays a greater role than you realize, why story is more important than the truth, the importance and danger of small actions, why friction is needed, and more.

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Sources

Same as Ever - Morgan Housel

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0:00 Introduction

5:00 - Hanging on by a thread

13:05 - Risk is what you don't see

19:04 - Happiness stems from expectations 

23:48 - The best story wins

28:00 - The world isn't logical

33:25 - Too fast, too soon

39:10 - The greatest source of innovation

44:42 - Scars last 

48:37 - Small actions breed big results 

51:07 - The rational optimist 

54:18 - Nothing worthwhile is free

57:25 - The danger of good times

1:02:50 - Final short ideas and stories

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Watch on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSwB1Ov-rlLkib-dtHpHRIA

Diving into a few short stories on something that has fascinated me over the years: the importance of Robins in the stories of Batman

Enjoy.

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Sources

LeBron - Jeff Benedict 

America's Quarterback - Keith Dunnavant

Pour Your Heart Into It - Howard Schultz

Miracles Happen - Mary Kay Ash

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Check out my books below:

Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming 

Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence

Stay connected and check out more here:

Chasegreatness.net

Diving into the philosophies and wisdom of Baltasar Gracián, a man who was admired by Nietzsche, Voltaire, Arthur Schopenhauer, and many more.

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Sources

The Art of Wordly Wisdom - Baltasar Gracián 

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4:45: The maxim of Baltasar Gracián

5:49: "There is no higher rule than that over oneself, over one’s impulses."

7:00: "Keep the imagination under control."

9:10: "A man of Rectitude clings to the sect of right with such tenacity of purpose that neither the passions of the mob nor the violence of the tyrant can ever cause him to transgress the bounds of right."

10:20: "Think over things, most over the most important."

11:50: "To be occupied in what does not concern you is worse than doing nothing."

12:39: Garcian on power and human nature

16:38: "Find out each man’s thumbscrew."

18:46: "Keen observation, subtle insight, judicious inference: with these he discovers, notices, grasps, and comprehends everything."

22:47:  "First, be master over yourself if you would be master over others."

"Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-improvement."

26:00: "Know how to choose well."

28:25: "Worth much costs much."

30:00: "Things pass for what they seem, not for what they are. Few see inside; many take to the outside. It is not enough to be right, if right seems false and ill.

32:50: "The secret of long life. Lead a good life."

34:35: "Do and be seen doing. Things do not pass for what they are but for what they seem."

39:30: "Never act in a passion. If you do, all is lost. You cannot act for yourself if you are not yourself, and passion always drives out reason."

42:45: "Do not make a Business of what is no Business."

45:25: "He has all that makes nothing of what is nothing to him. There is no greater perversity than to take everything to heart. "

46:23: "Always act as if your acts were seen."

47:25: Develop beliefs slowly

49:20: Short mantras for life

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Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Chasing_Greatness

Diving into the coaching and leadership ways of the great Vince Lombardi 

History dump is back. Diving into some of my favorite stories, people, and ideas I've learned and read about recently. 

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Sources

What I Know for Sure - Oprah

Bruce Springsteen - Peter Carlin

The Essays - Michael de Montaigne

King of the World - David Remnick

The Strenuous Life - Theodore Roosevelt

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0:40 - Oprah, what do you know for sure?

2:10 - "When you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance" - Lee Ann Womack

3:40 - Four- and five-star experiences

4:54 -  "The gift of deciding to face your mortality without turning away or flinching is the gift of recognizing that because you will die, you must live now. "

7:15 - The question Oprah kept writing: “What am I afraid of?”

9:30 - "Basically, when you get to my age, You’ll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you. That’s the ultimate test of how you have lived your life. The more you give love away, the more you get.” - Warren Buffett

14:35 - The words that changed Oprah's life: “Excellence is the best deterrent to racism. Therefore, be excellent.”

16:26 - Bruce Springsteen and the ambition trap

23:56 - Mike Appell and pushing past no

28:48 - "The Strenuous Life."

33:42 - Michael de Montaigne on death

39:55 - "The usefulness of living lies not in duration but in what you make of it. Some have lived long and lived little. See it while you are still here. Whether you have lived enough depends not on the count of years but on your will."

40:12 - Floyd Patterson, doubt, cowardice, and authenticity 

Diving into the life of the boxing icon, Muhammad Ali

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Sources:

King of the World - David Remnick

Ali - Jonathan Eig

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0:00 - The story you tell yourself 

4:05 - How a low point changed Ali's life forever

8:25 - Boxing became a religion

13:08 - Missionary to mercenary

15:25 - Self-confidence and showmanship

22:08 - Why he talked trash

23:45 - The man and religion that changed his life

25:20 - Liston vs Ali, being willing to bleed, and the lack of preparation

28:02 - How strong are your beliefs

29:58 - The moment that determined Ali's career

34:00 - Becoming Muhammad Ali

35:17 - Becoming the most hated man in America

41:17 - The paradox of the man

44:35 - A different fighter, a different approach, a different man

49:05 - Quit before it's too late

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Check out my books below:

Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming 

Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence

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You can check, stay connected, and support below:

Website
Books
Instagram
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LinkedIn

0:00 - Find the torture you're comfortable with

2:55 -  The unusual path and story of how Murakami became a writer 

18:35 - Finding the void

22:45 - Discipline = what suits you

26:15 - The failed marathon

28:52 - The 62-miler 

32:43 - Be a self-competitor

34:48 - The pleasure is doing the thing

36:34 - The keys to Murakami's remarkable longevity 

38:25 - Murakami and focus 

39:35 - The key to building endurance

41:24 - Pace and pleasure 

43:00 - How Murakami has run every day for decades

43:30 - The writing/creative process

47:35 - Becoming a "true artist."

Diving into the letters John D. Rockefeller wrote to his son.

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Sources:

The 38 Letters From J.D. Rockefeller to his son

Titan - Ron Chernow

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4:30 - Your destiny is determined by your actions

10:00 - Self-control and discipline

11:25 - Planning luck is planning life

13:34 - Work as a key to happiness

16:15 - Does it keep you up at night

17:35 - Don't be a passive person

20:00 - Mortgage for the future

21:25 - On failure

25:05 - Belief is necessary

31:17 - Excuses are the source of failure

32:55 - Attitude determines achievements

34:10 - Greed is necessary

36:50 - Keys to wealth

41:45 - The importance of self-reflection

46:35 - Two types of people to avoid

49:50 - The peace of conscience is the only reliable reward.

Diving into the teachings and philosophies of the philosopher Seneca

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Sources: 

On The Shortness of Life 

Letters From a Stoic 

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Check out my books below:

Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming 

Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence

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You can check, stay connected, and support below:

Website
Books
Instagram
X
LinkedIn