In this episode, we discuss excerpts from "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from 161-180 AD, and philosopher of Stoicism. Ideas include the universe, the self, how to act, life and death, the soul, destiny, empathy, and eternity. Let's learn something! 

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Purchase "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius: https://amzn.to/3VHNB4n (affiliate) 

Daily Stoic (excellent resource on Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius): https://dailystoic.com 

Learn about Marcus: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius

Learn about Stoicism: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism 

Timestamps: 

[00:00] Introduction 

[03:55] Universe does not care 

[04:47] Act the worthy part 

[06:11] Look within 

[08:23] Best revenge 

[08:59] Unselfish acts 

[11:30] Return quickly to yourself 

[15:39] Philosophy and court 

[19:54] Everything comes from something 

[24:29] Time, change, life, and death 

[27:32] Value intelligence over objects 

[30:39] Examples from others 

[32:43] Change your mind 

[34:08] Reactions and anger 

[36:10] Keep the soul alive 

[39:56] Bad dreams and troubled thoughts 

[42:02] Universe does not see good or evil 

[43:10] Adapt to your destiny 

[44:43] Only judge within your power 

[46:39] We contribute to one great work 

[48:40] Persuade people, pursue justice 

[52:02] Glory, sensation, and wisdom 

[53:04] Listen closely and empathize 

[55:28] No one can stop you, you cannot stop the universe 

[57:35] Humanity vs Eternity 

[1:01:10] Conclusion

In this episode, we discuss Naval Ravikant's principles of wealth and money. We also dig into finding and developing specific knowledge, and the four types of leverage (labor, capital, media, & code) in the modern economy.

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Connect: https://SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Almanack of Naval Ravikant: https://navalmanack.com

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[01:44] Wealth, Money, & Status

[04:11] Build Wealth & Get Rich

[08:06] Productize Yourself

[09:13] Find & develop Specific Knowledge

[13:56] Multiply your Impact with Leverage

[22:46] Wisdom from a Greek Mathematician

[23:02] Conclusion

In this special episode, I am interviewed by Tony Massad, host of To The Skys! He asks of my background, The Effective Executive, and why I started So-Called Discoveries. We also discuss deep topics like immigrant families, doing what you want vs what's expected, and designing your life. We wrap with advice for my younger self, and a book recommendation.

Check out To The Skys wherever you podcast! linktr.ee/totheskys

If you enjoy this content, please rate it up to 5 stars!

Connect: SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:02] Welcome To The Skys!

[02:52] My story thus far

[18:56] The Effective Executive

[23:10] Strength > Weakness, Opportunity > Problem, Future > Past

[30:15] Why I started So-Called Discoveries

[35:55] Coming from an immigrant family

[42:38] What you want vs What's expected

[47:09] Discover what you want and Design your life

[50:40] Advice for my younger self

[52:02] Book recommendation 

[54:05] Closing thoughts and The Next Episode

In this episode, we conclude our 3-part discussion on the book “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield, originally published in 2002. If you have not listened to the previous episodes (EP4 & EP5), do that first. In those episodes, we introduce Resistance and learn how to defeat it and what makes a professional.

If you enjoy this content, please rate it up to 5 stars!

Connect: SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Purchase “The War of Art”: amzn.to/3SZshFp (affiliate link)

Steven Pressfield’s website: stevenpressfield.com

Timestamps:

[00:00] Passage from “The War of Art”

[01:13] Introduction

[02:31] Wisdom from a Greek military leader

[03:49] Allies, Angels and Muses

[16:56] Life, death, Ego, and Self

[24:11] Defining self through hierarchy and territory

[29:27] The artist's model

[30:53] The artist's life

[32:43] Conclusion

In this episode, we continue our 3-part discussion on the book “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield, originally published in 2002. If you have not listened to the previous episode (EP4), do that first. In that episode, we introduce Resistance and discuss its various manifestations. In this episode, we learn how to fight and win against Resistance by understanding what makes a professional, and how they contrast with amateurs.

Look out for Part 3!

If you enjoy this content, please rate it up to 5 stars!

Connect: SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Purchase “The War of Art”: amzn.to/3SZshFp (affiliate link)

Steven Pressfield’s website: stevenpressfield.com

Timestamps:

[00:00] Passage from “The War of Art”

[01:59] Introduction

[03:39] Wisdom from a 5th century mercenary

[04:35] Amateurs and professionals

[05:38] Pros do the work

[07:57] Professional qualities

[23:59] Wisdom from the ancient Spartans

[25:10] Beyond resistance: the higher realm

[26:15] Conclusion

In this episode, we begin our 3-part discussion on the book “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield, originally published in 2002. We discuss capital “R” Resistance and how it stands between the life we live, and the unlived life within us. We go over various manifestations of Resistance in our lives, as well as how it relates to the Self. We wrap up with hope that Resistance can be beaten!

Look out for Parts 2 and 3!

If you enjoy this content, please rate it up to 5 stars!

Connect: SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Purchase “The War of Art”: amzn.to/3SZshFp (affiliate link)

Steven Pressfield’s website: stevenpressfield.com

Timestamps:

[00:00] Passage from “The War of Art”

[01:17] Introduction

[11:12] What is Resistance?

[19:40] Resistance manifested

[27:10] Resistance and the Self

[34:00] Resistance can be beaten

[35:01] Conclusion

In this episode, we reflect on the discussion of "The Effective Executive" from episode 2. Anthony shares how reading the book inspired So-Called Discoveries, his experience tracking his time 24/7, tactics for focusing on important work, and tips for success in new roles. He also explains how his behavior has changed based on learnings from the book.

If you enjoy this content, please rate it up to 5 stars!

Connect: SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Purchase “The Effective Executive”: amzn.to/3U7vaFt (affiliate link)

2004 HBR Article by Peter F. Drucker: hbr.org/2004/06/what-makes-an-effective-executive

Toggl Track: toggl.com/track

Timestamps:

[00:00] Welcome

[00:32] Introduction

[01:14] My experience with "The Effective Executive"

[02:44] The book inspired this podcast

[03:51] Recognizing ideas in the wild

[05:13] Managing your time

[05:52] I tracked my time 24/7 for 2 months

[10:07] My ongoing time tracking

[10:37] Time diagnosis and analysis

[11:27] Consolidating discretionary time

[12:09] Tactics I use to protect discretionary time

[14:48] Choosing contributions

[15:00] Forget the job description

[16:07] Understand the contributions of others

[16:53] Be accountable for the whole

[17:22] Effective relationships

[17:47] A simple example of creating value for others

[20:58] Contribution guides self development

[21:35] Effective meetings, presentations, reports... and podcasts

[22:01] Building on strengths

[22:52] Focus on strengths more than weaknesses

[26:09] Make your boss's strengths productive

[26:33] Lead from strength

[26:57] How I lead from strength in software development

[28:15] Focusing on priorities

[29:01] Effective decisions

[31:27] Conclusion

[31:57] Support this podcast and connect

[32:35] Relevant links

[33:09] Thank you

In this episode, we discuss “The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done”. This book was written by Peter F. Drucker and initially published in 1967. We learn that effectiveness can and must be learned, and that it is separate from knowledge, intelligence, and hard work. We dive into the five practices essential to effectiveness, and discuss examples. 

If you enjoy this content, please rate it up to 5 stars!

Connect: SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Purchase “The Effective Executive”: amzn.to/3U7vaFt (affiliate link)

2004 HBR Article by Peter F. Drucker: hbr.org/2004/06/what-makes-an-effective-executiveTimestamps:

[00:00] Welcome

[00:34] Intro to The Effective Executive

[08:45] Managing time

[23:59] Choosing contributions

[31:58] Building on strengths

[43:45] Focusing on priorities

[48:33] Making effective decisions

[1:02:59] Conclusion

[1:11:13] Thank you

In our inaugural episode, we learn what So-Called Discoveries is about, including the meaning behind the show's name, the subject of the next episode, and what we hope to achieve through the podcast.

If you enjoy this content, please rate it up to 5 stars!

Connect: SoCalledDiscoveries.com

Purchase “The Effective Executive”: amzn.to/3U7vaFt (affiliate link)

2004 HBR Article by Peter F. Drucker: hbr.org/2004/06/what-makes-an-effective-executive

Timestamps:

[00:00] Mic check

[00:43] Welcome

[01:33] Why podcast?

[05:27] Goals for podcast

[07:05] Meaning behind "So-Called Discoveries"

[10:00] The next episode

[12:55] Closing quote

[14:02] Thank you