Commitment

I went to watch a Bharatnatyam dance show yesterday. It was a 1st time for me. What bewildered me was the grit of performers: they have been practicing for over 15 years. They have been a software engineer in their day jobs.

How many of us continue doing something we like for 15 years? Don’t we easily give up, get depressed and move on?

My learnings:

  • There are no shortcuts to success.
  • Pefection happens over practice with time.
  • Persistence and perseverance trumps rest.

Value Investing

While reading Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor, I got to know about Benjamin Graham. He is widely known as the “father of value investing.”

The crux of value investing (excerpts from the book) :

  1. Determining the appropriate intrinsic value of a business.
  2. Determining the appropriate margin of safety.
  3. Determining the scope of an investor’s circle competence.
  4. Determining how much each security to buy.
  5. Determining when to sell a security.
  6. Determining how much to pay on a mispriced asset.
  7. Determining wheater the quality of business should be considered.
  8. Determining the business in whole or in part

I wonder how much this relates to investing in a startup as well.

On Management

These are some key insights Charlie Munger looks in an organization to acquire or invest.

(excerpts from the book, Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor) :

  1. Capital allocation
  2. Compensation systems that create alignment with shareholders.
  3. Moat-widening skills.
  4. Management in place with high integrity.
  5. Brilliant and exceptional managers.

Remember that reputation and integrity are your most valuable assets and can be lost in a heartbeat.
–Charlie Munger

Network

Man is by nature a social animal.
— Aristotle

We like the people around us. We share our stories, mingle, jest and merry. It is like a lifeboat, helping us to pass the high tide.

Find a network, be part of one or build one. As we age we will need more company, communication, and companions.

Technique

I have been a longtime worshiper of process, grit, and perseverance. In my naive understanding, I had this belief I that I can achieve anything with the ingredients mentioned above.

I had to do the rethinking last week after chatting with my friends on my pace and heart rate. On reading more I realized I was running regularly by virtue of process, grit, and perseverance. At the same time, I was getting hurt and screwing up by heart.

I am much better now, I am following the guidance and after cutting down the speed and monitoring the pace. I am enjoying my run more.

My learning: I need to bring technique as well to my life for long-run success.

Fix it

It is easy to complain about things around us. From traffic, plastic, corruption, pollution, corruption, Et all.

This world is not perfect, it has got many opportunities for us. How about working together and fixing it.

History tells us about it. From Martin Luther Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Henry Ford, Jamsetji Tata, Steve Jobs to Elon Musk.

Our time on this planet is limited. Instead of cribbing, we should focus on contributing to positive efforts.

The job of media is to create a sensation, political parties to throw shit on each other. Be aware, be responsible.

The Seven Sins of Memory

Psychology professor Daniel Schacter, proposes in The Seven Sins of Memory.

  • Our memory weakens and we lose memory over time.
  • We are preoccupied with distracting issues and don’t focus attention on what we need to remember.
  • We search for information that we may be desperately trying to retrieve – something we know that we know – but are blocked.
  • We assign memory to the wrong source.
  • Memories are implanted as a result of leading questions, comments, or suggestions when we try to call up a past experience.
  • Our present knowledge influences how we remember our pasts. We often edit or entirely rewrite our past experiences.
  • We recall disturbing events that we would prefer to eliminate from our minds altogether: remembering what we cannot forget, even though we wish that we could.

I found this interesting and worth sharing.

Reason

It is sad how we start finding reasons for everything. We forget that our life is too short to overanalyze and stress in every situation.

Things are going fine, but why?
Things are going bad, but why?

We try to build our imaginary thesis on every situation. How difficult it is to stay calm and let the brain relax?

Could this be the reason why most of us are stressed, worried and angry all the time?

Jokes

Sometimes we laugh and make jokes on our peers. In the moment of time, we don’t realize it’s long term effect. The joke might not sound sexist or racist to us but it leaves its mark on a longer run.

Keep laughter to a minimum; do not laugh too often or too loud.
— Epictetus

I am writing this because I realized I have been a culprit as well as the receiver of both.