#23: your philosophy
What's on my mind
I keep catching myself thinking, "what's obvious to me is probably as crystal clear to others."
Only to be reminded—in conversations or through experience—how wrong I was to make that assumption.
It's easy to overlook the experiences you've had, the books you've read, and the people you've met leading up to what you consider “obvious”.
Now, every time I feel I can make a contribution, I stop overthinking.
I no longer assume it's common sense.
I go ahead and share it!
What have you been hesitating to share?
Your opinions, ideas and perspectives all matter.
They're the lens through which you see the world.
They're your contribution. Your philosophy.
👋 Welcome to the 23rd volume of Out of Curiosity, a weekly newsletter promoting ideas to help get 1% better everyday in work and life.
Every week, I go through nearly 100 pieces of content (from books and podcasts to newsletters and tweets), and bring you the best in this newsletter.
In this issue:
📚 The Greatest Salesman in the World (by Og Mandino)🎬 Filling the gap📈 Sustainable competitive advantage👋 Nina Iordonava
📚 The Greatest Salesman in the World (By Og Mandino)
Notes on pushing to reach your potential, peace of mind, and going the extra mile:
I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.
Do not aspire for wealth and labor not only to be rich. Strive instead for happiness, to be loved and to love, and most important to acquire peace of mind and serenity.
I determine to render more and better service, each day, than I am being paid to render. Those that reach the top are the ones who are not content with doing only what is required of them.
🎬 Filling the gap
Earlier this week I was talking to my friend, Salman about the creative journey and the relative nature of output quality.
That conversation led him to share this short, but insightful video with me.
Here's what I took away from it:
It's normal to sense the gap that exists between where your work is now, and where you want it to be.
But you should also appreciate the fact that filling this gap won't happen overnight. It's going to take a lot of work.
And multiple repetitions.
It's important to remember:
A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit.
Get the reps in to fill the gap.
📈 Sustainable competitive advantage
Lately, I've been thinking more about competitive advantage in both personal and business contexts.
And as I was reading this article, I kept wondering how being better on a personal level can translate into business success.
Regardless of the situation, the key to success is having a "sustainable advantage": finding something others aren't willing to do. Here’s how:
Learn faster
Communicate more effectively
Be open to fail more
Be willing to wait longer
📚 A line from a book that stuck with you
Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.
The Sandman (by Neil Gaiman)
📰 A newsletter you look forward to
🐦 A Twitter account to follow
🎧 A song you'd listen to all day on repeat
🤔 A question that's been on your mind lately
How do I balance optimizing for enjoying the moment vs. being disciplined, so I can enjoy a later moment?
👋 Follow Nina
Final Thought
Nate and I shipped another episode of It's Gotta be the Mic last week. This time, we talked about our writing process and why it's okay not to have a niche for your work.
See you next week,
Reza 🍋