Good morning and happy Sunday!

I have been going through my notes, and I stumbled upon some notes from a book I read a couple of years ago. The book is “The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian.”

It is a guide to succeed in social and professional life by practicing virtues like wisdom, caution, and diplomacy.

Here are some of my notes from the book:

On thinking ahead:

It is both wiser and easier to collect winter stores in summer.

Prepare for difficult times when things are favorable. Use the resources you have now to ensure stability in the future.

Always think ahead.

On human behavior:

The wise man would rather see men needing him than thanking him. To keep them on the threshold of hope is diplomatic, to trust to their gratitude boorish; hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one.

Put yourself in a position where people depend on you.

By keeping people on the edge of hope, you can maintain a position of power and importance. A strategic and diplomatic approach to relationships.

On the value of hard work and effort:

Mediocrity obtains more with application than superiority without it. Work is the price which is paid for reputation. What costs little is little worth.

Average people can achieve more by working hard than talented people who don't put in the effort. Success comes from the work we put in; if something requires little effort, it's not very valuable.

On the importance of preparation:

Quickly done can be quickly undone. To last an eternity requires an eternity of preparation.

Approach your goals and projects with a long-term perspective.

Hastily executed tasks or projects may not have a strong foundation, making them vulnerable to failure or collapse.

In contrast, when one invests ample time and thought into their work, the result is more likely to be stable and enduring.

On focusing on things that matter:

Post Yourself in the Centre of Things. So you feel the pulse of affairs. Many lose their way either in the ramifications of useless discussion or in the brushwood of wearisome verbosity without ever realizing the real matter at issue.

Put yourself at the center of important events to understand them better.

Focus on the key aspects of a situation and avoid getting sidetracked.

That’s all for today.
P.S. If you want my entire note on this book, just DM me on Instagram @hey.gourab or simply reply to this email.

Hope you’re great.

One word that is storming my mind right now— madness; people who are obsessed with their craft, people who do not feel normal living a mediocre life.

My top 3 notes on it:

On intensifying your obsession:

“Intensify your obsession. Let it consume you, let it drive you to madness. Allow it to infiltrate every facet of your life, until it becomes the air you breathe, the blood that pumps through your veins, the very essence of your being.” - @liveyourimpossible

On obsession beating talent:

“Do you love this game? I mean, love it with your whole heart? Because if you don’t, let’s not even bother. Let’s not open that door. They’re gonna slam it in our face. There’s 1000 other guys waiting in the wings who are obsessed with this game. Obsession is gonna beat talent every time. You’ve got all the talent in the world, but are you obsessed? Is it all you ever think about?” - Adam Sandler from Hustle

On the limits of your potential:

When you're obsessed they’re like: Why you gotta be so crazy? Why can’t you be satisfied? Why do you always got to get things so perfect? Why you spend so much time here? When you’re obsessed people think you’re nuts. If no one thinks you're crazy you're not yet operating to the outer limits of your potential - Brendon Burchard

Allow your madness to be the source of your inspiration, creativity, and genius.

I’d love to know what you thought of this issue. Reply to this email, or DM me @hey.gourab on Instagram

Stay Unique
Ahmed

I am Gourab, founder of @liveyourimpossible, and I wanted to reach out to you today to introduce you to my newsletter, "The Sauce."

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