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Love music. Business. Reading. Post book reflections “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

[hornak-reflections]

Who Moved My Cheese?

By: Spencer Johnson

“Who Moved My Cheese” is a short and powerful parable about dealing with change in any situation. The tale is of two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two miniature human beings, Hem and Haw, who travel a maze in search of cheese. The cheese in the story represents whatever it is that you want in life, such as a job, a relationship, money, getting in shape, and so on. The maze represents where you spend time looking for what you want. The big distinction between mice and men is that mice are very simple-minded creatures compared to complex humans, but in this parable, it is made clear when Sniff and Scurry beat Hem and Haw to the cheese that sometimes it is best to think of things in more simple terms.

Sniff and Scurry go out into the maze and find their cheese just as you would think a mouse would do so; they went down corridors, and if they were empty, they went down another and made note of the empty corridor. They eventually found the cheese. Hem and Haw tried to develop more sophisticated ways of finding the cheese. They too, eventually discovered the same cheese, but only after a more challenging journey. All four maze participants feasted upon the cheese each day, for the cheese was always replenished the next day. The twist is that one day the participants woke up to find that the cheese had not been replenished. Sniff and Scurry had anticipated the change coming due to the fact that they had been aware of the small details; the cheese supply had been dwindling and was not as fresh as it once was. The Littlepeople had gotten too comfortable, didn’t pay attention to detail, and were flabbergasted when they woke up to no cheese. Sniff and Scurry had already moved on in search of new cheese by the time Hem and Haw had woken up. Hem and Haw churned in a state of misery for a long period of time.

When change comes knocking at the door, reluctance is the common reaction. This reaction stems from one inhibiting factor – fear. While fear can be good for prompting one in action or protecting one from serious consequences, the fear from dealing with change is often irrational and seriously detrimental. In Hem and Haw’s case, instead of taking action and moving forward once the cheese supply halted, they wondered things like, “What’s really going on here?” and “Why did this happen to me?” They were worried of going out and looking for new cheese because they did not want to fail and make fools of themselves and were scared that they would not find the same happiness they once had. Their complex thinking spawned the idea of chiseling through the corridor wall to find the same cheese, and of course after all the hard work, there was no cheese. It was after this that Haw had a “haw haw” moment and realized that doing the same thing over and over again wouldn’t make things better. Haw then painted a picture in his mind of himself venturing out and finding cheese. This helped him gain the courage to get up and do so.

Haw reflected on the situation as he ventured out in search of new cheese. He learned many lessons and wrote them on the wall during his journey in hopes that Hem would someday find them and venture out for cheese as well. What he wrote is as follows (I have bolded my favorites and interjected with my current thoughts):

• “If you do not change, you can become extinct.” This is incredibly important to keep in mind, especially in the world of business or at your job position. There are always businesses coming out with new technology or better operations. It truly is an adapt-or-die environment. Within organizations, people are also disposable. • “What would you do if you weren't afraid?” What a great question to constantly ask oneself. I will certainly be using this. • “Smell the cheese often so you know when it's getting old” It’s not very likely that change will abruptly pop out of thin air. Keep an eye and ear out for hints that change may be coming. Even if it seems that there are no noticeable hints reflecting change, one should never get overly comfortable. This is especially important for businesses once again. Companies are out to compete for as much market share as they can get. With this in mind, a business should always be trying to move forward and improve regardless of a shortage of hints pointing towards change. • “Movement in a new direction helps you find cheese.” • “When you stop being afraid, you feel good!” Worrying and overanalyzing can cause great distress and squander time. • “Imagining yourself enjoying your new cheese leads you to it.” Keeping this in mind is great motivation. • “The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.” Don’t squander time and opportunity. There are other great rewards out there. • “It is safer to search in the maze, than remain in a cheeseless situation.” • “Old beliefs do not lead to new cheese.” You've got to change beliefs when necessary. We all love being right and dislike being wrong, so changing beliefs can be difficult. In my case, this is certainly important in the stock market. I’ve read of a common error that investors make; it is that they form a belief about an investment, and when the facts change, they are unwilling to change with the facts, leaving them in a losing situation. • “When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese, you change course.” • “Noticing small changes early helps you to adapt to the bigger changes that are to come.”

Haw eventually encountered Sniff and Scurry on his journey at a new cheese station with an enormous cheese supply. This time after the discovery, Haw kept his sneakers tied together around his neck so that he could move quickly the next time change was needed. He was so happy about how far he had come and what he learned, and he had one final reflection which he wrote on the wall:

• “Change Happens- They keep moving the cheese.” • “Anticipate Change- Get ready for the cheese to move.” • “Monitor Change- Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.” • “Adapt To Change Quickly- The quicker you let go of old cheese the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.” • “Change- Move with the cheese.” • “Enjoy Change!- Savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new change.” • “Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again & Again- They keep moving the cheese.”

[hornak-reflections]

The Last Lecture

By: Randy Pausch

“The Last Lecture” is typically a speech given by professors when asked what they would share if their final day was arriving. For Professor Randy Pausch though, there was no hypothetical situation. He was dying of pancreatic cancer when he decided to make a speech as well as write this book. Even though Randy was up against death, the words in his speech and book resonated with palpable happiness. While Pausch imparted many valuable life lessons within his book, I think that his performance during the time he was aware of his terminal illness makes it worth focusing this reflection on the point that it is imperative to stay positive and make the best of our time.

When Pausch gave his “Last Lecture” speech, he showed a slide that contained CT scans revealing his cancer. He then said, “All right. That is what it is. We can’t change it. We just have to decide how we’ll respond. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” Life throws all kinds of twists and turns at us. Some can be excruciatingly painful and difficult. Randy made it apparent though, that in responding to make the best of any difficult situation, you can relieve yourself of anxiety that might otherwise be caused by dwelling on the crisis at hand. What Randy said about dwelling on life’s difficulties is unforgettable: “Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier.”

[hornak-reflections]

The Power of Being Yourself

By: Joe Plumeri

Joe Plumeri’s extensive list of accomplishments as CEO of Citibank, Primerica, and Willis Group Holdings were guided by the principle that authenticity and passion will carry you. Along with this mantra, he shared many other small and important factors that contributed to his success.

Joe stated, “Being yourself sounds like the easiest thing in the world, and in a way it is, but it can be hard too. It can be challenging. In the same way we neglect others because we are too busy, too caught up in the challenge of the moment, we neglect ourselves.” What Joe meant and talked a lot about is how we are too often focused on how others perceive us and do not act genuinely because of it. Just think a second about some times where you may have done something you normally would not have done in order to appeal to someone else’s perception. Social media is a prevalent ground for this behavior. It boggles my mind how obsessed people are with what others think about them! Be yourself. It’s full of power. There’s no way you can be better at being someone else.

Joe talked about something called “playing in traffic” which means getting out and involved with people. Opportunity will find you much more than if you were to sit in solitary. Opportunity won’t always hit you, but catching those serendipitous opportunities make playing in traffic absolutely worth it. I loved Joe’s example of playing in traffic that changed his life: Joe was young and aspired to be a lawyer, so he set out to ask for a job at all the firms that had three last names for the title of the firm. For example: The Firm of Boyle, Boyle, and Boyle. He believed that firms with that type of title were automatically law firms. Not quite! One day, he quickly found that out when he walked into a financial firm. Even though he sought a job at a law firm, he was offered a job. He accepted, and it turns out that job completely altered his life. He worked hard and gained excellent experience that kick started his career path. It only happened because he got out there and played in traffic.

Below are a few shorter points that Joe spoke of, but their value is no less important:

Joe defined value gap, “the difference between what a person can do for themselves and what you can do for them.” This is what people pay for and appreciate in relationships. In any job position or relationship, you should always be focused on maximizing this gap.

Intellectually, we know right from wrong, but oftentimes we don't make the emotional leap needed to execute the right and prevent the wrong. You just gotta do it.

Making a physical appearance is way more valuable than any form of electronic communication.

[hornak-reflections]

The Fred Factor

By: Mark Sanborn

The Fred Factor tells the story of a mailman named “Fred” who transcends the status quo by incorporating passion and excellence into his job. He transforms what some may view as an ordinary job into an extraordinary job. Mark Sandburg explores how anyone can achieve this excellence and why we should do it.

Everyone makes a difference no matter what position they occupy in a company. That is the very first lesson that Sanborn talks about, and I believe that it’s important to embody because if you view yourself as JUST a mailman or JUST a water boy or JUST a cashier, you will perform JUST like the many who view themselves as unimportant and are dissatisfied with their positions.

Sandburg’s second principle is, “Success is built on relationships.” In any position, we are providing a good or service to people. The human beings we serve can’t be forgotten or mistreated. It is imperative to understand their needs and preferences and create a friendly relationship. Sanborn has seven useful tips for building relationships.

1.      Be real- Don't act as something you're not. You will build trust this way.

2.      Be interested- “People are flattered when you express an interest in getting to know them better.”

3.      Be a better listener

4.      Be empathetic

5.      Be honest

6.      Be helpful

7.      Be prompt

Why does Fred the mailman perform the way he does?

He does it because it feels good- Doing good work is something you can be proud of. Cutting corners and not satisfying people simply is not something to be proud of.

He makes friends- The more friends the better!

Making others smile is the greatest reward- Smiles are contagious.

He is trying to make the best of each day- Our time is finite. This brings me to the quote by Steve Jobs at the top of my blog. It is a quote that should be examined every day. “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

[hornak-reflections]

Start Where You Are

By: Chris Gardner

Anyone can achieve happiness no matter where they are starting from. Chris Gardner is a testimony to that. While the book Pursuit of Happyness describes his journey from being a homeless, unemployed father to becoming a successful stockbroker and entrepreneur, Start Where You Are describes the methods and principles Chris used to get to the top and achieve happyness.

I think that perhaps my favorite lesson from this book was the value of taking risk. When Chris set out to become a stockbroker, he had no college education, and absolutely no knowledge of the subject. He fervently wanted to be a stockbroker though. Taking a pay cut from his already low paying job, he took an opportunity to study with Dean Witter to have a SLIM CHANCE at becoming a stockbroker. The outcome seemed dire in the eyes of many, but Chris succeeded and the reward was immense. Chris could have taken a safer route in life. He could have continued his job in sales or stayed in the medical field where he had already established his worth, but instead he chose to wager his security and shoot for the stars because he knew what would make him happyest. The fundamentals of risk in a typical situation are that if you take a greater risk, there is a greater possible reward; if less risk is taken, there is a smaller possible reward. It seems to me that all too often, many of us choose the less-risky route in life. People want security. My dad constantly tells me that I should have and still should apply for a job on the railroads. Rail car jobs pay well and are, from what I hear, don’t have the most rigorous of requirements to get in. It’d be simple to conform and get a job to pay for living rather than to strive for my dream job and live to work. Like Chris says, “If we disregard out true motivation we may miss finding what gives us our own definition of happyness.” Now, in most cases, taking greater risk means that failing will also have worse consequences, but that leads me into the next topic of failure.

Sometimes it can be hard to get back up and try again after failing at something. Failure makes it easy to build up self-doubt that can erode confidence and create a fear factor. Chris said so perfectly, “fear of failure prevents us from taking risks - necessary in all meaning Pursuits. What we need to be learning is that it's okay to fail but it's not okay to quit.” The fear that we encounter is a natural conditioned response by our mind in order to try to protect us. We need to break the instinctive habit of wimping out and not trying again. Drummer and educator, Mike Johnston, would say that we need to practice self-awareness rather than self-doubt. This includes figuring out what has been going wrong and then taking that and figuring out how to make it better and do that.

The last of my favorite lessons from the book was, “It takes as much energy to bag an elephant as it does a mouse.” If you are truly focused, the level of things you can achieve will far surpass those than if you were not. That’s just common sense, but it’s easy to lose focus. Now that I’ve read this book and deeply internalized this point, I’ve realized I have so many distractions in my life and that I try to handle multiple things during the same time when I need to direct my energy into one thing. I’ve realized though, that my greatest distraction has been my phone. It’s easy to jump on that baby and get lost surfing the web when I’m supposed to be working on important tasks. From now on, when there is an important task at hand, I’m going to simply remove my phone from my work space. I want to be efficient. It’s the worst feeling to know that you’ve had the time to get something done, but squandered it on distractions. Anxiety ensues and shit rolls downhill. So, I think it’s time to focus on being focused. “It takes as much energy to bag an elephant as it does a mouse” is something that will now be ringing throughout my head.

[hornak-reflections]

Thanks

Over the past week that I’ve been sick, I’ve had some impactful realizations.

I was admitted into the hospital on 3/6 for the inability to urinate, and the same day I developed a weakness that prevented me from walking entirely. I was diagnosed with Viral Meningitis. A virus basically attacked my spine and brain and hindered my normal nerve functions. It sucked. It still does. It’s going on the ninth day of being sick and I still can’t pee without sticking a catheter in myself and I walk like a noodle.

This whole thing was a really abrupt phenomenon and I when it happened I was really slapped upside the head. I always took my ability to urinate and walk for granted, but my goodness, I am so thankful that I will be able to urinate and walk again soon. It’s crazy how much more difficult I could have it or how quickly something can be snatched away from me.

Since I have been sick I’ve received a tremendous amount of support. I had visitors in the hospital and home, gifts sent to me, all kinds nice messages sent to me. It truly has made this a much more bearable situation.

So, to all the people who have thought about me or provided any support, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It’s been such a great joy interacting with you all. I promise I will pay you back.

It will make it a priority of mine much more than before to be appreciative of everything that I have. Maybe my realization can serve some purpose to you as well. Don’t forget to give thanks!

[hornak-reflections]

How to Win Friends and Influence People Written by: Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie began as a lecturer of numerous speech classes that covered the conventional speech course curriculum. He realized though, that there wasn’t a course that focused on handling human relationships. A typical speech course where one learns about how to relieve nerves, prevent dry mouth, stop fidgeting, and refrain from nervous filler words such as “um” hardly scratches the surface of developing meaningful relationships with other people. Dale Carnegie filled the void with this book.

When developing relationships we have to remember that humans are complex. Dale wrote, “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.” Read that again.

That quote leads into the rule that encompasses the rest of the principles within the book. That rule is, “People want to feel important.”

The book is structured very well. It is divided into four main sections, and each section is divided up so into a set of principles. Because it is divided up so nicely I can easily summarize the book in a wieldy length, so that’s how the rest of this “reflection” will be written. One comment that I do have to make before I continue, however, is that I have experimented with these principles during my work days as a sales associate at Menards. I must say that the results have been remarkable. My favorite section in the book is, “You Can’t Win an Argument.” I’ve encountered a fair share of unhappy customers at Menards. Some have been unhappy because we don’t carry a product, the service they received wasn’t great, or they had a bad day and are expecting more out of us associates than usual, whatever it is, I’ve found out that if you simply sympathize with that customer, so much tension is released. The results truly boggle my mind. Anyways, without further ado, here is the summary of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”

1. Fundamental techniques in handling people

#1 rule: people want to feel important

People just search for justification of actions and get upset or discouraged in response to being rebuked. Abraham Lincoln said, “Don't criticize them; they are just what we would be under similar circumstances.”

Principle 1: “don't criticize, condemn, or complain” “instead of condemning people, let's try to understand them. Let's try to figure out why they do what they do. That's a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness.

Principle 2: “Give honest and sincere appreciation”

All humans have a desire to be important

Principle 3: “Arouse in the other person an eager want” don't focus on yourself. If you want something from someone they will want to receive some sort of benefit.

Henry Ford said, “If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as your own.”

Good way to arouse eager want is to show the person how other people have benefited

 2.  Six ways to make people like you

Principle 1: become genuinely interested in someone

You must genuinely want to befriend and show interest in someone for them to want to be your friend and show an interest in you. Help them with their problems.

“Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, “I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.”

Principle 2: Smile.

“Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, ‘I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.”

Principle 3: remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Principle 4: “Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk to themselves.”

People who are not good listeners are intoxicated with their own egos.

Principle 5: “talk in terms of the other person’s interests”

Principle 6: “Make the other person feel important- and do it sincerely.”

 3. You can't win an argument

Principle 1: “The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.”

“You can't win an argument. You can't because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well, suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compos mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. You'll reason you're trying. And a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”

Principle 2: “show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say, “You're wrong.”

Use diplomacy

When at a disagreement listen, control temper, be honest, distrust first instinct, look for areas of agreement, thank for interest and info, and postpone taking action in order to think.

If you wish to prove something, do it subtly

“You will never get in trouble by admitting that you may be wrong.”

Use diplomacy

Principle 3: “If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.”

What can the other person say to you if you do so?

Self-condemnation “not only clears the air of guilt and defensiveness, but often helps solve the problem created by the error.”

Principle 4: “Begin in a friendly way.”

“A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.” -Abe Lincoln

Principle 5: “Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.”

“Asks questions in which the other person would have to agree.”

Principle 6: “let the other person do a great deal of the talking.”

Try to get them to talk about things you know they are proud of

Principle 7: “let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.”

Allow a level of flexibility or customization to the other person.

Let people sell themselves on your product

Principle 8: “Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.”

Prepare by thinking what the other person may say

Principle 9: “Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.”

It's very possible that we would think the same way if we were in their situation. Look from their perspective

Principle 10: “appeal to the nobler motives

Make the person feel honest, upright, and fair, and then there is a greater chance they will be.

Principle 11: “dramatize your ideas.”

Create showmanship, visuals are very helpful

Principle 12: “Throw down a challenge.”

“That is what every successful person loves: the game. The chance for self-expression. The chance to prove his or her worth, to excel, to win. That is what makes foot races and hog-calling and pie-eating contests. The desire to excel. The desire for a feeling of importance.”

Remember how Charles Schwab wrote the number of product produced on the floor for the first shift and how the subsequent shifts reacted by trying to outdo the previous shift.

 4. Be a leader: how to change people without giving offense or arousing resentment

Principle 1: “Begin with praise and honest appreciation.”

It always mitigates the tougher part of what you have to say

Principle 2: “call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.”

Don't praise and then use the word “but” for criticism. Use the word “and.” something like “good job with the painting, and if you keep up the same efforts you will be as good as the older painters soon.

Principle 3: “Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.”

Principle 4: “Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.”

“Do you think this would work?” “You might consider this.” or “Maybe it would work better this way.”

“A technique like that makes it easy for a person to correct errors. A technique like that saves a person's pride and gives him or her a feeling of importance. It encourages cooperation instead of rebellion.”

“Resentment caused by a brash order may last a long time- even if the order was given to correct an obviously bad situation.”

Principle 5: “Let the other person save face.”

People make mistakes, but “Even if we are right and the other person is wrong, we only destroy ego by causing someone to lose face.”

Principle 6: “Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in approbation and lavish in your praise.”

“Praise is like sunlight to the warm human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somehow reluctant to give our fellow the warm sunshine of praise.”

Principle 7: “Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.”

Principle 8: “Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.”

All it takes is a little practice to see a little result, and when one embodies this, the results will begin to compound at a great rate. The learner will begin to have fun with improvement.

Principle 9: “Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.”

Dale Carnegie said, “The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear to do and get a record of successful experiences behind you.”

[books-and-cookies]

Sometimes I just want to shut myself in my room and read for six days straight.

[hornak-reflections]

Confessions of a Street Addict

Written By: Jim Cramer

What I gained from this book was different than expected. The lessons I learned were completely scattered, from relationships, to persistence, to interview and stock tips.

Jim applied to Goldman Sachs to achieve his first associate position with a big money management firm. The interview process was incredibly rigorous and Jim was under great pressure. Goldman’s program was selective and renowned. That weighed on him, but he focused and prevailed. After every question Jim was asked during the interview, he paused and thought. He exploited every bit of time he could.

This resonated strongly with me because I have a problem with thinking before I talk. We are human beings full of emotion; high stakes, excitement, and resentment are just a few variables that can cloud our thoughts and performance. Once we speak or act, we cannot take that back. Sometimes we only have one chance, and we have to make it count. It is imperative to take every second we can to think so we act in an effective way.

Once Jim got more deeply involved in trading, it began to consume him. His friends and family who had given him so much were nearly forgotten and began to resent him. Stock market analysis and trading were most certainly Jim’s passions, but his habits simply became too much. If it hadn’t been for Jim’s friends and family, he wouldn’t have had the opportunities and success he had achieved. Once he began to lose the support he once had from his family and friends, he finally started to turn around. If he hadn’t restored these relationships, he would have given up priceless gains that have continued on throughout his life.

On the business side of things, Jim provided some stock tips:

1.      Stocks that are do not get a lot of attention are opportunities for big gains because they will eventually be found out.

2.      Always have someone to check up on your stock choices. I believe this one to be incredibly important. Jim said in another one of his books that you should be able to convince another of your action, and if you can’t, you should reevaluate.

3.      Cramer described how he created a stock market bottom with his hedge fund, and this is what he has to say about it: “At the bottom even the coolest, most hard bitten pros blink. At the bottom, the last bulls throw in the towel. At the bottom, there is the final capitulation.”

4.      “Flexibility is what distinguishes a good trader from a bad one.” Don't cling to positions when you know the facts have changed and the original justification of ownership has deteriorated. Even if there are big losses that you want to regain, it is not safe to hold if the facts have changed!

Jim is a great man who is incredibly talented, but fallible. He always says that he wants his viewers and readers to learn from his mistakes. This is a great book to do just that. It is incredibly inspirational. I hope to be like Jim someday.

[hornak-reflections]

The Happiness Hypothesis

Written By: Jonathon Haidt

“I am dragged along by a strange new force. Desire and reason are pulling in different directions. I see the right way and approve it, but follow the wrong.” -Publius Ovidius Naso

Haidt’s writing is based upon the feeling depicted within Ovid’s poem above. Haidt believes that there is a separation of mind and body, and if they do not work together the incoherence will create adversity. Haidt creates an effective metaphor to help understand the relationship of mind and body throughout his book.

The comparison is that the mind and body are like a rider on the back of an elephant.  The rider has the reins in his hand, and he can pull the reins in one way or the other and tell him to turn, stop, or go. He can direct things, but only when the elephant doesn't have desires of his own. When the elephant really wants to do something, the rider is no match for him.

The rider is an advisor or servant- conscious controlled thought. The elephant is everything else- gut feelings, visceral reactions, emotions, intuitions that comprise much of the autonomic system.

So how do we overcome the problem of desire and reason pulling in different directions?

Haidt believes that it is possible to redirect the body’s desires. He believes that it is possible by meditation, Prozac, or cognitive therapy.

My favorite method of the group was cognitive therapy. “The mind reacts to bad things more quickly, strongly, and persistently than to equivalent good things.” So in other words, we often distort the bad thoughts.  We have to minimize the negativity. A good exercise to do this is to write down uncensored thoughts every day and then develop alternative or more accurate ways of thinking. Cognitive therapy users will learn to challenge autonomic thoughts and behaviors. Bit by bit, small changes in thought and behavior will grow into a lasting change in outlook and mood; the elephant will be trained.

Haidt talked about many different desires of the elephant, but the one that really stuck out to me was conspicuous consumption. Conspicuous consumption is when people seek out luxuries or delights rather than things that would make them lastingly happier. According to research by Robert Frank, the problem with conspicuous consumption is that material possessions easily lose their value. This happens because many other individuals have the power to outdo our material possessions. Robert Frank worded it, “Each person's move up devalues the possessions of others. We are wired to impress because of natural selection.”

On the other hand, there is inconspicuous consumption. Frank says, “Inconspicuous consumption refers to goods in activities that are valued for themselves, that are usually consumed more privately, and that are not bought for the purpose of achieving status.” If we focus on things that do not gain us any prestige, then we will be able to find peace among others and ourselves. Spending good time with a friend or family, learning about something, going on a road trip; experiences and knowledge are things that can always be cherished no matter what.

[hornak-reflections]

On The Shortness of Life Life Is Long If You Know How To Use It

Written by: Seneca

Translated by: C.D.N. Costa

Take some time right now to audit your days. How much time is actually spent on improving your well-being? How much time is squandered?

For many of you, you will realize that there is much more time squandered than you can be proud of.

Seneca talks a lot about how we are not focused on our own lives enough. It’s not an egocentric thought. I think it’s a theory that’s more prevalent than ever right now actually, given the great advancement in technology, especially the internet. There are so many others out there that want our attention, and with the available platforms, they can be pretty good at grabbing it.

In a world that is now so predominantly saturated with social media and marketing, we deviate from our self-development.

I recently heard a relevant self-guiding principle from someone that I found to be very effective. It’s really a spin-off of Newton’s Third Law put into a convenient language, but it is called “The More, the More Rule.” It goes like this: The more I ( work out ) the more ( body fat I will burn.) In that example, I focused on a positive action and positive outcome. The rule becomes more effective though when speaking of a negative action and negative outcome. For example: The more I ( scroll through Facebook feed ) the more ( time I am losing to workout, read a book, practice my instrument, and the more weight I am gaining, more negativity is being imposed on me, and the more nonsensical trolling I am witnessing. ) Okay, I added some personal taste to that, and it made me feel like I really shouldn’t have wasted that time on Facebook last night or this morning and I should have been doing some more productive things. Don’t be afraid to kick yourself in the butt a bit.

Coupled with distractions comes the yearning of the future, wasting even more time.

“Everyone hustles his life along, and is troubled by a longing for the future and weariness of the present. But the man who spends all his time on his own needs, who organizes everyday as though it were his last, neither longs for nor fears the next day.”

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future.”

Many times we get distracted or engage in trivial activities even though we understand that we should be and could be doing other things that have greater importance in our lives.

Here’s an example of this:

Susy really enjoys working out, but she is caught up in watching a Netflix series. She has the time to work out, she knows that it will bring happiness and would be good for her, but she does not budge from her couch because she feels content enough with the show.

Time will pass for Susy, and she will realize that she missed her opportunity to work out. Susy will feel a desire for the future to work out and may experience anxiety.

Many procrastinate and long for the future as if there is an invisible wall that they cannot break through.

If an individual can overcome distractions and take on meaningful and feasible goals, they will be making good use of their time.

We have to remember that time is irreplaceable.

I was recently watching an interview with Warren Buffet, and he explained the dialogue he shared with a man adult about the man’s work life. The man said that he had worked at all of these places that he believed had helped him build a good resume and that he had to work at one more place in order to have the “perfect resume” to work for the employer that he actually wanted to work for. Warren told the man, “Well that sounds a lot to me like saving sex for an old age.”

We have to dive into our desires. Hold regular audits of your days. Be aware that we are mortal.

This book reminded me of the quote at the top of my blog.

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

–Steve Jobs

[hornak-reflections]

Benjamin Graham on Value Investing

Written By: Janet Lowe

Those who have interest in making their money grow at great rates and in a safe manner must read about Benjamin Graham. In this biography of Benjamin Graham, Janet Lowe gives great insight of how Ben conquers the volatility of the stock market using strict principles of validity.

In the early 1900s Ben and his family moved from England to New York in hopes of maintaining a robust family business. Soon after, Ben’s dad passed away and his mother tried her best to keep the family business running but to no avail. She subsequently started a boarding house that faltered as well and made a large investment into steel which declined 49%. While the family struggled, it made a lasting impression on young Ben and spurred him to investigate ways to become financially sound and help others to do so.

Ben studied hard and became a large success in the stock market. He developed principles that greatly influenced Warren Buffett, who is arguably the world’s greatest investor. Ben was an investor who was imperatively focused on the downsides of investments and unjust market prices. He did not believe in speculation. He sought out companies with a great balance sheet that included low debt and substantial tangible assets, he looked for low price to earnings ratios, and he looked for reliable and fat dividends. The core of his success though, was his emotional discipline. He was patient with his investments, he thought for himself, and he used the silliness of the market to his advantage.

Emotion is the harbinger of failure in investing. Money is something we all work hard for and we do not wish to see it disappear. For this reason, when we begin to lose money we naturally want to jettison our investments to minimize our losses. Money is also something that we always want more of. For this reason when we see others making a lot of money or see an opportunity that could potentially make a lot, we naturally want to get involved in that investment. We become weak and abandon our rationale for investing.

A good investor is one who makes investing rules for himself and lets the rules do the investing.

A good investor is one who scrutinizes the downside of an investment.

Take it from Benjamin Graham- the man who had years of continued success and inspired many of the greatest investors of all time.

[hornak-reflections]

The Pin Drop Principle

Written By: David Lewis & G. Riley Mills

The “Pin Drop Principle” is a book filled with the tools for good communication. The goal of the book is to teach readers how to communicate and engage their audience, so deeply to the point that if a pin were to drop in the presenter’s audience it could be heard. The authors take a unique approach to the book focusing on what actors learn to captivate their audiences. Both authors have been involved in acting and the corporate world and joined together to found a company that gives workshops on how to communicate well. The company has grown respectably and has been awarded many times for its innovation in learning and training.

Some main themes that are pushed throughout the book are: great orators achieve great success only with lots of practice, it is entirely the presenter’s fault if the audience loses interest, and a presenter needs to speak with intention and objective.

You might be thinking what I thought at first, that intention and objective are pretty much the same thing. The way that Lewis and Mills depict these words though is that “objective” means your end goal, or what you want to be the result of your presentation to be, and the “intention” is how you intend on reaching that objective, or eliciting certain feelings from the audience. So a simple objective might be a sales associate with a desire to sell a box of LED light bulbs, and his intention might be to excite, build trust, and reassure his audience in order to reach his objective. If the associate were to only focus on selling the box of LED bulbs, he will most likely come off as that stereotype of a pushy and dishonest salesman who is not that concerned with the wellbeing of the customer.

So how do we convey elicit emotions from our audience? Well, the book goes into great detail of effective methods to do so, but what I have grasped in the big picture is that the audience wants to feel cared for to the point where a relationship is developed with the presenter and to know that the presenter is credible. This must be accomplished with both verbal and nonverbal cues. Nonverbal factors include posture, direction of the torso, eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures. Verbal factors include physical aspects of speech such as pitch, volume, intonation, and then there is the substance that includes ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos would include speaking with honesty, proving to be reasonable, genuine, and reliable. Pathos embodies an appeal to the audience's emotion such as igniting feelings or being empathetic with the audience. Logos is appeal to logic. This is how the presenter shows support with facts, evidence, and claims that are reasonable and accurate. Now, like I said, the book goes into great detail with all of these factors, but with a focus and troubleshooting of these things, one should be able to develop effective communication.

One really cool practice that was presented within the book is what the authors called a “murder board.” A murder board is a mock presentation in which the audience provides feedback and asks questions that could potentially be presented in a real situation.  The audience helps the presenter to refine answers and to become comfortable with their presentation.  An important point that was stated within this book that Peter Drucker also focuses on in his book “Managing Oneself” is that feedback analysis should be unbiased. Friends are not your friends with feedback analysis. A friend does not want to hurt your feelings. Practice is essential to becoming an effective and confident communicator, and I don’t believe there is a better way to do so than with a murder board.

This book was very well organized and achieved the author’s objective of supplying me with the tools to practice in order to become an effective communicator. The book contains exercises to practice the lessons and is organized in a way that got me engaged more than a majority of the books I have read. Lewis and Mills were great teachers. I learned a lot from this book and would highly recommend it to absolutely anyone.

[hornak-reflections]

Why Nations Fail

Written By: Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

Why nations fail is a comparative analysis of rich and poor nations in an effort to determine what makes or breaks a country. There are many fallacies as to what causes the success or failure of a nation that include things such as culture, geography, and ignorance of the leaders. The outcome of a nation really boils down to its political and economic institutions.

Acemoglu and Robinson make a distinction between two types of political and economic institutions; there are extractive institutions and inclusive institutions. Inclusive institutions distribute power broadly in society and subject it to constraints. Extractive institutions include a narrow and unconstrained distribution of power. The narrow group is able to set up economic institutions to enrich themselves and augment their power at the expense of society. An example of an inclusive system would be the democracy and economy in the United States, and an example of an extractive system would be the communist nation of North Korea.

The great benefit of an inclusive system is that it provides incentive for individuals to work hard and innovate. In an extractive system an individual will likely not feel like they should put in a whole lot of work or feel a desire to innovate for fear of not being rewarded or expropriation. The authors describe the notion of an inclusive system:

“The process of innovation is made possible by economic institutions that encourage private property, uphold contracts, create a level playing field, and encourage and allow the entry of new businesses that can bring new technologies to life.”

When I read about the extractive systems throughout the book, I kept thinking about political action committees connected to behemoth corporations that give more than generous contributions to political figures in the run for election. Large contributions can be a successful way of lobbying or can greatly enhance the politician’s campaign, or both. Such actions are a prime example of how politics and economics can be linked together in a dangerous way, a way that is extractive.

What is made apparent in this book is that many out there are greedy and will go great lengths for power and money at the expense of many others. Tis’ the election season, and I think that no matter what your political views are, it is incredibly important to be aware of this aspect of the political and economic system. So here it is one more time:

If not kept in line, narrow groups will extract wealth and power from you, the constituent.

The authors of the book provide a strong thesis and oodles of support to back their statements. It is loaded with good history but is very redundant. You could read the first few pages of the last chapter and take in the bulk of the authors’ theory and information from this book. I recommend it as no more than a skim read.

[hornak-reflections]

Minimum Wage

It’s campaign season, and recently I’ve been thinking a lot about one specific issue in debate: minimum wage. I strongly urge you all to take some time to think of how absolutely huge of a role it will play in our nation’s economic and social outcomes.

Recently I was watching an interview with Warren Buffett, and he was confronted about minimum wage. The interviewer asked him, “Should the federal minimum wage be raised?” Warren responded, “I’ve thought about it for 50 years, and I don’t know the answer on it.” I was poleaxed by his answer. Warren Buffett is the finance guru! He knows it all! Doesn’t he? His reasoning got me really thinking deeply though.

Warren said he sure would love to see everyone make a living wage right now and that the current wage that some people have to live on is pitiful, but if we currently raised the minimum wage dramatically to what many would consider a living wage number, think of all of the businesses who would be unable to pay their employees. Small businesses would especially be very hurt. I think of my experience working for a small business, and I know that they would not have been able pay me and my coworker a $15 wage in the company’s infancy.

Okay, so now it is very prevalent that good American workers are put in difficult situations and are forced to live on incredibly low wages, but if we are to raise their wages to an actual living wage, there is this issue of unemployment. Many of those who we would be trying to help would be out of employment entirely and hurt to an even greater extent. So how do we win?

Warren pointed a finger at taxable earned income. He always says that despite his astronomical gains, the billionaire continues to pay a lower tax rate than his secretary does. He completely disagrees with it too.

I thought this was a really interesting take on the issue. What are your thoughts?

Here are some resources I checked out while checking out the topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ij-4ArT620

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a0k68ZJEQU

Warren Buffett:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxW20NPjotQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50INXmbo0Xo

[hornak-reflections]

Devil At My Heels

By: Louis Zamperini

For those of you have not heard Louis Zamperini’s story, it sure is a great one.

Louis became a very troublesome boy at an early age. He started smoking when he was five, drinking in the third grade, got in a handful of fights, and was a thief around town, just to name some of the mischief he got into. In an effort to avail his little brother, Pete Zamperini persuaded Louis to take up running. Pete imbued the reluctant Louis with the value of hard work. Working hard was a difficult transition to make, but Louis’s early successes created a burning fire of ambition within. Louis won race after race, and eventually qualified for the Olympic Games in Germany at 19 years old.

A few quotes stuck out to me in the book that exemplified Louis’s drive:

“I researched how other runners trained, and I doubled their efforts. When I started to beat them, I knew the simple secret: hard work.”

“Pete gave me some advice that’s stuck with me to this day: ‘Isn’t one minute of pain worth a lifetime of glory?’

Living by these principles, Louis overcame a great deal of vicissitudes. He faced his most difficult challenges during World War II.

On a rescue mission flying over the vast Pacific Ocean, the plane Louis and his colleagues were flying in experienced an engine failure and took a dive in the water. Louis, Phil, and Mac found their ways to the rafts. Immediately Mac burst out with hopelessness, “We’re going to die.” He cried out with negativity over and over. Louis wound up and punched him in the face to put a stop to it. Louis located the chocolate within the rafts and told the men they should receive a piece a day for the next six days. During the first night, Mac, the weak minded team member, ate all of the chocolate.

The men faced dastardly conditions; the sun baked them, they were harassed by circling sharks, there was little rain to quench their thirst, food was difficult to obtain with their single fishing hook, a Japanese Zero fighter plane crossed their path and shot at their raft, and the empty sea was a temptation to lose a man’s mind, and Mac did unfortunately.

Louis and Phil focused, exercised the mind, remained positive, and urged Mac to do the same, but Mac surrendered and passed away on the 33rd day at sea. Louis and Phil survived 47 days at sea before getting scooped up by a Japanese war ship and taken as POWs for two years. They both survived the treacherous conditions with the same mindset and principles.

The last thing that really stuck out to me in Louis’s story that might appear shocking and irrational to many of you is that years down the road, Louis met with all of the guards that had overlooked and treated Louis so terribly as a POW, and he forgave all of them. One might call it a visceral desire. Louis attributes his forgiveness to what he believed was their ignorance though. I’m sure many might think, “How could he do that? Those bastards should rot in hell for treating him so horribly as a POW.” I have played this scenario through my head time and time again though, and I do find it hard to deny that those guards could be called ignorant. So often there’s more than meets the eye and I think that’s something to be cognizant about.

If you do not read the book, at least watch the movie “Unbroken.” It’s a very well-made recreation of Louis’s story.

[hornak-reflections]

The Richest Man In Babylon By George S. Clason

This book describes the fundamentals of wealth building and the hard worker’s mindset through the tales of the ancient times in Babylon.

The story of Arkad, the richest man in Babylon, was one of my three favorite tales.

Arkad was a man who was very willing to teach his wealth building strategies to those who were willing to learn.

Aside from the wealth building principles that can be gained from the tale, Arkad’s will to teach is a lesson in itself. Many of us forgo the fact that many who are successful may be willing to teach those earnest to learn.

I believe it is incredibly important to always be questioning those who have had success. Many of us do not question them because we feel shy and think that the people we look up to may not have time for us. Well, it doesn’t hurt to ask, and I think that you might be surprised at how many will return an answer to your questions. Their information is valuable.

Returning to the premise of the tale, I will dive into the 7 principles of wealth building depicted by Arkad.

1.      For each 10 coins you put into your wallet, spend 9. This is a completely attainable goal for everyone, even those who are struggling to make ends meet. I understand that some may have it more difficult than others, but there is always room for reform. Spending all of your money means you cannot come out ahead and will be weighed down. Always be thinking about substitutes, work opportunities, and cutting back on the great temptations that we are surrounded with. There are plenty inexpensive and free ways to enjoy oneself. The more you can save the better.

2.      Budget your expenses so that you have the coins to spend for your necessities and gratify your worthwhile desires without spending more than 9/10 earnings. Tied with rule number one, every individual should be able to achieve their worthwhile desires within their 9/10 spending.

3.      Invest and reinvest. This is one that many do not think much about, especially at young ages because we do not learn about it in school. Put your money to work. It can do wonders. Start an IRA, a discretionary portfolio, and evaluate your 401(k) if you have one.

4.      Guard your principal. Guard the money you’ve worked hard for. The best investor is one who is cautious and invests only with a limited downside and great upside.

5.      If you set aside 9/10 to live and any of that 9/10 can turn profit into profitable investment without detriment to your well-being, then so much faster will your treasures grow. I think about what my dad always says to me about paying rent and leasing here. He says, “You pay all that money, and have nothing to show for it.” Now I understand completely that this may be a difficult one to work out, but if you can take advantage of it in any way, do it.

6.      Provide in advance for the needs of thy growing age and the protection of thy family. Always remember who has taken care of you and that a growing age does not make earning any easier.

7.      Cultivate your own powers, study and become wiser, become more skillful to so act as to respect yourself. Knowledge is power.

The next chapter that I enjoyed spoke of freeing yourself from the “I’m trapped” mindset. I see it from day to day that people believe they are incapable of breaking away from their situations that are dissatisfying. They work jobs that they don’t enjoy just to pay the bills. Why? Why not do something you truly enjoy? Work is a large part of your life. You ought to make it pleasant.

( Check out the post I made expanding on this topic on my facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jacob.hornak.39/posts/508657305963134?pnref=story )

The final chapter that stuck out to me was about how hard work is always appreciated and will always take you to great places. The tale was about a slave, who right from the very beginning of his enslavement said he would always work his hardest in hopes of freedom. He worked hard and eventually achieved that goal.

Hard work gets noticed and rewarded.

I recommend this book to all. It is short, and so sweet. These are principles that have held strong since the ancient times.