Undisrupted: How highly-effective people deal with disruptions

Is your life running smoothly, always filled with success and happiness? Or do you sometimes face disruptions and periods of chaos? If this is the case, you need the lessons contained in this book:

• How industrialist Savva Mamontov could have prevented disruption from destroying his life.
• Why Albert Schweitzer only grew happy and famous after turning his life upside down.
• The disruptive strategy that enabled Joseph Paxton, a simple gardener, to become wealthy.
• How it is possible that the all-powerful Knights Templar were wiped out overnight.
• The method conceived by Abbot Suger in the twelfth century for running projects smoothly.
• Which variation of positive thinking Emile Coue invented for overcoming disruptions.

This book presents real-life lessons that can massively increase your ability to succeed in the face of disruptions.

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS

 Introduction

Chapter 1 - The key to dealing effectively with disruption

An example taken from real life

The type of disruptions you should embrace wholeheartedly

A powerful insight emerges: Kovalevsky's discovery

Do this, and you will avert catastrophic consequences

An unchangeable principle, although so often ignored

Chapter 2 - Using disruptive moves for career success

A habit that you absolutely need to acquire

Why I am in favour of risk reduction

The zero-risk approach: a model to imitate

Progress will be smoother if you don't force the machine

Disruptions that create opportunities for advancement

Chapter 3 - A fruitful way to turn your life upside down

The perfect antidote against feelings of dissatisfaction

Surprising decisions will stir up opposition, so what?

When your best option is to turn your life upside down

A resilient lifestyle and its favourable consequences

Negative criticism that has proven unjustified

Chapter 4 - The nonsense of going back to nature

Countryside quietness can be deceptive and harmful

How people develop unsustainable views

Confusion and disorientation are not heroic

An unstable personality is a recipe for disaster

The delusion of a peaceful, undisturbed life in nature

Chapter 5 - Stop listening to prophets of doom

Beware that not all knowledge is created equal

Listen only to those who offer you a workable approach

Attain general victories by overcoming specific disruptions

Give me real solutions, not statistical data

Why millions of people keep suffering from anxiety

Chapter 6 - How to make yourself immune to disruptions

Two talented men, two heavily contrasting results

A relentless focus on existing opportunities

Productiveness as a way of life: the underlying philosophy

Low-cost innovation can make you dramatically stronger

Solid structures and solid routines keep disruptions away

Chapter 7 - People who survive extreme situations

Can you find a way forward despite severe setbacks?

Effective strategies after encountering extreme disruptions

Thriving against all odds in hostile environments

Fell from a flying aeroplane, survived and recovered well

Questionable certainties in the face of disruption

Chapter 8 - Proven recipes against vulnerability

Less vulnerability, fewer disruptions: an illustration

Victory over vulnerability in four simple steps

The art of rendering yourself more resistant to disruptions

Segmentation: a solid strategy you can implement today

How to structure your day, so that it's remarkably strong

Chapter 9 - The poisonous myth of the inception point

A dangerous fallacy that is leading many people stray

The Knights Templar: fierce warriors, easily overturned

Beware of false narratives of prosperity and strength

Overnight demise is a fairy tale for the unwary

Individuals who undermine their own defences

Chapter 10 - Master's lessons for thinking on your feet

Here is a formula that always works to your advantage

The light touch of the master: no fear, no overreaction

Making good choices in the face of overwhelming pressure

When you are given only ten seconds to save the day

The right way to repair structural damage

Chapter 11 - Never late, never defeated, never derailed

A universal method for handling destabilizing factors

This mental trick from the Middle Ages is still working

Kilograms, meters, hours – what do they have in common?

A crash course on error prevention

You don't need to employ more than six elements

Chapter 12 - Overcoming physical and mental disruptions

How a desperately ill woman turned her life around

The resistance to acknowledging past errors

A decisive step towards a new life

Taking a close look at faith healing

Here is a variation of positive thinking that really works

Chapter 13 - A controversial recipe for smooth living

Learning to look beyond bits and pieces of information

Ingredients of a lifestyle that keeps disruptions at bay

How to perceive signals well in advance

Accepting the drawbacks of simplicity and speed

Eight preventive measures against disruption

Discard ideas that are keeping you weak and vulnerable

Conclusion

Recommended reading

Index

How to optimise your chances in the face of deficiencies, errors and failures

 

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Past mistakes have taught me many lessons. The most essential has been to realise the crucial value of ideas. Amongst the obstacles you'll find on your way to a better life, wrong ideas constitute the largest hurdle to overcome. Poverty and lack of opportunity can keep you down for a while, but wrong ideas can literally destroy your life.

Sound philosophical convictions play a determinant role in success and happiness because they enable you to focus on goals and pursue them consistently. In contrast, wrong ethical values are rendering people blind and leading them stray.

Individuals who have embraced irrational ideas are unable to perceive opportunities and move forward. Nonsensical convictions are rendering them passive and vulnerable. In particular, the following two ideas represent enormous obstacles to success:

First, the idea that you should feel ashamed by your deficiencies, errors and failures. In fact, there are no limits to the motives you can use for feeling ashamed. You can make yourself ashamed of being too quick or too slow, too small or too big, too young or too old, and so forth. It doesn't matter what motive you are using because they are all worthless. You should not let them discourage you from working steadily at improving your lot.

If people criticise you, listen carefully and see if they have a point. Then try to improve the situation, assuming that it is something under your control. Do your part, display good efforts, and move on. Life is short. You have no time to waste. Use you energies for pursuing worthy goals, not for lamenting your weaknesses.

Whatever you do and no matter how well you do it, lots of people are going to dislike you out of envy, ignorance or fear. Learn from their remarks if those make sense, but then shrug your shoulders at the rest, and continue to advance on your chosen path.

Second, the belief that life is unfair and that you have no real chances to improve your lot. This false idea is widespread in society because there will always exist people who possess everything you want, and who seem to have attained it without much effort. Maybe this is true, but so what?

I am not denying that some individuals owe their success to inheritance, luck or family connections, but this does not mean that you should be paralysed by envy. The fact that other people are ahead of the game, for whatever reason, does not mean that you should give up your hopes of success. Not at all. Other people's good luck is irrelevant to your personal achievement. Just keep doing what has to be done, and you will optimise your chances.

Imagine, for instance, that a competitor has fantastic connections and that you have none. If such connections are required to succeed in a certain field, you'd better acknowledge reality, but that doesn't mean that you have no chance to move forward. Take notice of the situation, and focus your efforts on areas where you have better prospects.

Even if you choose to devote your life to improving society, you should not fall prey to the delusion that you need to change the whole world before you can become prosperous and happy. It is simply not true. It helps to remind yourself daily that, on the road to achievement, wrong ideas will always constitute your largest obstacle. Discard them today before they can do any damage. 
 
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: Photograph of classical painting. Photograph taken by John Vespasian, 2018.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books   

 
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Christmas, a time to slow down in order to advance faster

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"You are a strange man, Ludovico," complained Alessandra Benucci. "You say that you love me, but you care as little for me as you do for your career." Ludovico Ariosto looked out of the window and did not reply immediately.

His new job as governor of Lucca was difficult and his salary meagre, but the beauty of Tuscany never ceased to astonish him every time he looked outside. "Sometimes, you have to slow down to prepare yourself for a long run," answered Ludovico, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyway, at this moment, this was the only job I could find."

"But you promised that we would get married soon," went on Alessandra, walking up to him and setting her hand on his shoulder. It was June of 1516 and, in three months, Ludovico would be forty-two years old. He turned around to face Alessandra and saw his promises reflected in her eyes.

"I am just asking you to have a little patience, my love," he said, taking in a deep breath. "We will be married as soon as I have saved enough money to lead a proper life." How often had he tried to explain that to her? A hundred, a thousand times? It didn't matter.

Ludovico had changed jobs often, always moving forward, working endless days only to be able to devote the nights to his passion. After years of efforts, he had just completed his poem "Orlando Furioso," although he was still planning to make some revisions.

"You should just let it stand as it is now, Ludovico," exhorted Alessandra. "Your poem is more than good, it is even more than wonderful! It is high time for you to publish it and work on something else. Why don't you write a comedy to please the Bishop? Or a song dedicated to the Duke?"

During the following eight years, Ludovico saved as much money as he could from his salary. Shortly after his fiftieth birthday, he fulfilled his promise and married Alessandra. The couple purchased a small farm near Ferrara, and retired to live there.

When Ludovico Ariosto published his poem "Orlando Furioso," only eighty six copies were printed. During his retirement in Ferrara, he never stopped revising the poem. It is believed that he rewrote parts of it at least two hundred times.

Little by little, the reputation of "Orlando Furioso" began to grow. By the time Ludovico was fifty-seven, his poem had been reprinted many times, and was already considered the work of a genius. Nevertheless, Ludovico continued to make revisions. After his death, Alessandra Benucci published the final version. It was absolutely perfect.

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: Photograph of classical painting. Photograph taken by John Vespasian, 2018.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books   

 
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Confucius' recipe for the good life in four simple steps

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"A happy man is consistent in his steps, not disorderly," wrote Confucius in the year 510 B.C. Twenty-six centuries later, it remains a challenge to lead a consistent, well-balanced, happy life.

Technology has rendered human life less demanding in terms of physical effort, opening the door to endless choices, but the multiplication of choices has increased the risk of losing sight of our goals, and making colossal mistakes.

"Foolish men do things without knowing their purpose," remarked Confucius, "but chaos is not the way. Assess your options, find the right path, and walk it every day." From Confucius' writings, I have extracted the following four practical recommendations for leading a happy life.


Practical recommendations

First, define your long-term direction: Following the fashion of the day is unlikely to bring you peace of mind. You need to figure out what you want from life, your long-term goals, your lifetime priorities. No formula can guarantee happiness for everyone, but if you think of people you know who are highly satisfied with their lives, are they not without exception individuals who are pursuing consistent goals year after year?

Second, remember that activity beats immobility: "Fortune comes from turning promising ideas into reality by means of patient practice, day after day," observed Confucius. Passivity, contradictions and endless hesitations were as much a waste of time in Confucius' times as they are today. Once you have defined your long-term direction, start walking the path. No matter how ambitious your goals may be, the best strategy is to take determined action. Start doing something today to move in the direction you've chosen. Even if the wind stands still for a while, a ship already motion will keep advancing.

Third, cultivate your strengths: Nowadays, you can learn almost anything you want, no matter where you live, but should you acquire knowledge at random? Should you spend years testing the waters of different pools until you find the perfect one to swim? Of course not. The easiest way to attain success and happiness is to cultivate your strengths. Know yourself, what you enjoy and what you dislike. Assess your abilities, choose a particular field, and develop your expertise. As Confucius put it, "learning requires no rank and knows no end." Yet, learning will prove more productive if you cultivate your best qualities. They will take you as far as you want to go.

Fourth, don't grow discouraged by obstacles: "The wise man does not fret, even if he sometimes must stand still for a while," remarked Confucius. Life is full of challenges, annoyances and inconveniences. It is normal to encounter some obstacles when you are moving forward. From time to time, you'll be caught in traffic jams, misfortunes and disasters, so what? Occasionally, you will be unfairly criticised, so what? Getting discouraged by obstacles or by other people's folly is a waste of time. Keep trudging forward, keep working, keep building a better life for yourself.

Your time on earth is limited. Your best chance of attaining happiness lies in using your resources and opportunities efficiently. Define your long-term ambitions and pursue them with passion. Happiness results from purposeful motion, not from passivity. Become what Confucius defined as "a man of endless purpose, a man who never tires of learning." If you do so, you'll be on your way.

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: Photograph taken by John Vespasian, 2018.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books   

 
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Here are the links to two audio interviews recently published:

• John Vespasian interviewed by Alex Fullick on "Preparing for the Unexpected" about preventing disasters: Lessons from a historical perspective.
• John Vespasian interviewed by Rev Barbara Williams on "Lessons from Rev Barbara" about rational living.

Aristotle's formula for success and happiness

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Twenty-five centuries ago, Aristotle wrote about the principles of reality. His conclusions remain fully applicable in the twenty-first century. For those who don't have much spare time, Aristotle's teachings possess the great advantage that they can be summarised in a single sentence: "Identity and causality govern reality."

There is no way of escaping the principles of identity and causality. They apply to everything we do, and also to our perceptions and thinking. When we make mistakes, the reason always lies in our attempt to breach one of these principles.

We break the principle of identity when we imagine qualities that do not exist in reality. How often have you assessed a person, object or situation much too quickly, only to realise later how flawed your initial judgement was? We also tend to exaggerate problems when we grow overly emotional. Blowing problems out of proportion is an all too common phenomenon. I view exaggeration as the quintessential breach of the principle of identity.

Causality simply means identity in motion. It entails amongst others that, once you identify the true characteristics of an individual, you can predict how he will act in the future. Similarly, once you identify the essential characteristics of an organisation, you can predict with a large degree of certainty how it will act in the future.

The shortest path

Your understanding of identity and causality determines the success of your private and professional endeavours. Observing these principles constitutes the shortest path to prosperity and happiness. In business, individuals who respect these principles will be rewarded with increased efficiency and productivity. Conversely, those who act in breach of these principles are bound to suffer financial losses and personal tragedy.

Ignoring the characteristics of human beings and organisations, overlooking their identity, is tantamount to blinding your eyes. The result of self-inflicted blindness is predictable: you will make mistake after mistake, and those will be accompanied by failure, anger and depression.

Aristotle's principles are extremely useful for solving practical problems. Imagine for instance a manager who becomes aware that his employees are delivering erratic levels of quality. How can he apply identity and causality to solve the problem?

A wrong approach would be for him to implement immediately rigid quality controls across the board. Strict quality controls will do little good because the manager has not bothered to study the problem and identify the cause. Instead of addressing the real problem, the new quality controls are likely to alienate employees, and slow down operations.

A simple formula

The Aristotelian method demands observation and a rational assessment of facts. The manager in our example needs to check the facts, and ask the right questions: Why are quality levels erratic? Are employees using the right materials? Is every member of the team well-trained to do his job? Does the company's compensation system align employees' interests with the company's goals? Should the company redesign its production process? Is the company using the right technology?

Of course, the manager might make mistakes when he is trying to find the answers, but if he is using the proper methodology, his mistakes will be self-correcting. Identity and causality are offering him a proven system for reaching accurate conclusions. It is a system from which everybody can benefit. If you adopt the Aristotelian way of thinking, you will achieve your goals faster, with less effort and lower levels of stress.

Aristotle's formula is easy to remember. Check the facts. Think clearly. Be consistent. And if you discover contradictions, check your logic and correct the errors. Consistency is the key, not only to clear thinking, but also to success and happiness.

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: Photograph of classical sculpture. Photograph taken by John Vespasian, 2018.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books   

 
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