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1. speech from youtube

Today is my 40th birthday.
0:02
And if I could go back to talk to my younger 20 year old self
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and give him some advice, here are 40 things that I would say.
Make sure you are climbing the right mountain
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Number one, make sure you are climbing the right mountain.
0:14
Too many of us are exhausted
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because we are doing too little of the things that bring us joy
0:20
and are chasing someone else’s definition of success.
0:23
This is why it is far better to be climbing slowly
0:26
up the right mountain than it is to be climbing fast up the wrong mountain.
0:30
When you focus on direction over speed,
0:33
you will find greater enjoyment in the journey.
Stop making your health a side hustle
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Number two.
0:37
Stop making your health a side hustle.
0:39
moment that you sacrifice your health
0:42
is the moment that your overall well-being begins to deteriorate.
0:45
Your health is the most valuable asset you have.
0:49
Without it, nothing else matters.
0:51
Life is hard enough as it is.
0:54
Don’t make it harder by not looking after yourself.
0:56
Energy, you see, is earned and not given.
1:00
And it is earned by sleeping more,
1:03
eating better and exercising on a daily basis.
1:06
So work with your body, not against it.
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If not, you will eventually be faced with no choice
1:13
but to spend a lot of time dealing with illness later in life.
Designing your life begins with designing your days
1:16
Number three, how you spend your days is how you spend your life.
1:21
If you are not prioritizing the daily actions necessary to achieve
1:25
your goals, you will never arrive at where you would like to be.
1:29
I mean, how can tomorrow be any better than today
1:32
if you don’t do anything different today.
1:34
You will never change your life for the better
1:37
unless you change something you do daily.
1:40
So care less
1:41
about results and more about your daily habits.
1:45
Because world class results automatically follow world class habits.
1:51
And this leads me on to Number four,
Take responsibility for your life
1:53
take responsibility for your life.
1:56
No one is coming to save you.
1:59
And this is why you must step up and become the hero of your own life.
2:03
Taking full ownership of your life is the most empowering thing
2:07
that you can do Because the pain of doing nothing with your life
2:11
will always be worse than the pain of doing something with your life.
2:15
Most people, unfortunately, are allergic to personal responsibility,
2:19
preferring instead to complain and blame.
2:23
Don’t be most people.
Have a bias to action
2:24
Number five have a bias to action.
2:27
The only real failure in life
2:30
is never trying or taking action on the things that matter most to you.
2:35
The average human life is short (right now globally,
2:38
it is at 73 years) and so you only have one shot at this.
2:43
We all know deep down that life is short
2:47
and we will face death eventually.
2:49
But few of us appreciate this.
2:52
If we did, we would make very different decisions.
2:56
Losing my mom at just 17 years old taught me the fragility of life.
3:01
The future is never guaranteed, and the loss
3:04
taught me the importance of living in the present.
3:07
Time is something we can’t make more of.
3:10
So we must be careful about what we decide to give up a day of our life for.
3:15
Because once it is gone, it is gone forever.
3:18
And this leads nicely onto number six.
Extraordinary results come from repeating ordinary actions over an unordinary amount of time
3:21
Extraordinary results come from repeating
3:24
ordinary actions over an unordinary amount of time.
3:28
Much of success in life, you see, is built by consistently doing the work
3:32
that most are not willing to do.
3:34
And if you can’t do something consistently over a long period of time,
3:39
you probably won’t succeed at it.
3:40
There is no such thing as an overnight success,
3:44
only over time success.
3:46
So be patient with the process and impatient with taking action.
Choose your life partner wisely
3:50
Number seven, choose your life partner wisely.
3:53
Ryan Holiday wrote an article in 2015 called “The Perfect Spouse is the Best
3:59
Life Hack No One Told You About.” And I would have to agree with his thoughts
4:03
because without having my wife, Laurie by my side,
4:06
I would not be enjoying many of the things that I get to experience today.
4:09
We have been together for nearly two decades.
4:12
My success is our success.
4:14
Her success is our success.
4:18
And when faced with challenges and setbacks,
4:21
we look to overcome and learn from them as a team.
4:23
When choosing a life partner, therefore, be with someone who shares the same values
4:28
as you and who is also focused on being better than who they were yesterday.
The hardest times in life equip you with the wisdom to create the best moments of your life
4:33
Number eight, the hardest times in life equip
4:36
you with the wisdom to create the best moments of your life.
4:39
Just because your past was hard does not mean your future cannot be amazing.
4:44
It is from life’s inevitable challenges that you enjoy
4:47
your greatest personal growth, and discover more about who you truly are.
4:52
And the tougher the times, the more clarity you get
4:57
about what really matters and what doesn’t.
Public speaking is one of the most powerful skills you can develop
5:00
Number nine,
5:00
public speaking is one of the most powerful skills that you can develop.
5:04
Your ability to touch people’s hearts and minds by educating
5:09
and inspiring them will open you up to a world of opportunities.
5:13
So develop your storytelling skills and watch your career blossom.
Speak to yourself in the same way you would to someone you deeply care about
5:17
Number ten.
5:18
Speak to yourself in the same way you would to someone you deeply care about.
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This is because the most powerful dialogue that happens
5:27
is the one within yourself each day.
5:30
Your mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
One of the best ways to advance your life is to simplify it
5:33
Number 11.
5:34
One of the best ways to advance your life is to simplify it Less clutter -
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physical, mental and digital - paves the way
5:43
for clearer thinking and more focused action
5:47
because nobody performs well when pulled in a dozen different directions.
Be fully present when spending quality time with people, especially your loved ones
5:51
Number 12 be fully present when spending quality time with people,
5:56
especially your loved ones.
5:57
One of the greatest gifts that you can give people
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is the feeling that they’ve been heard, understood, and appreciated.
6:05
This is because people do not want your time
6:08
as much as they want your presence and energy.
6:11
So wherever you are, be there.
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Whether that is having dinner with a friend, playing
6:17
with your children, or spending quality time with your partner.
The only competition that matters in life is with yourself
6:20
Number 13.
6:22
The only competition that matters in life is with yourself.
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Yesterday’s you, last month’s you, last year’s you.
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Focus
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on outdoing your past self and you will flourish.
6:34
And if you are going to look at others,
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look at them for inspiration, not comparison.
Not everyone will like you
6:40
Number 14.
6:41
Not everyone will like you.
6:43
And that’s okay When you put yourself out there, you will always have some people
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that will hate
6:50
you whatever you do.
6:50
That’s okay. You’re not ice cream.
6:53
You can’t please everyone.
6:55
You can’t escape being judged.
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So you might as well live a life true to yourself.
7:00
Not a life lived for others. Number 15.
Get clear on your priorities and productivity becomes easy
7:03
Get clear on your priorities and productivity becomes easy.
7:07
How will you know that today will have been a productive day?
7:11
Begin with the end in mind, work backwards and move forwards with purpose.
Be bold and take some risks
7:16
Number 16. Be bold and take some risks.
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Not all risk takers will be winners, but all winners are risk takers.
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If you want to enjoy a life the most can’t, you must do what most won’t.
7:29
So be bold and start stretching yourself out of your comfort zones.
7:33
Put that ask out there.
7:35
Start on the idea that you’ve been thinking about for so long.
7:39
Go to that event.
7:40
Say yes to that opportunity.
7:43
Do this every day and your life will flourish.
You get what you focus your energy on
7:46
Number 17.
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You get what you focus your energy on.
7:49
Focus on things to complain about, and you will attract more things
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into your life to complain about.
7:55
Focus on things to be grateful for and you will attract more things
7:59
into your life to be grateful for.
Be prepared for the best laid plans to not go the way you expect
8:00
Number 18 Be prepared for
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the best laid plans to not go the way you expect.
8:07
I wanted to develop a successful career in finance after graduating from university
8:12
and then the financial crisis happened, which was actually a blessing in disguise.
8:16
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now talking to you.
8:19
And my friend opened a new restaurant four months before the COVID pandemic
8:23
Shut everything down.
8:24
Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan,
8:28
and it ends up being the best thing that has ever happened to you.
8:32
The harsh reality is that when you commit to doing something with your life,
8:37
you will face inevitable setbacks and failures.
8:40
However how you respond to them will be the difference
8:43
between giving up too early and bouncing back stronger
8:47
from the wisdom that you have gained from that experience.
8:51
Which leads me nicely onto Number 19.
Don’t fear failure, fear regret
8:54
Don’t fear failure, fear regret.
8:57
More often than not,
8:58
success is born out of a series of setbacks, wrong turns and failures.
9:03
So when you avoid taking action because you are afraid of failure,
9:08
you actually hurt your chances for success.
9:10
There is a beautiful Japanese saying that goes: if you feel like
9:14
you are losing everything, remember this: trees lose their leaves every year.
9:21
Yet they still stand tall, waiting for better days to come.
The purpose of life is a life of purpose
9:25
Number 20.
9:26
The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
9:29
You were not born into this world to just pay bills, scroll aimlessly through
9:34
social media feeds, watch television, do things you hate, and then die.
9:39
You were born with unique gifts and talents, and it is life’s greatest
9:44
adventure to discover what these are and to share them with the world.
9:48
Don’t go through life accepting that five out of seven days
9:53
are going to be spent doing something that does not bring you joy or fulfillment.
9:57
Live each day with intention so that you own your days
10:01
rather than your days owning you Number 21.
Knowing yourself is the beginning of true wisdom
10:04
Knowing yourself is the beginning of true wisdom.
10:08
This is because you can’t have self-development without self-awareness.
10:13
For you can’t change what you are not aware of.
10:16
Number 22.
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On the days where it feels like you will never make progress.
10:20
Just remember how far you have come.
Remember how far you have come
10:23
If you can’t be grateful for what you currently have,
10:27
you will never have enough.
10:28
Appreciate where you are in your journey,
10:31
even if it is not where you want to be.
10:34
For every season serves a purpose.
Stop filling your calendar with junk
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Number 23.
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Stop filling your calendar with junk.
10:40
If you want your life to change, you must make space for it to happen.
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Nothing more can be added to a full calendar, a calendar
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that can often be filled with things that you have said yes to,
10:52
just to please other people and activities that would take you away from
10:56
the very things that will help you make progress towards where you want to be.
Do the work
11:00
Number 24.
11:02
If you did the work that you are currently avoiding,
11:05
you would have the results that you want At a minimum,
11:08
you will always end up in a better place by doing the work than avoiding it.
11:12
Overthinking, on the other hand, is the death of all great ideas and
11:16
opportunities.
11:17
You don’t have to have it all figured out in order to move forward.
11:20
The clarity you seek will come from the action that you take,
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and the next piece of advice will help with this.
Get important tasks done early in the day
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Number 25
11:29
get important tasks done early in the day when your energy is at its highest.
11:33
Once these are done, whatever else happens later in the day,
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you will have already had a productive day.
Have patience with the journey ahead
11:39
Number 26.
11:41
Have patience with the journey ahead To become a success story,
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you must be willing to look stupid
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and like a beginner for a long time before you start getting things right.
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Too many people ignore their dreams because they dislike
11:54
the idea of being a beginner and learning slowly.
11:57
So don’t let impatience and the fear of embarrassment
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become the biggest hurdle to your growth.
12:04
Sometimes it takes ten years to get that one year
12:08
that will completely change your life.
Act from your future, not your past
12:10
Number 27 Act from your future, not your past.
12:14
Let’s fast forward to a year from now and imagine that your life is the best
12:18
that it has ever been as a result of your own intentional choices.
12:23
What choices did you make today and in the coming weeks and months
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that made this reality a possibility for you?
Level up your network
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Number 28.
12:32
Level up your network.
12:34
The fastest way to make meaningful progress
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in any area of your life is to design an environment around you
12:41
that makes it impossible not to succeed Your circle of friends
12:45
will also change as you grow.
12:47
And this is all part of the personal development journey.
12:50
It is why your new life will cost you your old one.
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It is part of your evolution
12:55
and becoming as you move into the next phase of your growth.
12:59
Not everyone is focused on being better than who they were yesterday,
13:03
and that’s okay.
Commit to learning on a daily basis
13:04
Number 29.
13:06
Commit to learning on a daily basis.
13:08
There is this 100 hour rule which states
13:11
that if you spend 100 hours a year deepening your knowledge
13:15
in your chosen discipline (which is around 18 minutes a day),
13:19
you will be better than 95% of the world in that discipline.
13:24
So what will you spend your 18 minutes today learning about?
You are the architect of your destiny
13:28
Number 30.
13:29
You are the architect of your destiny.
13:32
You are both the sculpture and the sculptor
13:34
with your thoughts shaping your entire reality.
13:38
Your thoughts, therefore, can either be the gateway
13:41
to limitless achievement or a prison cell for your potential.
Make a difference, not just a living
13:45
Number 31.
13:47
Focus on making a difference, not just a living.
13:50
Your value is determined by
13:52
how much more you have given to the world than you have taken from it.
13:56
Add value to people’s each day,
13:58
however small, and watch your life transform.
Unknown paths often lead to the most rewarding journeys
14:01
Number 32.
14:02
Unknown paths often lead to the most rewarding journeys.
14:06
When you surrender to the unknown, you allow yourself to explore and experiment.
14:11
So be open to new experiences, constantly meet new people, try stuff
14:17
just because it is interesting and fun, and do a few things
14:21
that you will be excited to tell your kids about someday.
Spending money on things you don’t need to impress others is the fastest way to go broke
14:23
Number 33.
14:25
Spending money on things you don’t need or want
14:29
just to impress others is the fastest way to go broke.
14:32
Instead, learn how to invest and then put that money to work for you
14:37
so you can grow your financial wealth over time.
14:39
This way you are able to tap into the power of the compound effect.
14:44
The eighth wonder of this world.
14:46
Just look at Warren Buffett,
14:47
one of the most successful investors the world has seen.
14:51
99% of his current wealth was created after his 50th birthday.
Do stuff that makes you feel alive
14:56
Number 34.
14:57
Do stuff that makes you feel alive.
15:00
Focus your energy on things that make you come alive
15:04
and away from the things that make you miserable.
15:07
This is key to fulfilling your potential.
You will have good seasons and bad seasons
15:09
Number 35.
15:10
You will have good seasons and bad seasons.
15:13
You can’t control the weather, only be prepared for it.
15:16
And this leads me to Number 36.
Don’t tie your emotional wellbeing to an outcome that may or may not happen
15:19
Don’t tie your emotional well-being to something in the future
15:23
that may or may not happen.
15:24
Doing so will mean that you will end up living as if you are never going to die
15:29
and then die having never truly lived.
15:31
And your present will be full of anxiety, frustration and stress.
15:36
Inner peace comes from accepting what you can’t control
15:39
and focusing your energy instead on what you can.
Listen to your heart
15:42
Number 37. Listen to your heart.
15:45
There is a reason why the longest journey you will make
15:49
are the inches from your head to your heart.
15:51
Too often we ignore our intuition and innate wisdom
15:55
and place too much importance on the opinions of others,
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many of whom have not succeeded in what you are trying to do with your life.
16:03
In fact… Number 38.
Don’t take advice from those who haven’t done what you are trying to do
16:05
Don’t take advice from those who haven’t done what you are trying to do.
16:10
Everyone has advice to share with you.
16:13
Just make sure you are taking it from someone who has been in the arena
16:17
and not sitting on the sidelines as a spectator.
Leadership begins with you
16:20
Number 39.
16:21
Leadership begins with you.
16:24
You cannot be an effective leader of others
16:27
if you are not powerfully leading yourself first.
16:30
Lead yourself by living with intention each day.
16:33
And very soon your life will transform in the most magical of ways.
16:38
And this begins with taking care of your physical and mental energy,
16:42
for you can’t give what you don’t have.
16:44
And finally, number 40, It is never too late to make a change.
It is never too late to make a change
16:49
At some point you have to be honest
16:52
about the gap between the life you want to live,
16:55
and the life that your daily habits are currently leading you towards.
16:59
If your habits are causing that gap to widen, then do something about it.
17:03
It is never too late to make changes in your life to close that gap
17:08
between where you are now and where you want to be.
17:11
I hope you found this video useful.
17:13
Choose a few to implement this week
17:16
and see how simple adjustments to the way you operate can create dramatic change.
17:21
And make sure to keep this in mind.
17:23
You will suck at most things in the beginning With commitment,
17:27
consistency, persistence and patience,
17:30
however, anything becomes possible.
17:33
if you enjoyed this video,
17:35
it would be amazing
17:36
if you could subscribe, leave a comment below and give it a like.
17:40
Thank you for watching this far and I will see you in the next video.

2. speech from Good WIll Hunting

615
00:46:35,878 –> 00:46:40,089
I thought about what you said to me
the other day. About my painting.

616
00:46:40,215 –> 00:46:41,413
Oh.

617
00:46:41,549 –> 00:46:44,170
Stayed up half the night
thinkin’ about it.

618
00:46:45,511 –> 00:46:47,717
Something occurred to me.

619
00:46:47,846 –> 00:46:52,306
I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep
and haven’t thought about you since.

620
00:46:52,433 –> 00:46:55,387

You know what occurred to me?

No.

621
00:46:55,519 –> 00:46:59,647
You’re just a kid. You don’t have the
faintest idea what you’re talking about.

622
00:46:59,773 –> 00:47:03,272

Why, thank you.

It’s all right.

623
00:47:03,401 –> 00:47:05,726
You’ve never been out of Boston.

624
00:47:07,988 –> 00:47:09,612
Nope.

625
00:47:09,740 –> 00:47:14,733
So if I asked you about art, you’d probably give
me the skinny on every art book ever written.

626
00:47:14,869 –> 00:47:18,736
Michelangelo.
You know a lot about him.

627
00:47:18,872 –> 00:47:22,241
Life’s work. Political aspirations.
Him and the pope.

628
00:47:22,375 –> 00:47:26,835
Sexual orientation.
The whole works, right?

629
00:47:26,962 –> 00:47:31,209
I bet you can’t tell me what
it smells like in the Sistine Chapel.

630
00:47:33,426 –> 00:47:37,470
You never actually stood there
and looked up at that beautiful ceiling.

631
00:47:40,265 –> 00:47:42,803
Seen that.

632
00:47:42,934 –> 00:47:44,808
If I ask you about women…

633
00:47:44,936 –> 00:47:48,518
you’ll probably give me a syllabus
of your personal favourites.

634
00:47:48,647 –> 00:47:51,138
You may have even been laid
a few times.

635
00:47:56,946 –> 00:48:00,112
But you can’t tell me what it feels like
to wake up next to a woman…

636
00:48:00,241 –> 00:48:02,565
and feel truly happy.

637
00:48:05,787 –> 00:48:07,660
You’re a tough kid.

638
00:48:09,457 –> 00:48:13,039
I ask you about war, you’d probably, uh,
throw Shakespeare at me, right?

639
00:48:13,168 –> 00:48:16,453
“Once more into the breach,
dear friends. “

640
00:48:18,131 –> 00:48:21,084
But you’ve never been near one.

641
00:48:21,217 –> 00:48:23,968
You’ve never held
your best friend’s head in your lap…

642
00:48:24,094 –> 00:48:28,091
and watch him gasp his last breath
lookin’ to you for help.

643
00:48:30,391 –> 00:48:33,842
I ask you about love,
you’d probably quote me a sonnet…

644
00:48:35,479 –> 00:48:39,855
but you’ve never looked at a woman
and been totally vulnerable.

645
00:48:39,982 –> 00:48:44,062
Known someone that could
level you with her eyes.

646
00:48:44,194 –> 00:48:48,690
Feelin’ like God put an angel on Earth
just for you…

647
00:48:48,823 –> 00:48:51,528
who could rescue you
from the depths of hell.

648
00:48:51,659 –> 00:48:54,944
And you wouldn’t know
what it’s like to be her angel…

649
00:48:55,078 –> 00:48:58,114
to have that love for her
be there forever.

650
00:48:58,248 –> 00:49:02,708
Through anything. Through cancer.

651
00:49:02,835 –> 00:49:06,879
And you wouldn’t know about sleepin’ sittin’ up in
a hospital room for two months holding her hand…

652
00:49:07,005 –> 00:49:08,914
because the doctors could see
in your eyes…

653
00:49:09,049 –> 00:49:12,168
that the terms “visiting hours”
don’t apply to you.

654
00:49:13,969 –> 00:49:16,092
You don’t know about real loss…

655
00:49:16,221 –> 00:49:19,886
‘cause that only occurs when you love
something more than you love yourself.

656
00:49:21,309 –> 00:49:24,724
I doubt you’ve ever dared
to love anybody that much.

657
00:49:27,648 –> 00:49:32,641
I look at you, I don’t see
an intelligent, confident man.

658
00:49:34,862 –> 00:49:38,231
I see a cocky, scared shitless kid.

659
00:49:39,950 –> 00:49:43,283
But you’re a genius, Will.
No one denies that.

660
00:49:43,411 –> 00:49:46,993
No one could possibly understand
the depths of you.

661
00:49:47,122 –> 00:49:50,076
But you presume to know everything about
me because you saw a painting of mine.

662
00:49:50,208 –> 00:49:52,877
You ripped my fuckin’ life apart.

663
00:49:56,881 –> 00:49:58,837
You’re an orphan, right?

664
00:50:03,261 –> 00:50:06,843
Do you think I’d know the first thing
about how hard your life has been…

665
00:50:06,972 –> 00:50:09,545
how you feel, who you are…

666
00:50:09,683 –> 00:50:12,968
because I read Oliver Twist?

667
00:50:13,103 –> 00:50:15,510
Does that encapsulate you?

668
00:50:17,732 –> 00:50:20,269
Personally, I don’t give a shit
about all that.

669
00:50:20,400 –> 00:50:25,560
Because you know what? I can’t learn anything
from you I can’t read in some fuckin’ book.

670
00:50:27,198 –> 00:50:31,361
Unless you want to talk about you,
who you are.

671
00:50:32,869 –> 00:50:36,913
Then I’m fascinated.
I’m in.

672
00:50:38,874 –> 00:50:41,626
But you don’t wanna do that,
do you, sport?

673
00:50:44,254 –> 00:50:46,127
You’re terrified
of what you might say.

674
00:50:52,219 –> 00:50:54,211
Your move, chief.

3. What can I hold you with?

What can I hold you with?

I offer you lean streets, desperate sunsets, the moon of the ragged suburbs.

I offer you the bitterness of a man who has looked long and long at the lonely moon.

I offer you my ancestors, my dead men, the ghost that living men have honoured in marble: my father’s father killed in the frontier of Buenos Aires, two bullets through his lungs, bearded and dead, wrapped by his soldiers in the hide of a cow; my mother’s grandfather—just twentyfour—heading a charge of three hundred men in Perú, now ghosts on vanished horses.

I offer you whatever insight my books may hold, whatever manliness humour my life.

I offer you the loyalty of a man who has never been loyal.

I offer her that kernel of myself that I have saved, somehow–the central heart that deals not in words, traffics not with dreams and is untouched by time, by joy, by adversities.

I offer you the memory of a yellow rose seen at sunset, years before you were born.

I offer you explanations of yourself, theories about yourself, authentic and surprising news of yourself.

I can give you my loneliness, my darkness, the hunger of my heart; I am trying to bribe you with uncertainty, with danger, with defeat.

We choose to go to the moon.

But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon – We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we’re willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.

It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts in space from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.

In the last 24 hours we have seen facilities now being created for the greatest and most complex exploration in man’s history. We have felt the ground shake and the air shattered by the testing of a Saturn C-1 booster rocket, many times as powerful as the Atlas which launched John Glenn, generating power equivalent to 10,000 automobiles with their accelerator on the floor. We have seen the site where five F-1 rocket engines, each one as powerful as all eight engines of the Saturn combined, will be clustered together to make the advanced Saturn missile, assembled in a new building to be built at Cape Canaveral as tall as a 48 story structure, as wide as a city block, and as long as two lengths of this field.

Within these last 19 months at least 45 satellites have circled the earth. Some 40 of them were made in the United States of America and they were far more sophisticated and supplied far more knowledge to the people of the world than those of the Soviet Union. The Mariner spacecraft – The Mariner spacecraft now on its way to Venus is the most intricate instrument in the history of space science. The accuracy of that shot is comparable to firing a missile from Cape Canaveral and dropping it in this stadium between the 40-yard lines. Transit satellites are helping our ships at sea to steer a safer course. Tiros satellites have given us unprecedented warnings of hurricanes and storms, and will do the same for forest fires and icebergs.

We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public.

To be sure – To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead.

The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, in the home as well as the school. Technical institutions, such as Rice, will reap the harvest of these gains.

And finally, the space effort itself, while still in its infancy, has already created a great number of new companies, and tens and thousands of new jobs. Space and related industries are generating new demands in investment and skilled personnel, and this city and this State and this region will share greatly in this growth. What was once the furthest outpost on the old frontier of the West will be the furthest outpost on the new frontier of science and space. Houston – Your city of Houston, with its Manned Spacecraft Center, will become the heart of a large scientific and engineering community. During the next 5 years the [National Aeronautics] and Space Administration expects to double the number of scientists and engineers in this area, to increase its outlays for salaries and expenses to 60 million dollars a year; to invest some 200 million dollars in plant and laboratory facilities; and to direct or contract for new space efforts over 1 billion dollars from this Center in this city.

“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown

I spent the past decade studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. And I found that there’s one thing that we all have in common, and that is vulnerability. We often see vulnerability as a weakness, something that we want to hide at all costs. But in fact, vulnerability is the other side of courage.

For example, when we fall in love, we are essentially saying to someone, “I see you, I am here, and I am willing to be completely myself with you, flaws and all.” It’s a vulnerable act because we are exposing our hearts, risking rejection and heartbreak. When we start a new business, we are putting our ideas, our resources, and our reputations on the line. We are vulnerable to failure, to criticism, and to the unknown. And when we share our art with others, whether it’s a painting, a song, a poem, or a story, we are revealing a part of ourselves that is deeply personal. We are vulnerable to judgment and indifference.

I interviewed thousands of people and they shared their most vulnerable moments. One woman told me that after losing her job, she had to move back in with her parents. She felt like a failure and was ashamed to admit her situation to her friends. But when she finally mustered the courage to tell them, she was surprised by their support and understanding. Another man said that when he was diagnosed with a serious illness, he was terrified of how it would change his life. He had to face his mortality and rely on others for help. But in the process, he discovered a strength and resilience within himself that he didn’t know he had.

However, it’s precisely these vulnerable moments that enable us to form deep connections with others. When we have the courage to show our vulnerability, we are sending a message to others that it’s okay to be imperfect, that we all have struggles and insecurities. We create a space for others to show their true selves, to share their own vulnerabilities. And in that space, true intimacy and connection can grow. Moreover, admitting our vulnerability doesn’t mean that we’re not strong enough. On the contrary, it’s the source of our strength. Because only by facing our vulnerability can we truly face our fears, learn from our mistakes, and grow in the process.

“How Great Leaders Inspire Action” by Simon Sinek

All great leaders and organizations think, act, and communicate from the inside out, starting with the “why.” Let me give you an example. Apple. Apple doesn’t sell computers, mobile phones, or other electronics. They sell an idea, an idea of challenging the status quo, pursuing innovation and simplicity.

When you walk into an Apple store, you won’t see the salespeople coming up and introducing you to the product’s various specifications first. They’ll ask you, how do you want to change your life? What kind of tools do you hope to use to express your creativity? This is starting from the “why.” Apple believes that people don’t just buy products; they buy what those products can do for them, how they can help them achieve their dreams and fulfill their potential.

In contrast, other companies often start with the “what.” They’ll say, we make the best laptops, and it has a high-resolution screen, a fast processor, and so on. But this way of communication makes it difficult for consumers to have an emotional resonance. They may be impressed by the features, but they won’t necessarily feel a deep connection to the brand. Starting from the “why” is like a magnetic field that attracts those who share the same beliefs as you. It creates a sense of loyalty and commitment among customers, employees, and partners.

This approach is not only applicable to enterprises but also to social movements and personal growth. Martin Luther King had a “why,” that was the dream of racial equality. He didn’t just say, “We should end segregation because it’s unfair.” He said, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” His “why” inspired countless people to join the civil rights movement, to fight for justice and equality, not because they were forced to, but because they believed in the same dream.

“Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator” by Tim Urban

Procrastination is a very common phenomenon in our lives. There’s a rational decision-maker and an instant-gratification monkey in our brains. For example, you plan to write an essay today. When you sit at your desk, the rational decision-maker tells you that this is important and we should start working. But then, the instant-gratification monkey jumps out and says, hey, watch an episode of TV first, or play a game first.

The procrastinator’s brain is like a stage, and this monkey is playing around on it, while the rational decision-maker can only sigh helplessly in the corner. I myself have a deep understanding of this. I once had an important project, and the deadline was getting closer and closer, but I could always find various excuses to procrastinate. One moment I thought I wasn’t ready with the right tools, and the next moment I thought I wasn’t in the right state.

It’s not until the pressure of the deadline is so great that the monkey can’t ignore it that it jumps off the stage and the rational decision-maker can regain control. But at this time, we often have to complete the task under tremendous pressure. So, understanding these two characters in our brains is the first step in overcoming procrastination. We need to learn to tame that instant-gratification monkey, to make it listen to the rational decision-maker. One way to do this is to break the task into smaller, more manageable steps, and set clear deadlines for each step. Another way is to find an accountability partner, someone who can check on your progress and hold you accountable. By doing these, we can gradually train our brains to make better decisions and overcome procrastination.