CAPSULE | READS: An Effective Life

Key takeaways on: Recognizing Nature’s Ability to Teach Great Truths

1. Let nature teach you about natural laws
   > nature is always teach great truths if we are open to learning
2. Let nature increase your self awareness
   > practice objective introspection: until we see ourselves from outside ourselves, we will automatically project our motive onto other people
   > plan > react | think about the vision you want
   > decide to view life in circles of influence vs circles of concern
   ➡ circle of influence says, “I can be…”
   ➡ circle of concern says, “If I could have…”
   > each habit depends on the development of our proactive muscles
3. Let nature teach you how to nurture relationships
   > focus on relationships, not schedules
   > build your character & your relationships on the bedrock of principles:
   ➡ trust
   ➡ tempered judgement
   ➡ understand, then seek to be understood
   ➡ family
   ➡ positive change
   ➡ empathetic listening
   ➡ correcting misunderstandings
4. Let nature guide your choices
   > carry your own weather: choose to be consistent regardless of how people treat you | be proactive
   > recognize the value of choice (1. humans have widest scope of choice | 2. humans have moral choice
   > I am a product of my decisions
5. Let nature show you how to celebrate diversity
   > synergy is not my way/your way | synergy is understanding deeply
   > strength lies in differences, not similarities
   > value relationships | everything in nature is connected to everything else

Ultimate freedom is the right & power to decide how anything and anyone outside ourselves will affect us.

Each habit depends on the development of our proactive muscles & each waits for you to act.

If you wait to be acted upon, you will be acted upon & growth and opportunity consequences attend either road.

Objective introspection: until we see ourselves from outside ourselves, we will automatically project our motive onto other people.

Discipline comes from within — a function of independ will — you are a follower of your own deep values and their source. The will (integrity) to support your feeling to those values.

The haves and the bes

• haves ➡ circle of concern | “If I had more obedient kids…” | lack mindset
• bes ➡ circle of influence | “I can be more patient” > “I can be more loving” | character focused

Rescripting: becoming your own first creator

1. imagination — visualizing the world that lie within us
2. conscience — through conscience we can come in contact with universal laws & principles without our own singular talents + contribution combined

➡ Combined with self-awareness, we proactively begin to rescript ourselves

Experience + Embrace to walk a more effective path of life.

Let Nature Teach You How to Nurture Relationships

Focus on relationships, not schedules.

• begin with the end in mind
• look first to yourself: to improve relationships, don’t look to other for change, don’t look for easy shortcuts — look at yourself
• sacrifice: we need enter relationship with mutual respect
• walls & relationships: think win/win + seek first to understand, then to understand + synergize
  > people need internal strength to think we not me)
• family: we all travel different paths
• positive change: change in any part, effects all parts
  > for an effective leader, change is a companion — a friend
• empathetic listening & correcting misunderstanding: the first takes time, but less time than correcting misunderstanding / mishappenings

Let Nature Guide Your Choices

I am a product of my decisions

• let your guiding principles be courage and integrity
• conscious choice: we can choose to value principles
  > principles control consequences, values, behaviors
  > the more our values are aligned with principles, the better decisions we’ll make
  > our ability to choose affirms that each of us is a leader
• choice & timeless principles reflect wisdom that lead to contribution
• choose to look forward | don’t look in the rear view mirror
• reactive vs proactive:
  > reactive ➡ love = verb | reactive people are driven by feelings
  > proactive ➡ make love a verb | love is something you do
• understanding transformations & changes: to effectively work with change, we must understand it
• affirmation basic ingredients:
  > personal + visual + present tense + emotional

Let Nature Show You How to Celebrate Diversity

Everything in life is interconnected.

• synergy is understanding deeply | releasing your way of thinking as the only way of thinking
• differing perspectives don’t make anyone wrong | simply different way of perceiving the world
• choose to see diversity as a way of engaging with life

Quotes to ponder

Respond to these quotes:

Tranquility leads to dynamic thinking and creative communication. Is tranquility your natural strength? Can you teach it to others? How can you improve?

Until we see ourselves from outside objectively, we will automatically project our motives to other people. Have you seen this in your own life? If so, how do you think it affects your relationships?

You can choose not to be offended, seek out your adversary and listen with empathy. In the future, how do you plan to handle a situation when you feel offended?

Anytime you think the problem is out there, that thought is the problem. Why is it easier to be reactive than proactive in a situation? What is your personal tendency? How can you improve?

Describe your family’s unique and precious family culture. How do you feel around someone who is a good listening? Is there a relationship you’d like to nurture? If so, with whom, why & how do you plan to nurture it?

Our choices reflect wisdom and lead to contribution. What are your ideas about this idea?

What type of future do you dream of for yourself, your family, your other important relationships? Have you experienced the miracle of synergy? How and where can you find a way to celebrate more difference?

We can be examples and create peace in the world & we can grow our influence to help others discover peace. What needs to happen in your life in order to be an example and create peace so others may discover it from you? What is your plan?

Introducing Reads as a capsule in the Learn Segment. Each week for the remainder of the year, we’ll be extracting key takeaways and notes from 26 books read in 26 weeks as a practice to nourish learning. Join us in the (re)wiring!