Life is what you make it (Peter Buffett)

General Impressions of the book

Summary of the book

1. The author talks about the idea of privilege which actually makes a lot of sense that is. Privilege is having more opportunities to fuck up. Privilege is having the chance to have more than one shot at what you wanna do. There is a good chance that you wont find it in the first try. But at least it will help you find the things you don’t wanna do. And not everybody has that opportunity to just change ships cause it is not a level playing field.
2. The way to find your true vocation…..is not known by anyone. It just happens! And in some cases develops overtime. But when you do. Don’t just just find a keep it… DO IT. And be prepared for what it could turn into cause with the wishes that come true would come more responsibilities.
3. Finally getting ‘successful’ in that field is what you decide that is the definition of being successful. Of course to be popular you have to sometimes do what the public requests but that is success defined as a means to please the public (not to be misunderstood that it is not important) but there is a definition of success which you make for yourself too.
4. And at last the mistakes. There is no safe play. Because even in a safe play you’ll see yourself making mistakes all through the tenure. So if the mistakes were supposed to be there anyway then why not go for something more fulfilling for yourself.

Impressions of the book (General Thoughts)

This is a very vanilla book that is written in the very basic way of conveying information but the information it conveys is very very useful. The idea of handling privileges in a way that it doesn’t mess with your head as well as give you the insight of the world and making the most advantage of those privileges. The book in a very simple language teaches how to navigate around life and just in general experiment more.

Who should read it?

This book is for almost everybody who is interested in thinking about how to go about life but I feel the young people who are just getting started should give it a read. The book may or may not give insightful things to the older generation but it would definitely help people who are getting into their careers or thinking about how they can think about their careers or what to do with the success they’ve made of themselves.

3 best quotes in the book

• Everyone knows that money can’t buy happiness, but there’s also a widespread if tacit understanding that happiness can’t buy money
• Not all who wander are lost (Some who wander are lost though!) // Wandering through a labyrinth of choices is not a symptom of being lost, but a necessary passage on the road to being found
• A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are portals of discovery.
• Experience keeps a dear school, but a fool learns in no other — Benjamin Franklin
• I could be whatever I wanted to be, but not do whatever I wanted to do. In other words, my aspiration could be boundless but behaviour was subject to right and fitting limits
• The argument between Eastern and Western philosophies cannot be settled but it can be said that, “ For a person with true work-vocation, doing equals being. And, for a person with sincere happiness vocation, being equals doing.”
• Chance (Luck) favours the prepared mind

Detailed Notes (Random things I learned from the book)

• The Eastern philosophies tend to espouse the primacy of being — of quiet contemplation, mindfulness, and the experience of connection and serenity; in a word, happiness. Western traditions tend to emphasize doing- achieving, accomplishing, leaving a mark; in a word, work. The argument between these two cannot be settled but it can be said that, “ For a person with true work-vocation, doing equals being. And , for a person with sincere happiness vocation, being equals doing.”
• A quote attributed to German poet Goethe “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans : that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Originally published at https://www.tanmaydev.com on May 17, 2021.