Derek Documents

Take the advice you give to others. Detach from your ego and self-involvement. Develop self-awareness. Where are you weak? Where are you strong? Above all, eat your own dog food. Practice what you preach. Take your own advice. This is a note to self more than anything else.

It's important to test your assumptions, and then learn from the feedback you get. In business this is critical. When it's paired with a passion it can be fun, and valuable experience. Right now I'm testing a new Amazon original paperback in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Japan and the Kindle version in Brazil, Mexico, and India via Facebook ads.  Being a fan of human psychology, consumer behavior, and statistics (to a very limited degree!), this is fun for me. That shameless plug aside, it's important that we constantly ask ourselves why we think we're right about something, and test whenever possible.

Words are important. They can be fun--or a real pain in the ass. Self-narratives are built with words. These inner-monologues are constantly playing in our heads. They're how we shape our perceptions of Reality. What stories are you telling yourself? 

Death is something every human has to do. (If/when immortality is achieved, whether through genetic engineering or robot integration, then those beings will not be human.) Yet so many of us delude ourselves with the belief it won't happen to us. It will. Worse, so many people, especially in the US, fear death. Death is a natural function. It's also inevitable. Fear paralyzes. It makes it impossible to have a thoughtful discussion. It minimizes our ability to thoroughly enjoy life. Finally, it's utterly pointless--fearing an inevitability does nothing except dampen the spirit while it still possesses the body. In short, it's stupid. Not being afraid to die is NOT the same thing as wanting to die. Unfortunately, fear can cloud one's mind to the point of not being able to tell one from another. Acceptance, not eagerness. Love every single thing that happens to you and you'll never be disappointed. You're gonna die--do something about it while yo...

Winners fail. Losers fail. The difference between the two is that winners don't just take it. They deploy patience, tenacity, and grit when they fail. We all get punched in the face and fall to the canvas. If you want to win, you have to get up. Again. And again. And again. Falling, if you're trying new things and growing, is inevitable. Brushing yourself off when life smacks you down is a choice. We all fall. These experiences are painful, no doubt. But staying down and whining about how unfair life is won't help. So we're left with only one option. Get up. Wipe the blood from your mouth. Smile. Then get right back at it. That's how we win.

Why do you like the sports teams you like? Why do you dislike a certain group of people based solely on some immutable quality they possess? Why do you believe there is an omnipotent man in the clouds who takes requests? Or worse, why do you believe killing people who don't believe the same things as you do will get you 72 virgins when you die? The answer to all of these questions is conditioning. Human beings are not born with pre-programmed beliefs. Rather, we're conditioned by friends. family, and society to hold certain values. And, since our brains our hardwired to be accepted by the tribe for survival purposes, we often blindly follow. Little to nothing is actually you . Human beings are dynamic. If you're holding onto destructive habits because "that's just the way I am," that's bullshit. You're saying the conditioned narratives running in your head are you. They aren't. Next time you find yourself doing or thinking something harmf...

Pointing fingers and assigning blame isn't forward progress. If anything, it leads to digression and hurt b-holes. When someone--unsolicited--tries to fix you how do you feel? Exactly. When we focus on ourselves, though, then real progress can be made. Dominion over our internal states is the only true power we're afforded. But what an awesome power! The ability to influence the form and function of your brain. The capacity to train your emotional responses. We win from within. Stop pointing fingers. Fix yourself.