Brainjour

Justin Kerby

A Little Stoicism Every Morning

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This year I’m reading a book by Ryan Holiday, called The Daily Stoic. The way it works is every morning, you read one page and really digest its message. I liked the idea so I’ve been giving it a go this year. 

It’s the second book I’ve read by Holiday. The Obstacle is the Way was another good read, and I figured I could use more stoicism in my life. If you’ve never heard of stoicism, here’s the scoop. 

There are three disciplines. Perceptions, actions, and will. There’s more to it than this, but to sum it up:

1. Control your perceptions

2. Direct your actions properly

3. Willingly accept what’s outside your control

Point #3 is particularly important, and really driven home by the Stoics. 

Most people recommend starting with Seneca or Marcus Aurealius, if you’re thinking about investigating. I think it’s been a good investment of my time. 

Becoming an American

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Last Friday, I became a US citizen. Yes, coincidentally, it was the same day that Donald Trump was sworn in as President – January 20th, 2017. I was one of the last people who became a citizen under President Obama’s tenure.

It was the culmination of over a decade of work, started by my parents when I was 17 years old, and finished by me.

A lot of work went into this. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very doable – but you have to be willing to put the time in. There are countless meetings, forms, and bureaucratic hoops to jump through in order to get to this day. But if you put in the time, you won’t be disappointed.

In order to qualify for citizenship, I had to spend a majority of my time in the US. Dating a woman from Canada, I was constantly keeping track of my days away from the US. It was a challenge that I’m happy to say is over with. Now, I can choose to spend my time where I wish, and enjoy the benefits of being an American citizen.

Having dual citizenship has its perks, namely that I can work where I choose. I own a business that is based in the United States, but I love day to day life in Canada. It’s nice to be able to do both at the same time.

Here’s a photo of me at the ceremony. Definitely a good day for me.

justin kerby

Hiking at Garibaldi Provincial Park

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On August 23rd of 2015, my girlfriend Amanda convinced me to hike up to Garibaldi, which is located a couple of hours from Vancouver. It’s about a 20km round trip hike, and I figured I would enjoy the challenge.

Now that it’s all said and done, I definitely enjoyed it. At the time though, it was hard as hell. Basically, you walk up switchbacks for 3 hours, each one looking the exact same in an attempt to test your mental strength.

Once at the top, the views are breathtaking. Garibaldi is a glacier fed lake, with stunning blue water that is as cold as it gets. Here are some photos of the hike, the glacier, and the lake.

How to Improve Your Working Memory

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improve your memory

I recently watched an awesome TED Talk on working memory, and how it helps us make sense of the world.

Peter Doolittle talks for 10 minutes about his experience with working memory in this talk below. Here are the coles notes:

1. Process your life immediately and in the moment – do you agree with what’s happening, how can you use it later?
I think this means we need to pay attention and live in the present moment. Meditation helps me do this. When you’re in a conversation, be all there – don’t be texting or listening in on the conversation next to you.
2. We need to repeat stuff – you need to practice, pull out notes, and think about what you’ve learned.
I use Evernote to take notes when I’m reading, watching, or learning about anything. I love going back into my notes and reading the most important parts. Repetition is key to learning for me.
3. Think elaborative and illustriously – wrap your existence around your new knowledge so it becomes meaningful.
How does what you’re learning about relate to your own life? Ask yourself these questions as you learn and fit your new knowledge into your own story. This is something I need to work on, as it’s the first I’ve heard of this strategy.
4. Use imagery – pull images out of things you learn – if you read about a character, picture him.
I’m taking a “Super Learners” course on Udemy that really stresses this point. If you want to remember something, you need to attach detailed imagery to it. I was shocked at how well this strategy worked when I first started implementing it.
5. We need meaningful support – ask questions, support what you learn.
I think this speaks to diving into your subject matter. If you want to learn about anything, you need to immerse yourself in the subject. Reading one article isn’t enough, keep asking questions.

Take home message:

What we process we learn. if we’re not processing life, we’re not living it.

Here’s the TED Talk:

Self Help vs. Self Made

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self help vs self made

I’ve read a lot of self-help books, but I’m starting to grow tired of the genre. Over and over again, many of these books have a message that could be summed up in a paragraph but is stretched out into 300 pages.

It’s good marketing. A catchy title, a fancy cover, and the continuing promise that the next chapter has all the secrets. The first book I read this year, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck, is a perfect example. I found it to be one of the most predictable reads I’ve come across. It’s like the author decided that swearing and sounding ridiculous at times was enough of an original idea to wrap boring content around and keep me interested.

Don’t get me wrong – some books in this category are truly helpful and have been great reads. How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic example of a self-help book that holds up, but it seems to me that every week a new self-help book that falls into the garbage category intrigues me. So, I’m making a switch.

I’m going to focus on reading more books by authors who have major accomplishments. Self-made people. Some of my favorite books over the past few years have been memoirs and biographies. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nelson Mandela, Michael Jordan, and Steve Martin all were the subjects of some of my favorite reads.

Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog has been on my to-read list for a while. I think that will be my next purchase. I’m also going to be reading a lot of Psychology books this year, as the field is becoming more and more interesting to me.

What are you reading this year? Tweet me.