Happiness

•   Suffering comes from strong attachment to outcomes. (blended Buddhist thinking)

•   I'd rather jump a one foot hurdle. (W. Buffett)

•   Most happiness in life comes from serving others. (I. Sidhu)

•   Forgive.

•   Express gratitude.

•   Don't waste time trying to understand the unknowable.

•   Reaching the goal is never exactly what you imagined.

•   Limit your commute to 15 minutes.

Business and Investing

•   When the facts change, I change my mind -- what do you do?  (J. M. Keynes)

•   It's much easier to predict what will happen, than when it will happen. (W. Buffett)

•   Remain within your circle of competence. (W. Buffett)

•   Maintain a margin of safety. (B. Graham)

•   Obtain maximum information for minimum cost. (W. Sahlman)

•   Understand a person's motives and you understand how they will act. (A. Satchu)

•   When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

•   Business success is graded on the curve.  Relationship success is based on open communication and good intent. (J. Burgstone)

•   You don't make money by investing in a good company...you make money investing in a company that is better than the market thinks. (R. Vishney)

Tenacity and Dealing with Adversity

•   This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.  Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. (W. Churchill)

•   Speak softly but carry a big stick, you will go far. (T. Roosevelt)

•   Burn the ships.

Relationships and Life

•   Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

•   Marry someone you love to talk to.  As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

•   Don't believe all that you hear, spend all that you have, or sleep all that you want.

•   When you say, "I love you," mean it.

•   Believe in love at first sight.

•   Never laugh at anyone's dreams.  People who don't have dreams don't have much.

•   Love deeply and passionately.  You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.

•   Don't judge me, and I won't judge you.

•   Speak slowly, but think quickly.

•   When someone asks a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

•   When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

•   Remember the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for your actions.

•   Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

•   Life is short, live it well.

© 2007-2008 Jonathan Burgstone