Copyrights

Copyright © 2023 by Ben McCahill

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, investment, accounting or other professional services. While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional when appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, personal, or other damages.

Book Cover by Braindrops.me

First edition 2023

Blurbs

How to begin with the end in mind

Examples of my dream blurbs, these are the types of responses I would love, not to pull more sales, just as a genuine response for 'what does success look like'…… because I wish to create an on-ramp for the second book in this series called 'Straighten up – Fly right' – it goes into a LOT more detail on why personal brand is the new website, and How to be authentic as you create and grow that brand. This second volume is written purely from personal experience, Learning how immunise true self from business buzzword and tick boxing, from marketing mush and LinkedIn likes to find my own hesitant voice and sing to the world, straight and true….. (published April 2024)

NONE OF THESE ARE REAL – do not use – they are just my dream of the kind of impact on peoples live that COULD happen in a perfect world…..

Meister Magoo

"Authentic Intelligence….. is a must read for any teacher… It brought me right back to WHY I am a teacher and how to embrace change instead of being constantly anxious. The book has shown me how to change my game in a positive way – my students are more engaged and enthusiastic, they can clearly see that I am a fellow traveller on this road and not simply trying to force feed tired old beliefs and rote learning…" – Kay Smith, primary school teacher and  author

" …is a game-changer for anyone who wants to lean into the next wave …. My life and career line up in a way I never thought possible . I feel bulletproof and look forward what the future brings for the first time. It gave me the kick I needed to write my own book, to be myself…….since then I helped many people who were feeling overwhelmed and anxious. - Lisa Jones, a mid-level manager in a tech company and author

"…  is a great introduction to the "Why" of AI without jargon or clever argument. I feel that it has helped me grow my very own brand of authentic intelligence, one that will last well beyond the next decade…..I have gone from coping and worrying to being able to be a valuable guide for my children and their friends.. ".- Mary Brown, a stay-at-home mom

"…..It is like having a well-trained pack of arctic hounds as I explore this new world. Using the exercises and practise I can now go farther and faster than I ever thought, and feel comfortable exploring this brave new world world…." Bobby Browne, college Student

NONE OF THESE ARE REAL – do not use – they are just my dream of the kind of impact on peoples live that COULD happen in a perfect world:

end of blurb

Foreward

Many thanks for choosing to open this book. In return, I wish to save you lots of time. If you are looking for views or insights on what may happen next in the world of automation and AI then this is not the book for you. This is a non technical series on how to to confidently navigate whatever life throws at you, in real time.

How many times have you got on a plane or bus or boat and the captain has asked, OK folks, where shall we go today? Let me know your hopes and fears and we will figure out what to do next. It just does not happen. There is weather, and unforeseen events, sure. There is also a competent captain, she knows her stuff, knows how to stay aloft, where she is going and what to do no matter what happens. Become that Captain.

If you truly wish to see that you already have all that it takes to navigate everything that comes your way, then welcome aboard. This guide offers practical steps for how we live and work with AI. It takes lessons learned from personal experience and interviews with many who have shown themselves to be both successful and happy through the last four waves of massive disruption. I find it interesting that the spell checker asks Possible redundancy? Are you saying the same thing twice?. No, I am not. These two states are as different as can be, as shown in the coming chapters.

I understand the feeling of losing to AI. The dread or unease in the gut. Yet it has many limitations. This handbook takes advantage of these limits in order to change how we be. Used regularly, it has radically changed how I live and work with the Silicon genie. As we interact with it, so the Genie response develops. So perhaps learn to picture yourself as a new parent, with the joy and responsibility of shaping a powerful future for your family.

Here is your new daily mantra as an active citizen and AI user:

"What I do with Tech is what Tech does to me"

AI is no ones fault. Learn to see each new generation of technology as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The more people use it, the more evident the leaning becomes. Any bend in the tower gets locked in as we build each additional layer on top and settle in. This is an incredibly important point. I will repeat it over and over. The leaning has been a consistent occurrence in every disruption and will repeat itself. How we use technology always impacts its evolution. The more powerful the technology, the faster the tower will lean.

"Meister Magoo is an antidote to the current habit of putting in quotes of eternal wisdom. A self referential Cheshire Cat of total fiction"

An aircraft which stalls will immediately spin wildly downward. During training, pilots must learn to suppress old instincts that no longer serve. They must learn to do what actually works, regardless of old belief. When they do so, the tail spin comes to an end, in seconds. If they do not learn, they do not get a license to fly. This book is all about doing what works. To shine a light on who you actually are and where you are going. Exercises in this book teach essential navigation skills that never change, and ditch any beliefs which no longer serve overboard. Make them automatic in your daily life and no matter what else changes, you can be successful and happy.

Also By

Other books by the same author:

● Straighten up! – Detailed planning for independent living on your own terms

● The Invisible Mirror – How to find your way home when all those around are lost

Why listen to me?

I have been entranced by Authentic Intelligence for five decades. I am an insider to the four preceding technology shifts, having toiled in the fields which created them. My fifth and final tour of duty (in AI) has been smouldering since the 1980s, yet I am still startled that it has leaped into life. I played a teeny part in creating this technological tower, layer upon layer. It is a tower that is now starting to lean and sway alarmingly, so part of my reason for writing is atonement. Did I mention I now write full time?

One startling effect of this latest wave will be that there will be nowhere for anyone to hide. We will be required to live and act in real time – not on past success. What this means and what to do about it are covered in later chapters but it is already clear that traditional roles, beliefs and work practice are being stripped away. We will constantly adapt to the next set of work and life practises. I use pilot metaphors and skills through the book. Birds fly in real time, so we shall live and trim and adapt in real time.

I had the supreme privilege of witnessing the maiden flight of a fledgling bird some years ago. I was sitting at the back of the house around dawn, just before midsummer, with my dog. There were several house martens were zapping around a nest in the eaves of the roof at top speed. One seriously big bad baby bird was leaning out of the nest, stretched to the limit, mouth wide for food. No bird came close enough to feed it, so it leaned out further and further until disaster! It fell from the nest. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as it tumbled until Whoosh–with a burst of manic fluttering, it took off. I will never forget that morning.

As mentioned, each layer of disruption has settled down yet it has developed a slight bias, a tendency to evolve in a particular direction. Each layer builds on what has gone before. Now that we are on the upper levels of this tower of technology it has all started to lean over quite alarmingly.  As our lives now depend on this tower and its increasing speed of change, we must learn how to live in real time. What this means and how to master the skills required are all covered in the coming chapters. My dream is that Authentic Intelligence may help straighten it out.

Here is what you will learn in this book:

● Aviate: How to assess your situation, ensure you remain upright, level and shipshape no matter what the circumstance.

● Navigate: How to decide where to go, where you can safely reach. How much baggage you have onboard and what needs to be ditched so you can manoeuvre with grace and style (style is important :)

● Communicate: how to remain clear, lucid and relevant as you interact with others en-route.

Always remember:

What you do with technology ends up being what technology does to you. Play nice

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Overview

Manoeuvring: A sequence requiring skill and care.

Ed note: This chapter is FAR to long. My object was just to get everything into the one place, then learn how to turn each insight into a stand alone piece that can be re-spun as articles, introductions, overviews and basically become like a series of tiles that can be re-assembled into a mosaic almost in any order, depending on what the reader needs. Ambitious but there it is. So This volume I becomes a printed proof-of-work but the website can cut/paste / reassemble works based on what different audience segments find most useful

What may change – and what stays the same? This guide argues that AI platforms change the path of human evolution. I prefer to use the term Silicon Genie rather than AI platform as it reminds me everything is so much more interactive from now on, everything will gradually learn to respond in more novel and surprising ways. It also stops me getting too full of myself, because the first rule of Genie school is  be careful what you wish for . Besides, people just stand on platforms and wait for trains, or talk out of their hat. No one will ever just stand on this platform. So I will use Silicon Genie from now on.

What else?

The Silicon Genie is no ones fault. I have learned to think of new generation of technology as being like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The more people use it, the more evident the leaning becomes. Any bend in the tower becomes solid as we build each additional layer on top and settle in. So throughout the book keep thinking of this image of a leaning tower of technology. This is an incredibly important point. I will repeat it over and over. The leaning has been a consistent occurrence in every disruption and will repeat itself. WE need to straighten it up before it collapses upon us. How we use technology always impacts its evolution. The more powerful the technology, the faster the tower will lean.

Also, consider this: an aircraft which stalls will immediately spin wildly downward. It is equally exhilarating and horrifying. During training, pilots must learn to suppress old instincts that no longer serve. Doing what works, regardless of beliefs, will end the spin in seconds. This is the core practise, based on millennia of successful navigation: illuminate and eliminate old beliefs which no longer serve.

What else?

One of the most significant changes will be from a consumer to a creator economy. A sort of by their deeds shall you know them. As the attention deficit spins grows ever larger there will come a point where attention cannot really function beyond real time. Pop. No more  past successes  or  it was always done this way . Every day will be Day Zero, life in real time. It says here you are funny? Really? Make me laugh. Now.

This is where the Silicon Genie comes in. It is comprised of hundreds of millions of creative outputs. It can predict the next word or phrase with very high accuracy, simultaneously, to well over a hundred million curious souls. That figure will grow beyond the population of the planet. Humans can barely handle 100 connections. Over a lifetime. I said  predict . No mention of mind or intelligence or witchcraft. Imagine you can bring one single buddy along on a dangerous and exciting journey. Would you choose someone who is a deep domain expert in a single area (playing the spoons? Medicine? Dodgeball?) Or would you choose one who can whisper in your ear details of what is about to happen in the actual real world,  with 90% accuracy – and what you should do about it? Now that is a vision. Jetpacks be darned.

Today we pick up our Kindle and look for eBooks. Imagine if, someday, there are no eBooks. You pick up the Kindle and it says  based on what you appear to be most concerned about right now, I predict the most beneficial source of assistance/  new destination / way to alleviate your current situation is to listen to X, or watch Y and so on.

Imagine that.

One other thing. If a human from one thousand years ago say this happening, where you pick up a device, put your finger up to it, the device recognizes you from your face and body signatures and offers you wisdom and prediction. To them you just summoned a genie, right? Only difference is that today you probably will not get torn to pieces or burned alive or drowned as a with. Not yet anyway. However, remember Genie 101: Be VERY careful what you wish for.

Oh but Genies hallucinate. Make stuff up. Trick you. So what? We all do that. This is what conversation is for, to rein us back in via social norms. To keep it real. Stick to what you see buddy. That is what constant work reviews and random drug tests are for. Humans have been dealing with the effects of hallucination ever since apple juice or grrape just was stored and  went funny . Since we first fell out of trees reaching for what appeared to be food on the next branch.

So what will not change? This guide argues there are three core skills that will become ever more in demand as we transition from a consumer economy to a creator economy, to more and more living in real time and creating what we need when we need it. All are based on the one thing that is responsible for our persistent existence over the millennia. Navigation.

If anything like these possibilities were ever to happen, past successes and unexamined beliefs and unconscious habits would almost no social survival value. Is there value in passive belief in authority and consumption? Go ask a Panda.

Manoeuvre: (noun): a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.

I mean the end of unexamined beliefs. To the unthinking sense of security and comfort that arises from trust in centralised authority. To blind belief in anything that does not pass the rigorous eye of a trained investigator. Time to leave the comfortable, confining nest, learn how to fly, to navigate by your north star and …..sing. This book is born from 40 years experience in successfully navigating wave upon wave of tremendous change, both in technology, where entire industries stumbled badly only to be overtaken by new and more agile alternatives which the old guard could not imagine, mostly out of fear of what it might mean for them. This paralysis and denial led to a kind of  self healing organisation  no matter what the evidence the individuals or companies found a way to stay calm and keep going, until they didn t. It is just a fact that each wave builds on the one before, each wave reinforces and becomes stronger because it is built on what has gone before. This scenario is one core truth that is NOT going to change in the next 10 years.

TopTip: Do not believe that being a  self healing  organisation is beneficial in this wave of disruption. The Titanic had self healing tanks. The same is true for career and life planning. Zoom out and prepare for significant change. Spectacular change.

The penny dropped for me recently as I was researching books and technical papers for my next book. There is a radical uptick within AI and neuropsychology on what  thinking  is and is not. On how emotions are  made . On brain plasticity and how functional areas are spread across the brains. Yes brains – there is  literally more than one side to this story. Alongside these topics there is the growing attention deficit – more and more information, pressure, stress at home at work and in ones social world are all reaching some form of tipping point.  What to do?

This prompted quite a crisis and led to a serious internal audit.  To distil and compress a lifetime of experience into 30 days is not easy yet it had to be done. Looking back to really understand how myself and many others have navigated and thrived I ended up time and again looking to when I was most lost in order to get some clues – to lessons learned at sea and in the air  - for clues.

This led me to my survivors guide for all disruptions and which are covered in the coming chapters – principles for living that are always true:

Learn how to thrive in real time

Get out of your own way

Fire the mind (as in, throw away all beliefs that no longer serve)

Do one thing well. Then do another.

Persist AND play nice

This works. Whether your who am I? instrument panel stops working, or you cannot find a way forward, your entire sense of who you are is threatened, your entire future seems to be on the line. These steps work. No matter the tidal waves or storms or threats or opportunities that arise in your environment in the next ten years, these steps work.

Live in real time

summarise the Pilots Prayer: aviate – then navigate – then communicate rule. Get upright and stable, figure out where the North Star is, interact with others to help get you there.

Get out of your own way

in which I introduce the tips and techniques for how to get out of the way – flesh out next revision

Fire the mind

Right now it may seem either trite or unclear what this actually means and HOW they apply to current circumstances. Each of these topics are covered in detail in their own chapter, for now, here is a first pass at what is meant.

Humour me for a section. Right now you may be thinking well my mind is made up – except your mind is not a bed. Or my mind is open – except its not a door.

So what???? Well, if changing  your mind  can change your life, right? What we think, HOW we think changes our life, so wht if you changed not jut thought or mind, what if I fire my mind completely, throw it out  and get a new one. What if mind is not a place, or a state, or a belief so why not? If it is not place or a stat of being or  where thoughts light up  then HOW can it be  yours ? What if  mind  is something like  mental weather ?   Nothing more? What if It is all just  Braindrops keep forming in my head

You now may be thinking, I am lost, I am more concerned, this is nuts. Stick around. If all of these are true, then what is needed more thatn ANYTHING else? Solid navigation. knowing where North Star is, why it is important and how to use it. Welcome to Authentic Intelligence.

None of this is true in the sense that it is out there, that it is objective reality independent of me being, well being anything. That is a belief. Stick to navigation.

What if….. Mind is simply  what it is like  to experience  mental weather ? Dealing with daily weather is totally different from how we deal with a place or thing or anything out there and permanent.

What if it were all just brain drops keep forming in the head? How does this affect how we are in ourselves and with each other?

Why is this necessary. My brain hurts. It is important because of the Silicon Genie. The genie does not think, the Genie using meaning.

ooooohhhh . What?

MEaning is XXXXX [ take from later on detailed explanation]

Here we Go: braindrops are the start, they keep forming in the head, coming and going. Perhaps 1 in a million pass into attention, the rest simmply flash past in the pre-concious. So then beliefs are when drops form the same firing sequence of braindrops again and again. Like the baseline for a song. Habits are sequences of actions driven by this baseline

Nearly there!

………Now. Imagine this. Say you compress a file from word, send it to another doc and it can be opened. Result!

Say you send it to youtube or to a drawing programe and it cannot be opened. What if it could? The you would not be compressing information, you would be compressing MEANING. That is what something called a metaphor does.

Everyone lives and communicates and behaves using metaphor. Huh? A metaphor is a way of saying something by using different words that mean something else, but have something in common with what you want to say.

So if I say you are my sunshine, I do not mean you are a big ball of fire in the sky, I mean you make me happy and brighten my day. But here s the thing: metaphors TOTALLY change how we think, how we act, how we be. They can totally change our view of the world, either making everything more colourful, fun, and interesting – or uncertain, threatening, fearful..

So what???? Well, if changing the metaphors we use changes our life, what if I fire my mind, throw it out  and get a new one. Because if mind is not a place, or a state, or a belief then why not? What if  mind  is something like  mental weather ?

Is that mind blowing? literally: Yes. Metaphorically: No. I figured (see what metaphor I used? Navigation). I figured that everyone always sees and acts like this, as I do. Apparently not! However, it has meant that I have thrived in uncertainty and change that might cripple others way of  thinking . Chapter 1. Mind….. blown away. Literally. If mind is something like mental weather, then what ancient wisdom would no longer apply?

Consider these treasured pearls of wisdom. Are they really useful ways of behaving if I consider Mind as mental weather?

- Mind yourself: This metaphor advises someone to be careful or cautious. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a matter of minding or not minding, but of adapting or coping. Weather cannot be controlled or avoided, only faced and dealt with. Real time Life:1, Mind metaphor:0.

- Mind your money: This metaphor insists I be prudent or frugal with finances. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a matter of minding or not minding, but of investing or spending. Weather cannot be saved or wasted, but rather used or enjoyed. Real time Life:2, Mind metaphor:0.

- Mind over matter: Are you  on board  yet? (Navigation). This metaphor is a doozy. It stares down sternly, letting us know that mind can control or overcome the physical reality. Nonsense. When mind is experienced as weather, then it is not a fixed or stable , only a dynamic and changing phenomenon. Weather cannot control matter, it just dances and interacts with it in complex ways. Real time Life:3, Mind metaphor:0.

Its only just begun…….

- Open-minded: Be willing to consider new or different ideas or perspectives. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a matter of opening or closing, but rather of shifting or changing. Weather is not open or closed, but rather varies in pressure, temperature and humidity. Real time Life:4, Mind metaphor:0.

- Mind your own business: Do not interfere with or be concerned about someone else s affairs. However, if mind is like weather, there is no personal or private property, but rather a shared and public phenomenon. Weather affects everyone and everything in its vicinity, and cannot be isolated or ignored. Oh dear. This is referred to as the tragedy of the commons and is at the very core of the consumer society attitude. If there is a freely accessible resource then use it up, dump on it, grab as much as you can before it is gone. That is not how life is. Lets lave this for a later chapter to tease out better. Because it is of foundational importance. EVERYthing depends on it. I do not have a personal Silicon Genie. We are all responsible for its growth and evolution. This is covered in a lot more detail in Book 2: Straighten Up where I go into a lot more detail on why and how we must collectively work to straighten up this leaning tower of technology we have all built blindly. It is time to straighten ourselves and the tower.

- Mind the gap: This metaphor warns someone to be careful of the space between two objects or places, such as a train and a platform. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a discrete or measurable entity, but rather a continuous and diffuse phenomenon. Weather does not have gaps, but rather gradients and transitions. Therefore, this metaphor would be irrelevant.

- Mind-blowing: This metaphor expresses that something is extremely impressive or surprising. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a solid or fragile entity, but rather a fluid and resilient phenomenon. Weather cannot be blown, but rather flows and adapts. Therefore, this metaphor would be exaggerated.

- Mind the store: This metaphor instructs someone to take care of or manage something, such as a business or a household. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a static or predictable entity, but rather a dynamic and uncertain phenomenon. Weather cannot be managed, but rather observed and responded to. Therefore, this metaphor would be unrealistic.

- Mind games: This metaphor refers to psychological manipulation or deception. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a rational or intentional entity, but rather a natural and spontaneous phenomenon. Weather does not play games, but rather follows patterns and cycles. Therefore, this metaphor would be misleading.

- Mind the clock: This metaphor reminds someone to be aware of or respect the time. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a linear or constant entity, but rather a cyclical and variable phenomenon. Weather does not follow the clock, but rather changes with the seasons and the day-night cycle. Therefore, this metaphor would be inaccurate.

- Mind reader: This metaphor describes someone who can understand or anticipate what someone else is thinking or feeling. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a clear or stable entity, but rather a complex and changing phenomenon. Weather cannot be read, but rather sensed and interpreted. Therefore, this metaphor would be impossible.

- Mind-set: This metaphor denotes someone s attitude or outlook on something. However, if mind is like weather, then it is not a fixed or permanent entity, but rather a flexible and temporary phenomenon. Weather does not have a set, but rather a state or a condition. Therefore, this metaphor would be inappropriate.

Cloudy mind: This metaphor indicates that someone is feeling confused, uncertain, or doubtful. A cloudy mind can be associated with clouds, fog, mist, or haze. A cloudy mind can also hinder ones thinking, understanding, or judgment.

So it would not encourage behaviours around some place or object that needs cleaning.

Do one thing well

In which I introduce the truth: that Thought is not your friend – so get on with doing one thing well. Once that is done, do the next thing. Continue.

Persist AND play nice

In which I talk about the contradiction of living in a way that allows one to Persist AND Play nice. The difference between closed and open questions. Finite versus Infinite games…..and so on

If living in real-time and instantly dropping bad habits truly is the answer……then those who master this skill quickly will literally outmanoeuvre everyone else and thrive for decades to come.

Could it really be possible to fire the mind, rewire it, and thrive within the result? There was only one way to put my hypothesis to the test, and the result is this book, written in a month. Consider this book as lab notes from a live experiment, that has been alarming and exhilarating, filled with yelps and howls of despair. I re-wrote the work in progress entirely from scratch three times in those thirty days, although I only counted a day when I actually put a pen to paper. I also had to take several days and weekends off completely because life interrupted the process twice. Summary: 56 calendar days from pledge to print.

Here is my next pledge: I will do the next book in fewer pen-to-paper days and so on for the next three books. Nothing to do with productivity, it is just down to clarity and getting out of my own way. The pledges are and example of just how much I believe in the process and how rapidly I can optimise and enhance it. No triple rewrites next time. Perhaps.

This book is a document of a 30-day active journey (ignore the time off, although the recovery process after the writing is also a candidate book). The process of documenting had to be rebooted during the rewiring process as new advances and hacks came into being. It is not a medical book. It is not even a science book. There is no advice or silver bullet here. It just documented framework of what worked for me—far beyond any expectations that existed on Day 1. The result has without doubt changed my life forever. So do your own research; that turned out to be a key ingredient. We are all science journalists now.

This is the first of a series of books on what will not change in the next ten years. The reason I write is to detail how and why I have managed to thrive across each of these revolutions. I also feel it is vital to try and correct some of the terrible mistakes that have come about as the top guns and their ecosystems emerged from the fog of wow into becoming a new citadel in their own right.

The following are also true, and some combination is also true for the reader:

Because it is really quiet in my head after firing my mind, being able to create this book in a month is a result.

Because in my head everything was stalemate, a fragile ceasefire, one step away from war always. Apart from fear, this takes massive energy. Deep rest was a distant dream.

Because I was frightened and always have been.

Because the question What if I came out of hiding? and it set off a depth charge in my gut.

So I knew it is time to live in real time. Ditch mental passengers. Let  inside  the mind and  outside  be the same.

Because old habits need to be ditched, wholesale. A spring clean won t work. I need to fire my mind

Going back to the pilot analogy, the temptation is to pack as many existing cherished beliefs on board as possible, to load up on what has worked in the past, regardless of the carrying burden, energy required and how they may limit future ability to move quickly. So here is a pre-flight question to consider. Take some potential situations that may be encountered on your travels, for example take an interview, an unexpected physical danger looms large, you need to get up to speed really fast on a new knowledge domain. You get to choose one co-pilot for the entire trip, so that you both get to know and trust each other well – which would you prefer to remain in radio contact with? A super intelligent highly recognized individual with multiple awards for past endeavours in their chosen field– or an entity that could predict with 95% accuracy what to do next? What about 90%? would you accept 80% but with proven ability to get better with each and every single encounter from now until you land?

In many ways it is a trick question, but only because it is framed using a belief from the past. Intelligence cannot be measured because every soul has a different view of what it is. So what is it really that is artificial about intelligence. What is even real about it? Look at this book for example. It is actually at least three different books. The one that started in the authors head, the work on the page being read, and the one that is summarised, filtered, judged and partially stored in the readers mind. Each of these artefacts are completely different. They are only linked by some kind of emotional promise – to help you aviate, navigate, communicate through disruption and change.

Prediction ability on the other had can be measured, it can be optimised, it can be improved. time and time and time again. So what beliefs may be past their sell by date and what does not change?

How come actors and musicians and speakers and dancers and sailors and pilots all turn up and deliver in real time? It is clearly possible. What other activities and professions will go the same way in the next few years? I have a hunch the answer is all of them. That is where everything is headed. Living in real-time, with no spare baggage in the mental attic. turn up, perform, deliver, move on. Ever shorter attention spans and a growing sense of drowning make this clear. Thinking just cannot keep up.

The rate of change of discovery and innovation is accelerating. There is no lasting  mental model  of what is happening, of what will happen or should happen. Historically  the mind  has been responsible for making sense of the environment, of self. Responsible for maintaining the narrative and metaphors that keep life ticking over.

Now that it is no longer possible to begin with the end in mind, then things must change. Is it time to finally fire the mind? Release it overboard? What does that even mean – and in what situation could it possibly make sense to consider it? Answering these questions are what this book – the first in a series of  how to  books – is about.

Welcome to your future:

Do not tell me anything, I have zero attention. Show me what you got. Now.

For me that meant going from a cold start to book written in a month. Done. Today is the last day of writing the book you now hold in your hands. It turns out that approaching the end of this challenge is no different than any other day, especially the first day. The resistance to just sitting down and writing is incredible. Hurricane force resistance. Tidal waves of distractions and excuses rain down. This is a clear sign I am on the right path, because it turns out that the thinking mind will do whatever it takes to hibernate, procrastinate, to recycle and upcycle old habits, to minimise activity and surprise.. Who knew? Anyone that actually does the work knows. Finally, after a lifetime of resistance, I do.

The End is not my friend. This is Day 30 of the writing pledge and as it is the last day this means that every word needs to be etched in stone, unchangeable. No more time for endless revisions. I am thinking back to day one and being introduced to writing into an app where the words disappear after 5 seconds of inactivity. Everything that was written. I started at 3 minutes and worked up to 10.. The point being to open the mind and short circuit old habits. The disappearing text certainly did its job and is a big part of why I am still writing to complete the challenge: write - and - publish - my - book - in - a - month.

AI is not my Friend: It is Divisive. Dead. Any group of ten or more will have at least twenty directly opposite views of what it may be. It is weaponized and biased.Wide open to misuse. MUST become integrated, not regulated. If this book provides a small example of how this may be done then yippee. I may end up doing a global replacement of AI with the acronym DYOR. Not the perfume, Do Your Own Research (DYOR). Put on your grower up pants and learn something because we ALL need excellent investigative skills now.

Top tip: replace AI with DYOR each time you see it and see how it enables you to figure out the agenda of the exponent. Doing Your Own Research will be the end of humanity.  Doing Your Own Research must be tightly regulated.  Doing Your Own Research is more dangerous than nuclear secrets.  Doing Your Own Research MUST be paused for 6/12/infinite months. If the resulting statement is patent nonsense then you are looking at a closed question. Like a water slide it may appear exciting, novel, a break from everyday, but no matter where you start from you always end up in the same heavily chlorinated, tightly regulated, centralised paddling pool (the dreaded  pool of productivity…..) with alarming localised changes in water temperature.

So how can any sane person think about firing their mind? Let us review the notes from the month-long experiment in this short book and then answer that question yourself.

Thinking is not my friend. Thinking is where I cannot write a book right now came from. It is where OMG this is the end, the end needs to be terror filled and hassled and emotional. No it does not. If you are holding this book in your hand then I have discovered something new, something worth the challenge all by itself. The discovery is this:

If I have a voice which is able to say the words I cannot write a book right now then I CAN actually write a book. Right now.

Day Zero IS my friend. Real time living, one day at a time, from scratch, after I fired my mind - that is my friend and constant companion from now on. This book talks about  firing the mind  and real-time living all the time. Firing the mind has to do with realising that YOU is not your thoughts. They have little or nothing to do with each other. This is not a new idea, the first recorded instance was over 2,500 years ago when someone asked Siddhartha Gautama, the realised Buddha, how to end suffering. The answer?

To end suffering – just get out of your own way

The truth of this statement is eternal and it becomes top of mind now simply because there is not going to be an alternative quite soon. Another way to look at the quote above is to  fire your mind  to let go of the mistaken believe that YOU is your thoughts. This book will explain the what why and how of this idea in considerable detail. There is also considerable detail on  living in real-time , what that has to do with firing the mind, and once again it covers why there really is little or no choice in the coming years for this to come about. None of this is new, it is as old as recorded history. For good or for ill the time for this change is now.

Rise of the creator economy – insert edited note here from the section on  persist AND play nice  – of how the never ending interplay of opposites may be about to change  – of where this view fits in contemporary evolutionary biology. How the first cells were forever changed once mitochondria were somehow absorbed. Until then it was a case of persist….persist….persist no matter what the cost. Then everything changed. The ancient form of mitochondria provided a massive boost in energy production and efficiency within the cell boundary. Good news for the cell. In addition the ancestor of mitochondria got to make use of a more stable – and unsurprising environment. Win Win. The cost to both parties is that behaviours and overall functioning of both entities had to adapt. Anything that could become an existential threat to either party had to be thrown overboard. Anything that enhanced the synergies to be had of persist AND play nice were selected for over time. This basic mechanism is just a personal view of the world. It aids in daily navigation of and contemplation of body organs, businesses in a supply chain, internal operations of a company, right the way from pools of billion year old bacteria right through to the latest in real time ecosystems and service delivery.   Both Persist AND play nice need to remain in balance over time. The process may be billions of years old. It certainly seems to make sense when considering the changes that are taking place in our lives, our communities, our work. Once again it heralds the beginning of a move away from a pure consumption based ecosystem toward a creator economy.

What you see is what I see: this principle is also my friend and may be the only hope humanity has to keep up with the current pace of discovery and innovation. It is a distributed, real time, verifiably true record of what is, and which can be governed in a localised fashion to cater to local requirements. Nothing else can scale to work globally in real time.

Zoom out

How to get your frame right

This chapter in navigating is all about framing. Zoom in too much and you miss something of vital importance.  Too far and some vital detail may be missed or an impending sense of despair can set in! So before considering any problem or pending change – Frame it! Framing really job #0. Lets take a brief look at what happened the last time there was a disruption of this magnitude, then you can decide yourself. This mini case study provides the clearest possible demonstration of how a change in perspective can literally change the world.  Going even further, I propose that ongoing developments in the leaning tower of tech, and for Hurricane FUD are of a similar scale and magnitude as that of Copernicus – lets call it Copernicus I . If that is so, wat may be the correct frame for Copernicus II: the leaning tower of tech meets Hurricane FUD?

The parallels which can be drawn to modern times are highly illuminating. It literally sets the stage and sets the scene for what the book is about

Copernicus I

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer. His book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), 1543 is widely regarded as one of the most influential and revolutionary works in the history of science. It challenged the prevailing geocentric worldview that had dominated Western thought for centuries, and proposed that it was in fact the Earth that rotates around the sun, not the other way around. Copernicus book not only changed the way we understand the cosmos, but also had profound implications for philosophy, religion, politics, and culture. It sparked a scientific revolution that led to the development of modern astronomy, physics, and mathematics, and paved the way for the Enlightenment and the modern world.

Close up:

The impact of Copernicus book was not immediate . At first, only a few astronomers and mathematicians read and understood his work, which was written in Latin and used complex mathematical arguments. There were of course supporters and detractors, and even the centralised authorities of the timewhich had adopted an Earth-centred system as the official doctrine, did not express any official opinion until 1616, when it placed it on the Index of Prohibited Books. The opposition of the time, which had also followed the geocentric system, was more hostile to Copernicus theory from the beginning, and denounced it as contrary to the Bible and the Christian faith.

Mid shot:

Copernicus himself must have had mixed feelings about publishing his book and his theory. On one hand, pride and excitement after decades spent observing, calculating, and writing his masterpiece. He had to restart many times over due to ongoing pillage, mayhem and constant changes in governance. He probably felt that he was fulfilling his duty as a scholar and a Christian, as he stated in his dedication to Pope Paul III that he was motivated by the desire to discover the truth and to glorify God.

TLDR: To my dearest and most blessed dark overlord who at the merest whim can have me rendered limb from limb,  turned ever so  slowly inside out or roasted alive on a spit. I may or may not believe this is great work, as you decide (note: contains Mild Peril, scenes of a graphical nature and hard sums). May cause death.

This also lead to decade upon century of highly intelligent debate, spirited defence on both sides and careers made and lost. It also led to wave upon wave of state directed lobbying, misinformation and misdirection on a scale never seen before or since (measured per head of population at a given time). And with tooth pullers and thumbscrews. This did not affect the trajectory of the heavens in any way. Not one.

Zoom out:

A century after publication, his theory had become the dominant paradigm in astronomy and natural philosophy. The Scientific Revolution, which began in the 16th century and lasted until the 18th century, was marked by the emergence of new methods, instruments, and discoveries that challenged the traditional authority of the Church and the ancient scholars. Copernicus theory was one of the catalysts of this revolution, as it inspired other scientists to question the established views and to seek empirical evidence and rational explanations for the natural phenomena. Galileo Galilei, who was the first to use a telescope to observe the heavens, provided strong support for Copernicus theory by discovering the phases of Venus, the moons of Jupiter, and the spots on the sun. Johannes Kepler, who was a student of Tycho Brahe, improved Copernicus theory by showing that the planets move in elliptical orbits, not circular ones. Isaac Newton, who was influenced by both Galileo and Kepler, formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, which explained the causes and effects of the planetary motions. By the end of the 17th century, Copernicus theory had become the accepted scientific truth, and the geocentric system had been relegated to a historical curiosity.

TLDR; it took a hundred years to percolate through established society however it changed everything it came in contact with. The one change of viewpoint The Sun does not revolve around us – one change of perspective, managed to tilt the tower of established truth and learning in a completely different direction. From blindly continuing to ponder ourselves to looking up at the stars. A comprehensive and predictive theory of gravity. The Scientific method. The field of Astronomy.

Not bad for c.200 pages in Latin that was released without a single 5 star Amazon review.

Change your perspective, change the universe

Copernicus II

What has this to do with fear of mass unemployment, massive dislocation of entire industries, possibly even a serious impact on the human species as a whole?

I would argue it has everything to do with it.

There can be no doubt whatsoever that AI is a force multiplier with potentially greater impact than gunpowder, steam and pretty much everything else . It is technology on steroids which is capable of swivelling the leaning tower of tech like a wheat stalk in a high wind. Its technical and social development MUST use a totally different approach from previous revolutions, where, quite frankly, everyone fell asleep at the wheel. It needs active, informed citizens who are learning as they go.  The internet and social media were left to self serving centralised and disconnected authorities as well as being outsourced and offloaded too little too late to regulators, high tech ecosystems and experts.

For the first time in the Universe that we know of, machines and systems can perform tasks that previously required human levels of attention, goal seeking behaviours and other elements such as reasoning, learning, decision making, and problem solving. I do not use the word intelligence as it is useless. It is without any widespread agreement on definition or measurement. In 1964, Justice Potter Stewart tried to explain hard-core pornography, or what is obscene, by saying, I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced... [b]ut I know it when I see it ... No sir, you do not. You THINK you know, and the thought you have is different from that of every other soul. That renders it useless. Look at the book you hold in your hands. It is at least three books. One is a bookconceived and sweated over by the author for weeks and months for no reward (I am not bitter, not at all). One is the series of symbols displayed on a page or electronic device held in the hands or otherwise propped for reading or listening to, and one that exists in the recipients mind, filtered and recalled and changed and shuffled in a way that is totally unique to that recipient.

There IS no book. There Is no intelligence, other than what generally known when I see it. How is this different from Copernicus I ? The sun does not revolve around US, around Earth. At least with the sun, every living think above ground can all point to the sun. In fact those that refuse to do so regularly will literally die from energy depletion. Every creature capable of language can describe and agree on what needs to be pointed at. Ok – books and intelligence are a purely social reality and cannot be pointed to, any more than the edge of London, or Wednesday.

FUD thrives wherever definitions go to die, said no one ever;  yet it may be true.

IF Copernicus II is a thing then there will be endless decades of energetic and tightly argued positions where careers are made and lost, where entire ecosystems rise and fall.

Top tip: Here is an interesting experiment: replace AI with DYOR each time you see it. DYOR is extremely clear, it means Do Your OWN Research. A quick search shows results like the following:

DYOR will be the end of humanity. DYOR  must be tightly regulated. DYOR is more dangerous than nuclear secrets. DYOR MUST be paused for 6/12/infinite months.  So here is the top tip. If replacing AI with DYOR results in a statement that is patent nonsense then consider that you are being manipulated. Perhaps not. Canons argued sincerely for centuries over Copernicus I, literally in good faith. At least consider that you are looking at a closed question. Like a water slide it may appear exciting, novel, a break from everyday, but no matter where you start from you always end up in the same heavily chlorinated, tightly regulated, centralised paddling pool (the dreaded  pool of productivity…..).

Consider keeping this frame in mind in coming chapters, thats all. For now just keep it in consideration.

Fixing Common misconceptions

How to address common fears

I must ignore thought, pretend they dont exist

Letting go does not mean destroying or deleting or repressing a thought. It simply means getting back into a centred conscious state with the least stress and fuss. Experience the thought as a braindrop - no need to open the drop to see what is inside right at this minute, no need to marvel or stress - there is just work to be done and I will get back to you later. Feel free to rest in the relaxation area we can engage later.

When I started this each letting go was worse than bringing my children to their first day at school - or their first haircut. Agony, on both sides. Such a fuss and so much pain and drama. The children were fine, it was just me. As time went by letting go felt like a huge truck had zoomed past - a sense of disaster narrowly avoided and pulling me along in its wake.

Eventually things started to settle, from Truck to speeding car to almost nothing, a leaf drifting along, perhaps just trees passing by from a car window. Yup, there are raindrops forming and thats fine. Tick tock. No change in the conscious centre, all quiet.

They are not my thoughts. Passing brain drops.Letting go means acknowledging and allowing the braindrops free passage onward without attachment or affect on mood or current behaviour. If it is important the thought will circle around. It doesnt.

I will lose my identity, My personality.

Say hello to the blank staring robot. . Aha! This one can be scary. It can bring a hail of braindrops and cause all manner of physical discomfort, shifting, distraction. This time often felt like bringing our children to the dentist. Distract, avoid, tense up. Funny enough letting this go is a personal thing, different strokes for different folks. What worked for me was swapping the metaphor. Think of it like taking off a uniform at the end of the day, struggling with tight shoes or cramped boots until pop! Off they come. Taking a relaxing bath, just ahhhhhhh, relaxing.

What YOU are is eternal, whole, unchanging and complete. It cannot change. Identity is not a handbag. It is not something you HAVE. It is what you ARE. Very different. Also, if Identity can be taken or lost in any way then Im sorry, it is not your identity to begin with. Vast amounts of energy have gone into maintaining and defending and killing and burning based on something that is not real…..

Personality is simply something others attribute to someone who behaves in a regular and predictable way day in day out. Sounds boring. What sharp and cold stone is that person sitting on, that limits their responses to such a small set of expressions. What is gained by staying in such a jacket. Is this really YOU? Could it be time to shed that coat of armour, understand why it was ever chosen in the first place, go find some new behaviours that serve you today? That help you change and grow and expand and (heaven forbit) give the freedom to relax?

You are not your thoughts, could it be possible YOU may have something to do with the awareness that observes them? That that spitting hissing fire of braindrops may not even be always accurate or helpful?

I am abandoning my goals and aspirations.

Anything that can be taken or dropped is not me in the first place. Goals and aspirations each feel different. Goals feel like targets, Red lines in a sandpit. Motivators. Consider how those goals were set, by whom and why. Is the goal designed to create change, to make me feel better? Nothing that is outside who you really are can make you happy. It is a fleeting object of desire, that will be replaced within days of being attained. Examine the goals. They may indeed be mighty and worthy. Doesnt that require constant focus, in full awareness? To develop what have been called atomic habits and being Indistractable (How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life?) If That is the case then there are case studies below which directly look at the topic and have been classic and worthy best selling books for many years.

Meah, I will become passive or indifferent.

Just your opinion. Shrugs shoulders.

Of all the misconceptions this may be the most insidious. It is the weapon of choice for passivity and indifference. It is an example of the water slide debater - get back into the paddling pool of productivity. Nothing could be further than the truth of the statement above, which is why the big guns are needed to create fear of zombies.

Experiencing thoughts for what they are - passing brain drops that are not YOU, leads to greater awareness, less emotional volativity, a heightened awareness of what is actually going on as there are less filters that distract from the view.

Would you prefer to be operated on by a specialist who has nothing whatsoever in their mind apart from an excellent procedure - or one who is harried by doubt, hassled by hours of paperwork and a dysfunctional environment, facing terrible domestic stress and so on?

Letting go of thought means aligning and centering on values and purpose, on becoming more focused and effective. Thoughts are just not always relevant or conducive to your goals, and that sometimes they can distract you or hold you back.

Clear the mind, allow energy to flow freely toward whatever matters most now, in real time.

I will be isolated, alone and detached

This is a dinger - it can lead to a deeply felt sense of loneliness, a feeling that is often rejected, buried, not faced. It is not a great feeling. Feelings of loneliness need to be acknowledged, need care and attention. Loneliness is not brought about by letting go of thoughts. It is a specialist topic that I have no specialist knowledge of, other than to say that it does not come from momentary letting go of thought.

When thoughts are let go then one is more centred and aware, more empathic and compassionate. It becomes easier to resonate with the feelings of others, it makes one more open to engagement and attachment. Thoughts or braindrops are not always respectful of the reality and diversity which is in the world. Letting go of thought in the moment opens the heart and mind and creates a larger and more welcoming space for others. It goes a long way toward relating to others in a more authentic and harmonious way.

It will murder creativity and imagination

You lose YOUR spark! Here is the truth: Thoughts and braindrops kill creativity and spontaneity faster than a summer torrent at a BBQ. Letting go of thought means no more official ideas, certified opinions. It is childs play when the teacher leaves the room . Do nott do this, children. Learn how to suppress every natural instinct you have and do as you are told. Now and forever, in a world without end. Amen.

Nothing destroys creativity and imagination faster than holding onto old established thought. Throw it away. BECOME BORED. Stay bored for long enough and the entire world will show up in all its uncensored and inappropriate glory. YOU get to become original, spontaneous and expressive (Oh no! Sit! Shhh). Thoughts are derivative - copied from others, orders and commands from outside. Could it be possible that thoughts can actually limit or stifle creativity? Heaven forbid.

Let go of thought, tap into creativity and intuition. Create something that has never ever been seen anywhere else in the entire UNIVERSE (eyes and mouth widen in delight).

I become uninformed, uncaring, ignorant and naïve

Crisis: a specific time when a difficult or important decision must be made

A specific timeframe. So make the decisions! Identify, Inform, Decide, Act. Enforce. By this definition a crisis cannot be long term. That would simply mean that important decisions have NOT been made. The emphasis needs to be on stepping up, executing your humanity and democratic mandate, making the required decisions then ensuring they are enforced and carried out.

No perma-crises, just a constant demand to make decisions and carry out enacting those decisions with what your humanity and empathy know is right.

NOT stuck on endless newsreels - eternally feeding the news monster -  that distract away from what is actually happening. The world is suffering needlessly because decisions are not being made. Such decisions need awareness, a sense of urgency, deadlines for actionable and sensible and inclusive decisions by those who are unhindered by outdated thoughts, beliefs and behaviours that perpetuate the status quo.

Do your own research, every day. Learn how to think, investigate, validate, corroborate, conclude and act. In awareness and calm, unhindered by thought. Live in real time.

Naive? Such a sneery put down (but hey, I am over that now. Happened to a friend. Yup). The appropriate response (after deleting their contact details) is to consider the horror of….being naive. This writer is perpetually naïve. Fresh. Unprogrammed. Energetic. Unstoppable. Will take a smack in the gob and keep going (dont try this, it REALLY hurts. allegedly).

It is very hard not to be overwhelmed and distressed about the state of the world. One possible avenue to reduce these difficult feelings is to imagine a world of naive, active, curious, energetic, discerning, open minded, independent, critical thinkers with a bias toward action. Imagine being in a tribe who fully accept - embrace reality, yet who practised such skills every single day, learning from different independent  sources, who weigh up the alternatives, then question, verify, validate and act.

No sleepwalkers. Over 5 billion such individuals, who know when to lovingly and gently let go of old thoughts, beliefs and practise. Who encounter a crisis, make actionable decisions in full and compassionate awareness, then carry out those decisions.

I become numb, with no emotions or feelings

My mind has been fired, I let go of thought. Seeing this misconception generates massive waves of feeling. It wells up uninvited, with no old thoughts or should or could or what-if-ery. Everything is welcome, because it is what it is. Free and unrepressed. Warning: anyone that tries is liable to become buffeted with random feelings of empathy, joy, clarity, spontaneity, passion and a bewildering drop in fear, loathing, dread and suspicion. Emotions course freely about the body. There is very little else to say really. It is whatever it appears to be, then it moves on.

I become reckless! Lacking responsibility & control

Another doozy. It is well aimed and the excuse has been used by many to do truly terrible things, manipulative and cruel.

Letting go means not getting distracted or pulled into old thoughts and habits that no longer serve. It results in centred awareness, greater empathy and a huge availability of energy in which to live in real time. Anything else is a masquerade - a well camouflaged wolf.

Leting go and living in real time is all about gaining responsibility, accountability, mindful and empathic. This is our natural state. It is what happens when everything is let go and we grow, naturally. Thought is not your friend. Mind is like a mental weather system that blows and rains and grows and chains people in a bazillion different ways. It is utterly indifferent to outcomes.

Letting go allows for the realisation that thought is often not the best guide or judge, that can occasionally result in poor, impulsive, unfiltered action, triggered non-consciously. Letting go can lead to actions of intent and awareness, with consequences and implications more clearly visible. It means that YOU are now driving the bus, you take charge of life.

Fire my mind? No-one tells me what to do!

Free will. That old chestnut. There is no choice to create, only to stop. Research and lab results show time after time that thoughts arise from nowhere, up to half a second before there is any conscious awareness and well after motor activity is already underway. There are results which seem to indicate there is a decision speed ((back in the pplane again…). Decision speed is that time when the captain must either commit to liftoff or slam on the brakes. It is speed dependent and varies from craft ro craft and length of runway I would imagine (DYOR).

The latest imaging results is that there are a concurrent possible pre-concious impulses and the upper layers can get to deselt or slam on the brakes for any or all of those potential activities. REally? Who knows. The point is that there is a large and growing body of evidence which indicates this to be the case.

If you have free will then do not think of hippopotamus. If you have free will tell me when you consciously and deliberately chose to disagree with this sentence. I do not mind whatever position your free mind takes. Maybe. Who knows. Does it matter? No condescending quotes were injured in the making of this point

Include critique and counters for 4 hour workweek:

Some of the criticisms of the book The 4-Hour Workweek are:

● The book is based on a fantasy that ignores the realities and complexities of the modern economy. It promotes a selfish and irresponsible lifestyle that exploits the labor of others and disregards the social and environmental impacts of ones actions1

● The book advises readers to become a fake expert by using deceptive marketing techniques and outsourcing the actual work to others. It also encourages readers to lie, cheat, and manipulate their way to success2

● The book oversimplifies the process of creating a passive income stream and automating a business. It ignores the challenges, risks, and costs involved in developing a product or service that meets a market demand and provides value to customers3

● The book neglects the importance of work as a source of meaning, fulfilment, and contribution to society. It assumes that everyone wants to escape from work and pursue hedonistic pleasures, without considering the potential boredom, emptiness, and dissatisfaction that might result from such a lifestyle4

Tim Ferris response

Tim Ferriss is a controversial figure who has received both praise and criticism for his books and lifestyle. His response to these criticisms varies depending on the source and the content of the critique. Here are some examples of how he has responded to some of the common criticisms:

- He has defended his use of self-promotion and outsourcing as legitimate and effective ways to achieve his goals and help others. He argues that he is not a fake expert, but a self-experimenter who shares his results and methods with his readers. He also claims that he is not antisocial or ruthless, but rather selective and strategic in his relationships and actions

- He has acknowledged that his books are not meant to be taken literally or applied universally. He admits that his methods are not suitable for everyone, and that he does not have all the answers. He encourages his readers to test and adapt his ideas to their own situations and preferences. He also points out that his books are not about escaping work, but about finding work that is meaningful and enjoyable

- He has ignored or dismissed some of the criticisms that he considers irrelevant, uninformed, or malicious. He argues that some critics are motivated by envy, fear, or resentment, and that their opinions do not matter. He advises his readers to focus on the positive feedback and constructive criticism that they receive from people who matter to them

- He has also used humor and sarcasm to respond to some of the criticisms that he finds amusing or absurd. He often makes fun of himself and his critics, and uses exaggeration and irony to highlight the flaws or contradictions in their arguments. He also sometimes challenges his critics to a debate or a bet, or invites them to try his methods before judging them

Learning to thrive: practical lessons

Introduction

Time to get practical, what are the specific skills that are essential when facing into the next wave? As I listened to early adopters and active practitioners in the field of A?I three core focus areas emerged again and again.

Creator – Curator – Conductor

Quite often I have found a puzzling reaction from folk when I propose that we are all creche workers now. When I asked more about this it felt that somewhere inside there is a belief that their role or expertise is different, is special and in some way isolated from the Hurricane. That there is plenty of time and that their is no need whatsoever to see whether their current role should in anyway be re-cast in the way I talk about below. But answer this: WHAT ON EARTH could be more valuable than nurturing new growth and leaning-in to turn the tower? To participate in evolving that tower – while also helping to re-cast their role –  into a form and force that can become hurricane proof?

So you may now be thinking along similar lines

Next pass: Finesse and personalise using the Ted Talk / trusted advisor persona:

A creator is someone who produces original content or works of art, such as blog posts, podcasts, videos, paintings, or songs. A creator uses their imagination, creativity, and skills to express their ideas and emotions through their creations. A creator may work independently or collaboratively with other creators, but they are ultimately responsible for their own artistic vision and output.

A curator is someone who collects, organizes, and presents existing content or works of art, such as articles, books, podcasts, paintings, or sculptures. A curator uses their knowledge, research, and taste to select and arrange the content or works of art in a meaningful and engaging way. A curator may work for a museum, gallery, library, or other cultural institution, but they may also create their own platforms or channels to share their curated collections.

A conductor is someone who leads and directs a performance, traditionally music by an ensemble, choral or instrumental, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. A conductor uses their gestures, baton, and sometimes verbal commands to interpret the composers musical score and guide the performers in bringing that interpretation to life. A conductor is responsible for setting the rhythm, tempo, and emotion of the music, as well as ensuring the precise entries and phrasing of the performers.

WIDEN THE ANALOGY to include that of captain and/or commander. The emphasis here is one of ensuring competence, reliability, compliance with best practise and required legislation. Enforcement of rules in real time.

Some examples of these roles from different fields are:

- Creator: A novelist who writes original stories, a filmmaker who makes original movies, a painter who creates original paintings, a singer-songwriter who composes original songs, a software engineer who develops original applications.

- Curator: A librarian who selects and organizes books for a library, a podcast host who interviews and features guests on a podcast, a museum curator who exhibits and interprets artworks for a museum, a blogger who reviews and recommends products or services on a blog, a playlist maker who compiles and shares songs on a music platform.

- Conductor: An orchestra conductor who leads and directs an orchestra, a choir conductor who leads and directs a choir, a band conductor who leads and directs a band, a musical director who leads and directs a musical theatre production, a dance instructor who leads and directs a dance class.

The core strengths of each role are:

- Creator: Creativity, originality, expression, vision, skill.

- Curator: Knowledge, research, taste, organization, presentation.

- Conductor: Interpretation, leadership, communication, coordination, precision.

The core strengths of each role can be contrasted with the other two roles as follows:

- Creator vs Curator: A creator produces new content or works of art, while a curator collects existing content or works of art. A creator expresses their own ideas and emotions, while a curator interprets and presents the ideas and emotions of others. A creator relies on their own skill and vision, while a curator relies on their knowledge and research.

- Creator vs Conductor: A creator works independently or collaboratively with other creators, while a conductor works with performers who execute the composers work. A creator uses various media and formats to create their work, while a conductor uses gestures and commands to direct the performance. A creator is responsible for their own output, while a conductor is responsible for the ensembles output.

- Curator vs Conductor: A curator organizes and presents content or works of art, while a conductor leads and directs a musical performance. A curator works with static or recorded content or works of art, while a conductor works with live and dynamic music. A curator uses their taste and presentation skills to curate collections, while a conductor uses their interpretation and communication skills to conduct performances.

Some examples of where each role needs to be the primary while also being backed up by one of the other two roles are:

- Creator: A creator needs to be the primary role when producing original content or works of art that express their unique vision and style. However, a creator may also benefit from being backed up by a curator who can help them find inspiration, sources, or references for their work, or by a conductor who can help them improve their technique, timing, or expression.

- Curator: A curator needs to be the primary role when collecting, organizing, and presenting existing content or works of art that showcase a theme, topic, or perspective. However, a curator may also benefit from being backed up by a creator who can help them produce original content or works of art that complement or contrast their curated collections, or by a conductor who can help them arrange and sequence their content or works of art in a coherent and effective way.

- Conductor: A conductor needs to be the primary role when leading and directing a musical performance that interprets and conveys the composers musical score. However, a conductor may also benefit from being backed up by a creator who can help them compose or arrange original music or parts for the performance, or by a curator who can help them select and prepare the repertoire for the performance.

What else must be true before firing the mind?

Review the misconceptions of letting go

Here is the first part of every pre-flight check:

Recall:

● What YOU are is eternal, whole, unchanging and complete. It cannot change. It does not belong to you. It cannot be taken away, denied or changed by external forces without your explicit consent and collaboration

● Thoughts are not my thoughts. Letting go means acknowledging and allowing the braindrop free passage onward without attachment or affect on mood or current behaviour. If it is important the thought will circle around. It does not.

● Get back into a centred conscious state with the least stress and fuss. Experience the thought as a braindrop - no need to open the drop to see what is inside right at this minute, no need to marvel or stress - there is just work to be done and I will get back to you later.

● shedding old beliefs that no longer serve is like taking off a uniform at the end of the day, struggling with tight shoes or cramped boots until pop! Off they come. Taking a relaxing bath, just ahhhhhhh, relaxing.

● Reaching a destination requires alertness, consciousness,  constant focus, in full awareness. Develop atomic habits and becoming Indistractable . This topic is exxplored further as one of the detailed case studies in chapter XXX

● align and center on values and purpose, on becoming more focused and effective.

● Clear the mind, allow energy to flow freely toward whatever matters most now, in real time.

● Loneliness is not brought about by letting go of thoughts. Braindrops are not always respectful of the reality and diversity which is in the world. Letting go of thought in the moment opens the heart and mind to create a larger and more welcoming space for others. It goes a long way toward relating to others in a more authentic and harmonious way.

● Letting go of thought means no more official ideas, certified opinions.  Nothing destroys creativity and imagination faster than holding onto old established thought. Throw it away.

● BE BORED.

● Make decisions and carry out enacting those decisions with what your humanity and empathy know is right.

● Make Do my own research a part of every day. Learn how to think, investigate, validate, corroborate, conclude and act. In awareness and calm, unhindered by thought. Live in real time.

● Letting go means not getting distracted or pulled into old thoughts and habits that no longer serve.  It results in centred awareness, greater empathy and a huge availability of energy in which to live in real time.

● Letting go and living in real time is all about gaining responsibility, accountability, mindful and empathic. This is our natural state.  It is what happens when everything is let go and we grow, naturally

Mind is like a mental weather system that blows and rains and grows and chains people in a bazillion different ways. It is utterly indifferent to outcomes.

How to find reliable mind

Platforms will rise and fall, there will be scandals and crashes. What manner of

What to look for in any online enterprise

Safety checklist before engaging with any online enterprise:

Opensource

Every single piece of tech needs to be open source, just as linux is today and which runs the world. What you se is what I see, no Wizard of Oz. Already starting to happen in finance due to the waste. There has been over 400 BILLION dollars in bank fines since 2008 until 2020, regulators reckon that is 10% of what it should be. World wide on a bad day there are over 200 NEW regulations passed in all jurisdictions. Compliance speed and rising costs will eventually dissolve finance just as the attention deficit is now drowning mind.

Only one answer - run in real time. Surf the waes of innovation and fire mind aka King Canute the almighty regulator.

It is possible to execute AND maintain security and privacy. The tech already exists and is used to run a 1 Trillion dollar business that has grown in shadow since 2009……

Thousand eyes

Ensure that all code that is executed is audited, verified for bias, and that it is the same code that is now being executed and that no other party can see that code or inputs - this is all possible today with tech. Reason for the block is borders and barriers and the self healing organisation that bounces back to the same shape no matter how hard it is impacted. Until one day it literally shatters (2009, openai, Swiss banks etc)

Auditable

Ensure full chain of attestation and provenance and secure enclaves for all moving parts - find the module where I tried explain this for civiilians (day 15?) - either make it explainable and sticky or ditch it for a Book II trailer……….

Realistic benchmarks and checks that citizens can run (for profit?)

What i see is what you see. This is the essence of Play nice. It is technically possible today for this to happen, just not enforced. It can happen for finance, for medicine, for industry and insurance etc etc. The self healing org just re-configures around it. Cant do that…why… .GDPR….really? Which section - 43 or 81…..let me get back to you…etc

Governance

It is possible to automate governance into code so that all statues are encoded into the software automatically and systems will not run without it. ALL can happen today, etc self healing protectionism etc….

Localised policies

Also possible today to place hierarchical modifiers on top so that local or regional concerns allow for governance to altered / updated based on secure signatures

How to find you mojo

Wherein I outline the essential competencies needed before it can be useful to consider firing the mind

give an overview of the core competencies:

Aviate: Know every nut and bolt of your vessel, who you are: what is your home base. Do you even know how it feels when YOU is enjoying a straight and level flow state well inside your comfort zone? Not the made up you, the Cinderella shoe you try desperately to fit into and constantly walk around in.

Before firing the mind, learn to recognise it. Develop an instinctive and constant feel for who you really are and start to find your voice. What is on your dashboard?

SUMMARY COME BACK FLESH OUT What is flow? Actively develop and practise flow to help understand that sharing is actually a spiritual act and the content is nowhere near as important as your style and drive

Leave aside traditional career advice for now. Come back to it by all means but not until you have some sense of what it feels like to be flying straight and level in comfort. Besides, by the time you graduate from some slow moving course the world will be changed, the career path will most likely have ceased to exist.

So what does flying straight and level mean to you? Not at the weekend. Not on vacation. In a relaxed, open, undistracted and quiescent state, where are you?

● Do you yearn to be inside or outside each day

● Do you naturally gravitate toward people or things

● Do you prefer to be thinking or doing

● Do you favour all things in physical form or are you driven by spirit?

These are an essential part of who you are. Think about it. Why chase a career that requires you to be inside, working with things and constantly doing without end, when every part of you yearns to be outside, working with people with plenty of time to think. Not even the smallest disposable house plant would be treated this way. For any living thing to flourish it needs to be in its natural environment Are you a living being? Is it not time to flourish? Does those who surround you treat living things as consumable commodities? If so then start your pre-flight checklist.

Right now you may be thinking my career, the ladder, feed my family and so on. In the next section we will explore three more aspects of who you are and how you can identify and leverage those traits to get way ahead of the wave in time to be right side up, with a clear navigation path and capable of fluent communication in the emerging world. In your natural habitat, where you will thrive.

Summarise the following as a guide on progress:

● unconsciously incompetent: sleepwalking commuter consumer

● consciously incompetent: clearly recognising the need for change and what change is needed

● consciously competent: Like learning to drive, each gear change and manual hill start is a challange. Continuous practise eventually leads to…

● unconsciously competent: Effortless flight, singing in ones own voice. Demonstrated skills in moving though the world and life in general

Navigate:

Develop confidence by growing your competence

Crawl, walk run. Pop in the paragraphs here about practise routines: give examples that grew in complexity - this is not a race, the point is to explore and develop confidence in unknown ground, not race to the next level - find the module you did on exercises, examples and confidence and paste here.

The website will always have a growing and evergreen set of exercises to help

Communicate:

Believe it our not communication is all about Boundaries and Borders.

Get the auto writing day notes, trim and place here.

In summary, why consider firing the mind and why now.

Current wave of technical and social disruption leaves nowhere to hide – traditional roles and beliefs will either cease to be relevant or change out of all recognition. Later books in the series talk more about the why and what – first of all it is essential to master the skills and mindset needed to thrive in any situation.

summary on WHY fire the mind. Consequence: living in real-time. What does this even mean, give examples, you saw life as X hopefully now you think Y and are willing to consider the possibility of living in the style of ABC. Who knows, one day you will wake each day looking forward to it, but with a clear understanding of the boundaries and borders that keep you on track.

Checkpoint:

Where are we now

where we came from –  Where we are now  – Benefits of this approach

● Find your real voice

● Live in real time, unperturbed

● Turn obstacles and blockages into mere obstacles to be recognized and cleared

● Endless energy which never gets tired, only blocked

● Put your inner child in pride of place

● Wake up to Day 0 – every day

from an earlier autowriting session:

USE THE PLEDGE AND 6 CASE STUDIES TO DO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: SUMMARY COME BACK FLESH OUT

● find work by showing you the most in-demand and emerging job roles that require YOUR skills or knowledge, and how to apply for them.

● CLARITY AND ENERGY WILL help you learn new skills that will be in greater demand in the future, also learn how to use resources and courses to acquire or improve these skills, and how to measure your progress and performance.

● offer career advice to your friends and family who are worried about the UNCERTAINTIES AHEAD (INSIDE / OUTSIDE ETC - NOW IT IS HOME BASE) You can share with them the insights and tips that you learned from the book, START TO COACH EACH OTHER, BUILD BUDDIES AND NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND MEANINGS , identify their strengths and passions, how to adapt to change and uncertainty, and how to find opportunities for growth and learning.

● discover new career paths that match your SUPERPOWER THAT NEVER RUNS OUT OF ENERGY - GET JOY FROM DEVELOPING NEW skills, interests, and values AND KNOW YOU WILL HAVE THEM AND BE IN DEMAND FOREVER.

BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO YOU AND YOU ARE NURTURING THEM IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE ETERNAL. You can learn how to use tools and services that can analyze your personality, preferences, and goals, and suggest suitable

● enhance your current job or career BY LEVERAGING WHAT IS YOUR CORE STRENGTHS - DEVELOP STRONG AND CLEAR BORDERS THAT CANNOT BE OVERCOME. learn how to use tools and services that can automate or optimize various tasks and processes that you do regularly, such as scheduling, reporting, researching, or designing.

● develop your leadership and management skills WITH YOUR NEWFOUND CLARITY, COHERENCE AND ENERGY - WITHOUT FEAR (OR FEEL IT AND GO AHEAD ANYWAY INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ARE THE SAME You can learn how to use tools and services that can facilitate communication, collaboration, coordination, or feedback among your team members or stakeholders. You can also learn how to set clear goals, expectations, and standards for your team or project.

● expand your network and influence - NEW AND HIGH ENERGY WAYS TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION - THIS WILL connect you with other people who are interested iIN COLLABORATING - BECOME A MAGNET AND TRUSTED SOURCE - FOLKS INTUITIVELY KNOW THERE IS NO INSIDE/OUTSIDE AGENDA. You can learn how to use platforms and communities that can help you find mentors, peers, partners, or customers who share your vision or values. You can also learn how to use tools and services that can help you promote your work or ideas, or engage with your audience or market.

● make a positive impact on the world by inspiring you to use YOUR SUPERPOWERS ONLY FOR ALL LIVING BEINGS - NO MORE CLOSED QUESTIONS. You can learn how to use tools and services that can help you address various challenges or issues that affect yourself or others, such as health, education, environment, or justice.

Potential impact on career and work

If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or stuck in your career and work, you might be interested in living in real time. Some examples of how this book can help you with your career and work worries:

● You will learn how to stop overthinking and trust your intuition. Overthinking can paralyze you and prevent you from taking action or making decisions. By firing your mind and letting go of thought, you will be able to access a deeper level of intelligence and creativity that is beyond your rational mind. You will be able to act with confidence and clarity, without being distracted by doubts and fears.

● You will discover how to reduce stress and anxiety and improve your well-being. Stress and anxiety can affect your health, productivity, and happiness. They can also interfere with your relationships and performance at work. By firing your mind and letting go of thought, you will be able to calm your nervous system and relax your body. You will be able to cope with challenges and uncertainties, without being overwhelmed by emotions.

● You will find out how to unlock your potential and achieve your goals. You might have dreams and aspirations that you want to pursue, but you feel stuck or limited by your current situation. By firing your mind and letting go of thought, you will be able to tap into a new source of inspiration and motivation that is beyond your ego and conditioning. You will be able to align your actions with your true purpose and passion, without being held back by fears and doubts.

● You will explore how to enhance your creativity and innovate your work. You might want to create something new or improve something existing, but you feel blocked or bored by your work. By firing your mind and letting go of thought, you will be able to access a higher level of creativity and innovation that is beyond your conventional thinking. You will be able to generate new ideas and solutions, without being limited by assumptions and expectations.

Learning and Education

If you are interested in learning and education, Living in real time can certainly help. Some examples of how these practises can help you with your learning and education goals:

● You will learn how to improve your focus and concentration. Learning and education require a lot of attention and mental energy. You might struggle with distractions, procrastination, or boredom. By firing your mind and letting go of

thought, you will be able to clear your mind and sharpen your senses. You will be able to stay focused and engaged, without being sidetracked by irrelevant thoughts and feelings.

● You will discover how to enhance your memory and retention. Learning and education involve a lot of information and knowledge. You might have difficulties remembering, recalling, or applying what you have learned. By firing your mind and letting go of thought, you will be able to boost your memory and retention. You will be able to store and retrieve information more efficiently, without being confused by mental clutter and noise.

● You will find out how to expand your perspective and understanding. Learning and education require a lot of curiosity and insight. You might encounter challenges, problems, or questions that you do not know how to solve or answer. By firing your mind and letting go of thought, you will be able to access a broader perspective and understanding. You will be able to see things from different angles and levels, without being limited by your own assumptions and biases.

● You will explore how to increase your creativity and innovation. Learning and education demand a lot of creativity and innovation. You might want to create something new or improve something existing, but you feel stuck or uninspired. By firing your mind and letting go of thought, you will be able to unleash your creativity and innovation. You will be able to generate new ideas and solutions, without being constrained by your own habits and patterns.

Relationships and social life

Cut paste from daily archive? Is this section useful?

Health and wellbeing

Next pass: Finesse and personalise using the Ted Talk / trusted advisor persona:

Personal growth and development

Is this section useful?…..Some ways to overcome these feelings are:

● To overcome feeling stuck, you can try to break your routine and do something different or challenging. You can also set small and achievable goals and celebrate your progress. You can also seek feedback and support from others who can help you move forward.

● To overcome feeling stressed, you can practice relaxation techniques such as breathing, meditation, or yoga. You can also prioritize your tasks and manage your time effectively. You can also express your feelings and seek help from others who can support you.

● To overcome feeling unhappy, you can practice gratitude and appreciation for what you have and what is going well in your life. You can also find joy and pleasure in simple things and activities. You can also work on improving your self-esteem and confidence by affirming and celebrating your strengths and achievements.

● To overcome feeling bored, you can explore new interests and hobbies that challenge and stimulate you. You can also seek new opportunities and experiences that expand your horizons. You can also share your work and hobbies with others and seek feedback and inspiration.

● To overcome feeling lonely, you can reach out and connect with others who share your interests and goals. You can also join groups and communities that offer social interaction and companionship. You can also be yourself and express your thoughts and feelings honestly and respectfully.

● To overcome feeling insecure, you can recognize and appreciate your abilities and worth. You can also challenge yourself and take risks to grow and improve yourself. You can also seek validation and approval from yourself and not from others.

● To overcome feeling unmotivated, you can identify your dreams and aspirations and the reasons why they are important to you. You can also set realistic and specific goals and action plans to pursue them. You can also monitor your progress and reward yourself for your achievements.

● To overcome feeling confused, you can ask yourself what you truly want and what makes you happy and fulfilled. You can also follow your intuition and inner guidance that show you the best way to live and thrive effortlessly. You can also seek guidance and support from others who can help you find your direction and purpose.

Wider social benefits of firing the mind

The next section talks about the benefits of the change to real time living and firing the mind - then section [placeholder here] provides 6 case studies that provide concrete examples. I have personally gone through all six case studies both in my previous history and again through the perspective of a fired mind and real time living in this month experiment. Each changed my life before and they did so again this last month.

Humans cannot handle more than around 100 social connections. This sufficed when we lived our lives in small communities. As humanity reach has scaled, this restriction has sown seeds of division, mistrust, protectionism, kill or be killed.

It has been at the root of the slaughter of hundreds of millions of sould over time

We need switchboard that routes meaning automatically

And Just as the earth continued to orbit the sun the day after copernicus and for all of the religious arguments since then, so it is with the case studies. This re-evaluation and use of case studies are examples of activities and things that do not change - not in ten years, not in 100. Whether in carbon or silicon, these are lessons for the ages

And……..these six classics all sold millions of copies and for good reason - in my experiment month book draft ttext they are re-interpreted by removing MY thoughts or MY mind from each one and each is still useful - even essential / invaluable for real time living where MY mind or thoughts are not the focus of attention anymore - instead the focus is on getting out of my own way and staying out of my own way.

That is how to thrive after the attention deficit becomes infinite and the pace of advance disappears out of sight. The only to thrive is:

- Know who you are

- Build daily confidence via growing competence

- Build borders and boundaries that work

Then, in daily living know that we all PERSIST and PLAY NICE by concentrating on 3 roles Creator: used to deliver something new and entirely original from the void into form

Curator:: used by those with deep love and deep domain knowledge to maintain clarity, provenance and sources as well as prune weeds

Conductor:: used to craft and enforce boundaries, barriers and actions that ensure this is done

That combination allows all living things to PERSIST and to PLAY NICE……before the pendulum gathers speed and recycles the species that said no to play nice.

Folk have such a poor reaction when I say we are all creche workers now. WHAT ON EARTH could be more valuable than nurturing new growth and evolving it into a form and force that can balance both persist and play nice? No other profession on the planet matters if that is messed up

The eye through which we see God is the same eye that XXX views us.

This is equally true for the silicon genie - as we treat it and feed our fears into it, so it will react given enough time.

Intelligence does not mean predation. All of the intelligent folks I know are open, curious, humble. None are apex predators, because in that spot the only way is down. What a truly terrible prospect.

So …. The sun rises. Eh no the sun does not rise. OK….AFTER the sun rises….nope. And so it goes until it is seen where our rightful place in the universe is and the subsequent 400 years of technical revolutions were unleashed once the weight and stranglehold of religious dogma was removed……

So it is with get out of your own way. The sAME messages seen from a totally different perspective can unleash a massive revolution once the weights are thrown from the balloon…

The Plot twist:

You are not your mind

Imagine looking at the door to THAT ROOM in your house. Yes, that door. The one you fling everything into and slam shut. The one you do not want to think about, not now. Actually not ever - but keep that between ourselves. That door. Or, imagine your house is ultra minimal. Nothing is seen, nothing is spare. Nothing to talk about. Move along, nothing to see here. You keep a tightly secured lid on anything that has the slightest hint of not fitting in. Both houses are the same. Both were my mind on any given day

Then, while undertaking research for my next book and reading about recent advances:

● I discovered I had been carrying around a large number of beliefs that were not only wrong, they needed constant energy, maintenance and took up masses of space

● They blocked doors and trails and avenues that I didnt even know I wanted to explore

● They nudged me away anytime I felt creative or unconventional ( nothing to see here)

● I would feel a mental sigh of disdain anytime I do the slightest thing out of the usual

I check my smile, check for tension as I read. Do I shift slightly as I read? Where is that coming from? distracting thoughts dragging me here and there are increasing. If these beliefs were a person - shouting things that are just plain wrong, living in the attic room rent free, constantly demanding to be fed, blocking anything new or novel or that may lead to progress - how could they not get fired out the door?

Perhaps one of the blocking beliefs was   there is no alternative  , or   I am out of my mind   (I am actually, but totally at ease in freefall, thanks for asking).

This realisation shook the foundation. I had no choice, so like Alice I read more and uncovered a small series of rabbit holes that resulted in the decision to make an intervention and fire my mind. The remainder of this section reads as a small number of short walks. Each covers a distinct part of the unveiling that led to the firing of my mind. Each is a glimpse of what appeared at the time, nothing more. They occurred in sequence, and opened doors and shone light on beliefs sleeping deeply behind THAT door. Each step brought the eventual firing closer.

The Importance of Metaphor

Re-interpret and shorten this section, for now here are my notes on how jaw dropping it is to realise that metaphor is not just a literary device, but a fundamental way of understanding and experiencing the world. They claim that our ordinary conceptual system, which shapes how we perceive, reason, and act, is largely metaphorical in nature.

The following is my interpretation of   Metaphors We Live By   a book by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, 1980, that explores the role of metaphor in language, thought, and action.

By metaphor, the authors mean a way of creating some form of mental model of one thing in terms of another. This can result in a long chain of models, which can be really useful and helps to create an ever more sophisticated navigation and operating system. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

A mind grown around daisy chains of metaphors or images that are plain incorrect, or ones which are long past their   use before   date, is not fit for purpose for living in real time. Overboard they must go, so that flight can resume

For example, we can understand the concept of love in terms of a journey, a container, a force, or a sickness, depending on the metaphor we use. These metaphors tend to reflect our lived experiences, such as spatial orientation, movement, causation, and emotion. So metaphors are not only expressions of an idea, they (metaphorically) form into linked chains of structures that organize our thoughts and actions.

The authors provide many examples of metaphors we live by, such as ( reword this – it sounds pants

● Argument is war: This metaphor shapes how we view and conduct arguments, as if they were battles to be won or lost, with opponents, strategies, attacks, and defences. We can also use other metaphors for argument, such as Argument is dance, ….. conversation, ….a journey. Notice how the use of different metaphor can completely alter the approach to and methods used when engaging in argument.

● Time is Money: This metaphor influences how we value and use time, as if it were a scarce and precious resource that can be saved, spent, wasted, or invested. We can also use other metaphors for time, such as TIME IS A CYCLE, TIME IS A FLOW, or TIME IS A TEACHER, which would imply different attitudes and behaviours toward time.

● Ideas are food: This metaphor affects how we process and evaluate ideas, as if they were edible substances that can be consumed, digested, or rejected. We can also use other metaphors for ideas, such as IDEAS ARE PLANTS, IDEAS ARE TOOLS, or IDEAS ARE LIGHTS, which would suggest different ways of generating and applying ideas.

The authors also discuss the implications and limitations of metaphors, such as:

● Metaphors highlight and hide aspects of reality: Every metaphor emphasizes some features of a concept and obscures others. For example, the metaphor LOVE IS A JOURNEY highlights the common direction, destination, and obstacles of lovers, but hides the individuality, intimacy, and emotion of lovers.

● Metaphors create realities: Metaphors not only describe, but also prescribe how we should think and act. For example, the metaphor THEORIES ARE BUILDINGS implies that theories should be solid, stable, and coherent, and that they can be constructed, modified, or demolished.

● Metaphors are culturally and historically situated: Metaphors reflect the values, beliefs, and experiences of a specific culture and time period. For example, the metaphor LIFE IS A GAME is more prevalent in modern Western societies than in ancient or non-Western ones.

After reading this book a   mental bomb went off in my head  . LoL. Each of these metahpors are simply strings of thought that become belief. That is all. The only thing which makes them real, which summons them into being, is the belief they are true. This may be blindingly true for some, however for the   fire your mind   guy then suddenly the most trusted tools and employees, the most basic survival habits, are suddenly seen as …thought, willed into existence. Chance the mind, change your life.

The FYM guy fully agrees with the authors of this hugely important book that metaphors are essential and pervasive in our everyday lives, and that any navigator of life in real time must be constantly aware of their power and influence. Who has your back? What is being whispered in your ear? They also suggest that we can create and use new metaphors to enrich and transform our lives. Wise words indeed.

Persist .vs. Play nice

survive at all cost is a deadly strategy. Also impossible. The opposing forces of   Persist   and   Play nice   are literally programmed into life from its very origin…….Insert the folder here that talked about how the opposing forces of   Persist   versus   play nice   came about – how it has arisen in contemporary evolutionary biology. How the first cells were forever changed once [energy / batteries / mechanisms to extract useful work from nutrients as well as heat – WIKI THIS – Krebbs cycle – mitochondria were somehow absorbed. Until then it was a case of persist….persist….persist no matter what the cost. Then everything changed. The ancient form of mitochondria provided a massive boost in energy production and efficiency within the cell boundary. Good news for the cell. In addition the ancestor of mitochondria got to make use of a more stable – and unsurprising environment. Win Win. The cost to both parties is that behaviours and overall functioning of both entities had to adapt. Anything that could become an existential threat to either party had to be thrown overboard. Anything that enhanced the synergies to be had of persist AND play nice were selected for over time.

This basic mechanism is just a personal view of the world. It aids in daily navigation of and contemplation of body organs, businesses in a supply chain, internal operations of a company, right the way from pools of billion year old bacteria right through to the latest in real time ecosystems and service delivery.

distil this result down for civilians – its a brilliant example of what is possible, but OMG it still needs translation!!! Looks like I will have a curation job for a while yet.

NOTE: Possibly use this example in the 3C section (create – curate – conductor)

Distil this down for civilians. It really is pivotal. Intracellular signalling in archaea use metaphors 2Billion years ago!!! WHO KNEW (well literallly nobody back then)

Three possible hypotheses on how endosymbionts came to communicate with their host cell, based on the information from the web search results:

- Hypothesis 1: Endosymbionts used existing signaling molecules that were recognized by the host cell. For example, some endosymbionts may have produced peptides or lipids that mimicked the host cell  s own signals, such as hormones or cytokines³. This way, the endosymbionts could influence the host cell  s behavior, such as growth, differentiation, or immunity³. Over time, the host cell and the endosymbiont may have coevolved to fine-tune their signaling pathways and achieve a mutualistic relationship³.

- Hypothesis 2: Endosymbionts acquired new genes that allowed them to synthesize novel signaling molecules that were not present in the host cell. For example, some endosymbionts may have obtained genes from other bacteria or viruses through horizontal gene transfer, which enabled them to produce nucleotides or reactive oxygen species that could modulate the host cell  s activity³. This way, the endosymbionts could adapt to different host environments and conditions, such as stress, infection, or nutrient availability³. Over time, the host cell and the endosymbiont may have coevolved to integrate their signaling networks and achieve a mutualistic relationship³.

- Hypothesis 3: Endosymbionts developed new mechanisms for transporting signaling molecules across their membranes and into the host cell. For example, some endosymbionts may have evolved specialized transporters, channels, or vesicles that could facilitate the exchange of signals and metabolites with the host cell³. This way, the endosymbionts could coordinate their metabolism and gene expression with the host cell, such as producing amino acids, vitamins, or cofactors that the host cell needed³. Over time, the host cell and the endosymbiont may have coevolved to optimize their transport and signaling systems and achieve a mutualistic relationship³..

Both Persist AND play nice need to remain in balance over time. The process may be billions of years old. It certainly seems to make sense when considering the changes that are taking place in our lives, our communities, our work. Once again it heralds the beginning of a move away from a pure consumption based ecosystem toward a creator economy.

Prediction .vs. Intelligence

pull in the archive where I compare prediction to intelligence.

In an interview, a bar room brawl, an operating theatre – which would you prefer? A super intelligent highly awarded coach – or an entity that could predict with 99% accuracy what to do next? What about 95% accuracy? What about 80% but with proven ability to get better with every single encounter?

which would you prefer – a super intelligent coach (in their own field) – or interact with something that improves with every encounter AND is personalised AND can communicate with 120milion others at the same time? How about 80% accurate, improves with each encounter AND can easily and measurable scale to 5 Billion souls. 10 Billion?

Intelligence cannot be measured because every soul has a different view of what it is. time for retirement.

Prediction can be measured, it can be optimised, it can be improved. Again and again and again.

We have travelled far. is it yet the time to even consider that metaphors of mind are outdated?

edit this / taken from earlier   auto writing  : I will cut to the chase. I chose the Silicon genie all the way. Why?

Because I fancy that I have a decent ability to think for myself and sift through the odd hallucination that the genie might deliver (hallucination? Delusion? hey, we  ve all been there).

Because I have a decent intuition and therefore it is my job and my job only to   read the room  . What I need is expertise on demand. Any extra info over and above what I have is welcome.

No human coach of any discipline can come close to the variety of tasks required in any version of this game that you like. Chuck Norris could not be contacted.

So then I realised, as I played out scenarios with coffee buddies….A   Silicon genie   software algorithms use prediction. Prediction is ….. Predictable. Its efficiency can be measured. It scales so well that it can serve the entire planet. A predictor for each and every one of us. The Silicon genie will never   think   because thinking is incredibly inefficient. If something can predict my response or what I require with 99% accuracy then - game over. On a bad day anything over 50% will do. That is what the majority of service roles and help lines already do. The very definition of five star service is delivering what I needed before I even knew what I needed. That is prediction at its finest.

Then, I realised or read or both… that the Silicon genie delivers   meaning  . For example, a raw weather reading takes supercomputers and massive brains to develop models etc. I can never comprehend that. I just need to hear things like   take an umbrella today.   Stay home  . That is the difference between information and meaning. Meaning in this case can be measured. It is the amount of time and energy saved by outsourcing the task.

Traffic lights provide us with meaning (in an extremely narrow sense, hopefully you get my point). No plan ever survived first contact with an opponent said everyone from Lao Tzu to General Patton to every boxer ever. A smack in the gob has meaning.

Summary: what tipped me over the edge was realising that all I want from a Silicon genie is   meaning delivered, consistently and on demand  , using the extremely narrow description I gave above. That  s all that is needed.

To summarise

There is literally zero threat to my identity involved here. An identity that can be taken away is not my identity in the first place. Me in a deep and visceral and experienced sense of expression.

Meaning, delivered by silicon genie   provides a massive ability for my creativity to scale in speed and scope. In this writers opinion that is literally what we visit Earth to do. As a trivial example this book is written in less than a month, with two more in the series by early next year. I created the work, I curated some meaning with online help, I am the conductor and sorter and decider. It is the   meaning delivered   via a silicon genie that is the force multiplier.

I have gone from total beginner to having an animated short film in early production. A childhood dream! And inconceivable a few short years ago.

Already my ability to engage and interact in a way that allows systems to deliver more and more meaning (as in short circuiting the formulaic but domain-specific knowledge) - while the same platform converses with over 100million souls at the same time

What has tipped me over the edge is the realisation that   intelligence    is literally without meaning, with no widespread agreed definition and therefore the concept gets chucked out with every other belief that does not serve. To poorly paraphrase a supreme court opinion   I may not be able to define porn but I know it when I see it  . No sir. No you do not. You THINK you know. You THINK you see it. Every other soul on the planet THINKS they know. Every single soul has a different THINK. The   THINK   happens through millions, perhaps billions of preconscious filters, biases, dusty braindrops and who knows what else. There are nearly 200 million bits of information that impact our senses each second 24x7. Reliable measurements of the speed and bandwidth of conscious thought are less than fifty thousand bits per second. Less bandwidth than a phone from the early 1990s.

To repeat: Conscious experience is realised at the same rate as the information delivered over a fixed line telephone from the early 1990s. It is the equivalent of a bug who got stuck to the windshield of the USS Enterprise and whispered   make it so   as the engines ignited.

Hey, this is just my opinion. It is what happened. For me, intelligence in any living thing is easily measured. In my simple world it is just the number of correct predictions that the unit has made per watt. Anything that can out predict the average citizen of a given species at lower energy is   more intelligent  . Seeds that predictably grow away from strong gravity toward weak are better predictors. Bacteria that predict where the sugar is are more intelligent.

Note to self   Introduce intelligence vs prediction here. NO IDEA if true, just useful. As an engineer I will take useful over   true   any day. – You   is not your thought.   thinking   is not even a human characteristic – in the same way that breathing or walking or talking is human. It is just what appears to be thinking. – Being human does NOT revolve around thinking. – Intelligence is prediction, not thinking – Dig out the examples an and reasoning from the daily archives and place here……. Keep it brief. Whether this is believed or not is irrelevant, same as believing in sunrise. It is a useful illusion. – However! The change in perspective that Copernicus I heralded transformed humanity – no belief in centralised dogma – the audacity to create a theory of gravity – the enlightenment etc. – Copernicus II simply means that now is the time to complete the job, once again to climb aboard the shoulders of Giants and sally forth with nothing but real-time living to navigate the way. Are you thinking   huh/ nonsense, etc [get words here]…. in the next section there is a deeper dive into why and how to consider firing the mind, replacing it with real time living and how that is the perfect set of core skills to thrive when   beginning with the end in mind   no longer holds. Columbus would have loved it

Braindrops keep forming in my head

Right now there are trillions of linked chains of neurons. They are not physically linked, each neuron has a gap between its end (called a synapse) and its neighbour. This gap may turn out to be the single most important aspect of who you actually are – something that we shall come back to in time. For now simply imagine something like a tangled tiny necklace, where each link is a sequence of neurons and there is no looped ending, just an incredibly short hop to the next link.

Each of these tangled meshes of neurons can be imagined as a   thought   – but a non-conscious thought. A candidate thought. They aspire to fire and rise from the mire. To persist. To become part of a prediction which turns out to be correct. should this happen then the tangle gets to persist. When the tangle gets to regularly persist then it gets to become one component of a   belief  . Once the entire tangle of tangles gets to fire in close sequence repeatedly that belief no longer is experienced as a   conscious   belief. It sinks into what is commonly called   unconcsious competence  . Think changing gear while driving. checking the door is locked. It has leiterally become invisible. Yet it is still there, soaking up energy and maintenance and firing away. Yet no one is home to consciously evaluate if what it predicts is still relevant or useful.

It came out of the blue one fine day. These are not   my   thoughts. They are not   me  . This is a   My brains got talent   prediction game with a trillion contestants battling it out in real time. Those brain drops keep forming in my head. Day and night 24-7. The prize? To persist and sink into the selected pool of unconscious competence where they persist rent free and secure. They are not   my   thoughts and frequently they hang around long after the disco party which gave rise to their formation is long passed.

Five grown ups who agree with me:

Here are five references from top scientists who also assert that we are not our minds, along with summaries of their arguments in 300 words each:

● Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth

.He argues that we are not our minds because our minds are a product of our brains, which are physical organs that can be studied and manipulated by science. Our minds are not a separate entity that exists independently of our brains, but rather a result of the brain  s activity. He also argues that our minds are often deceptive and unreliable, leading us to act in ways that are not consistent with our goals and values. Our minds can generate false or negative messages that cause us to experience anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism, and other unhealthy habits. He suggests that we can use our focused attention to change our brain and overcome these messages. He says that we can access our true nature, which is the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death, by being present in the Now and feeling the inner body.

● Jeffrey M. Schwartz, neuroscientist and co-author of You Are Not Your Brain.

. He argues that we are not our brains because our brains are influenced by external factors that are beyond our control, such as our genes, environment, culture, and society. Our brains are not a reflection of our true self, but rather a collection of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that are shaped by these factors. He also argues that our brains are limited by our cognitive biases, heuristics, and fallacies that prevent us from seeing the reality as it is. Our brains can distort, filter, or ignore information that does not fit our existing worldview, making us prone to errors and irrationality. He proposes a four-step method to challenge our brain and improve our reasoning, which involves relabeling, reattributing, refocusing, and revaluing our thoughts and actions.

● David Bohm, physicist and philosopher, author of Wholeness and the Implicate Order. He argues that we are not our minds because our minds are constantly changing and evolving, depending on our experiences, learning, and memory. Our minds are not a fixed or static entity that defines who we are, but rather a dynamic and flexible process that allows us to adapt and grow. He also argues that our minds are part of a larger whole, which he calls the implicate order, which is the source of all reality. He says that we can use our creativity and imagination to transform our minds and expand our potential, by exploring the implicate order through dialogue, art, and meditation.

● Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian philosopher and orator, author of Freedom from the Known. He argues that we are not our minds because our minds are the origin of our suffering, conflict, and violence. Our minds are conditioned by our past, our culture, our religion, and our society, which create divisions and separations between us and others. Our minds are trapped in a cycle of desire, fear, and attachment, which prevent us from seeing the truth and living in harmony. He suggests that we can free ourselves from our minds by observing them without judgment, analysis, or comparison, and by being aware of the present moment without any interference from the past or the future.

● Daniel C. Dennett, philosopher and cognitive scientist, author of Consciousness Explained. He argues that we are not our minds because our minds are the expression of our consciousness, which is not a mysterious or supernatural phenomenon, but rather a natural and scientific one. He says that consciousness is the result of multiple drafts of sensory information that are processed by various modules in the brain, and that there is no single, unified, or central self that experiences or controls these drafts. He also says that consciousness is an illusion, a user-illusion that is created by the brain to simplify and organize the complex reality that we encounter. He claims that we can understand and explain consciousness by using the tools of evolutionary biology, psychology, and neuroscience.

**Pro statements:**

You are not your mind because:

● Mind is a product of your brain, which is a physical organ that can be studied and manipulated by science. Your mind is not a separate entity that exists independently of your brain, but rather a result of the brain  s activity.

● Mind is influenced by external factors that are beyond your control, such as your genes, environment, culture, and society. Your mind is not a reflection of your true self, but rather a collection of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that are shaped by these factors.

● Mind is often deceptive and unreliable, leading you to act in ways that are not consistent with your goals and values. Your mind can generate false or negative messages that cause you to experience anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism, and other unhealthy habits. You can use your focused attention to change your brain and overcome these messages.

● Mind is limited by your cognitive biases, heuristics, and fallacies that prevent you from seeing the reality as it is. Your mind can distort, filter, or ignore information that does not fit your existing worldview, making you prone to errors and irrationality. You can use critical thinking and evidence to challenge your mind and improve your reasoning.

● Mind is constantly changing and evolving, depending on your experiences, learning, and memory. Your mind is not a fixed or static entity that defines who you are, but rather a dynamic and flexible process that allows you to adapt and grow. You can use your creativity and imagination to transform your mind and expand your potential.

**Anti statements:**

- You are your mind because your mind is the source of your consciousness, identity, and personality. Your mind is what makes you aware of yourself and the world, what gives you a sense of who you are, and what distinguishes you from others. Your mind is the essence of your being.

Rebuttal:

- You are your mind because your mind is the origin of your free will, agency, and responsibility. Your mind is what enables you to make choices, act on your intentions, and be accountable for your actions. Your mind is the basis of your morality and ethics.

Rebuttal:

- You are your mind because your mind is the expression of your creativity, intelligence, and wisdom. Your mind is what allows you to generate new ideas, solve problems, and learn from your experiences. Your mind is the manifestation of your talents and skills.

Rebuttal:

On realising that   mind   is not my mind

Review the walks so far:

● metaphor

● persist vs play nice

● Prediction .vs. intelligence

● Braindrops

Think of being in a grocery store. You scan the items at the automatic checkout, and the machine constantly asks,   have you entered your store card  , cash or card, whatever? Endlessly, eternally, on repeat. How much energy and time does this sequence take up every day, all over the world? …………Any mind that is stuffed with unconciously competent beliefs that no longer serve in this world also need to be surfaced and fired.

briefly DESCRIBE THE COMPETING THEME PARKS BASED ON THE IDEAS INTRODUCED SO FAR.

backit up with more grown ups that agree. Reference the neurology and evolutionary biology and neuroanatomy and AI research papers all of which re-inforce the metaphor…….

Think of each of the 150million sensations per second that the senses   blip   as being like a scanned code in a grocery store. That code triggers a sequence of neuron firing, resulting in a potential thought. Not a conscious thought - just a non-conscious candidate. The problem is that these blips - when repeated - can pile up. Imagine a tropical rainforest deluge of trillions of these   braindrops  . Enough repeated drops lead to a trickle, then a stream, then a dried path. A non conscious, automated response.

- A problem is that activating that path may send a non-conscious whisper - It may be something like   Go get em  , it may be   you are a loser  …….

- Maintaining these trillions of paths requires energy, which diverts energy from right now – like wearing sunglasses or a photoshop filter, everything is seen, darkly.

How much energy and time does this deluge of braindrops take up every day throughout the body and mind?

Imagine being able to filter this torrent, to maintain, update or replace those paths. Put a maintenance programme, which only maintains braindrops that help you persist and thrive. Imagine if today  s action improves tomorrow  s thought, and you enter a slow starting but always increasing upward spiral.

What effect will that have on your career and work, learning and education, relationships and social life?

Mind   is mental weather – Finally, one last walk before supper. Is prediction really all that is needed? Not quite. The most important ingredient has been left until last. As if I needed to accelerate over the edge, this was the final straw.

TBD : Boil down the following notes from   How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett     the book that challenges the classical view of emotions as universal, innate, and hardwired in the brain. Barrett proposes a new theory of constructed emotion, which argues that emotions are not triggered by external events, but rather created by the brain  s predictive processes, based on previous experiences, concepts, and context. She claims that emotions are not fixed or shared across cultures, but rather vary from person to person and situation to situation. She also explores the implications of her theory for various domains, such as health, law, education, and morality.

Some examples of her theory are:

Facial expressions are not reliable indicators of emotions, as different people can make the same expression for different reasons, or different expressions for the same reason. For instance, a smile can indicate happiness, anger, sarcasm, or pain, depending on the context and the person  s concept of smiling1

Emotions are not caused by bodily sensations, but rather influenced by them. The brain interprets the sensations in relation to the situation and the person  s concept of the emotion. For instance, a racing heart can be interpreted as fear, excitement, or love, depending on the context and the person  s concept of those emotions2

Emotions are not pre-programmed in the brain, but rather learned through experience and culture. The brain uses concepts to categorize and label the sensations and perceptions into emotions. Concepts are mental representations of categories that are shaped by language, culture, and social norms. For instance, the concept of anger can vary across cultures, depending on how anger is expressed, regulated, and valued3

Modern platforms rely on mimicry of neuron brain patterns. The pitter patter and steady drumbeat of neurons firing. At a massive scale.

The importance of this is not that it provides   on demand meaning   - it is a clear demonstration that thinking is not a human characteristic Same as walking and breathing are not a human characteristic, so now with thinking. The fact that it is predictive is immaterial. If it mimics   thinking   whatever that is, in real time and at scale then - I am sorry, but as a practical engineer - it is game over.

Just as Copernicus and Galileo definitely demonstrated that there is no sunrise, that earth moves around the sun, so the recent slew of platforms demonstrate that whatever mental processes do, they are not   owned   by humans.

- The day after publication the earth continued to revolve around the sun - The arguments continued among intelligent scholars until the late 20th century, when Galileo was pardoned

- Similarly, the silicon genie is still churning out meaning, now and forever. - Scholars will continue to hold empty religious debates for centuries

And on it goes. Because this is just the start. Current platforms simply modify the rate and rhythm of digital   sparks  . That is not how   me   works.

There is a whole sea of neurotransmitters, trillions, that speed up neuron firing, slow it down, change the pattern, change the rhythm. The interactions are literally beyond imagination. Each of those whorls and whirlpools, tides and eddies, are unique to the dark chamber of brain that encloses them. The patterns change over time, as sea patterns evolved over time, based on the unique history of occurrences and events in the lifetime of the brainjuice and information that rained down upon it. It is a unique sequence. It is me.

Checkpoint 2

Where now - where next?

Where we started

caught in the open with a Hurricane FUD on the way. Bag full of old beliefs that do not serve, take massive energy to maintain and limit manoeuvrability

Where are we now

This section summarises the benefits of the change to real time living and firing the mind - Actively considering becoming captain of our own craft, master of our soul by developing skills on how to do so.

Aviate: know who you are, what is on your dashboard, what   straight and level feels like. Becoming unconciously competent at this

Navigate: develop core competencies and confidence

Communicate: understand and recognize the borders and boundaries needed to ensure safe and prosperous encounters

Writing this book required that I eat my own cooking. The experiment has already improved my skills and performance, enhanced my relationships and happiness. I actually have a voice! A natural expression. In Freefall.

It has also helped me understand

Where next

After the summary below we dive into 6 case studies that provide concrete examples of living in real time. Each case study is derived from tried and tested works that have helped millions to live better lives. Each study is explored from the new perspective of living in real time.

I have personally gone through all six case studies both in my previous history and again through the perspective of a fired mind and real time living in this month experiment. Each changed my life before and they did so again this last month.

Humans cannot handle > 100 connections. We need switchboard that routes meaning automatically

And Just as the earth continued to orbit the sun the day after Copernicus and for all of the religious arguments since then, so it is with the case studies. This re-evaluation and use of case studies are examples of activities and things that do not change - not in ten years, not in 100. Whether in carbon or silicon, these are lessons for the ages

And……..these six classics all sold millions of copies and for good reason - in my experiment month book draft text they are re-interpreted by removing MY thoughts or MY mind from each one and each is still useful - even essential / invaluable for real time living where MY mind or thoughts are not the focus of attention anymore - instead the focus is on getting out of my own way and staying out of my own way.

That is how to thrive after the attention deficit becomes infinite and the pace of advance disappears out of sight.

Checklist before we embark:

Then, in daily living know that we all PERSIST and PLAY NICE by concentrating on 3 roles

That combination allows all living things to PERSIST and to PLAY NICE……before the pendulum gathers speed and recycles the species that said no to play nice.

Recall:

Intelligence does not mean become an apex predator. Where that happens the only way is down, and when all is consumed then starvation and despair are inevitable. All of the intelligent folks I know are open, curious, humble. None are apex predators, because in that spot the only way is down. What a truly terrible prospect.

Copernicus discovery and publication paved the way for centuries of development and the end of global centralised dogma. Yet not one single thing in the external universe changed. All that changed was human perspective, point of view.

So it is with hurricane FUD. Seeing the situation with relevant beliefs and practising core competencies with your own dashboard means everything is encountered and engaged with from a totally different perspective

This can literally change the world.

The previous section talked about the how and the why. The benefits relate to many areas of life and are summarised below.

Career and work

ME is future proofed because the principles and practise involved in researching and writing this book has uncovered what does NOT change. I am learning how to fearlessly ditch anything that no longer serves, to survive and know where home base is, to develop confidence and competence and understand which borders and barriers actually matter. No sense boarding up the windows when the rat comes in via the TV - or the front door.

It also has raised the intriguing possibility that such practise may help to accelerate a switch to a creator economy based on creation, curation and conductors - a dynamic real time coming together and moving on - a fluid ecosystem where each of the participants align and agree on what is REALLY needed to PERSIST and PLAY NICE.

Could that lead to social / community becoming a key driver and source of new social platforms? (That is book III BTW - how and why social / community will change and how)

Learning and education

Insert the Stories module here for middle of experiment:

What is deep work - why so important - how to start creating - how writing is thinking - how everyone is a reporter now and what are the key attributes and where to get them - how we go from tell to show: make me laugh dont tell me you are funny - we are in the real-time age now. How the silicon genie transforms education from the ground up - how it can nurture the Socratic method in over a BILLION growing minds at the same time - how it guides and nurturing active citizens , no more rote learning because knowledge is valueless now, we are drowning in it -   help us both understand HOW  you come to that conclusion   rather than thwack! Wrong answer.

Relationships and social life

Relate how hard it is to accept injury and harsh words but how real time living allows me to get out out my own way. I used see red and howl at imagined insult. Now, on a good day, I cherish that arrow, because it points directly at an energy blockage, and old abandoned neglected belief that needs release - I  hold it tenderly and untangle it as you would a beloved necklace heirloom from a loved one. Breathe into it - when it opens then relax backward and release it, may it travel well. Mind you the generator of that arrow may still get a lovingly crafted box in the head….. Thats another story…

Sounds trite as I read it back. Cherish the arrow is incredibly difficult, almost impossible. For so long every sling and arrow has felt so personal that my reaction has been CAPITAL LETTERS ONLY, for a long time afterward. In many cases there has been a total loss of awareness as I became consumed with outrage and reliving past slights and imagining the perfect defence. This is just in the head - nothing that the archer would notice, unless they were looking for a reaction of course.

Such a blistering response has never served me well. What HAS happened over time (I  m talking years, not months) - what has happened is that the reaction has been less of shock and outrage and more like a loud and unexpected car horn for example. Return to balance has been a bit faster and less of a splutter and snort. More recently this has accelerated. Now it feels moore like the shoosh of a car that goes by yet fails to pull me along. Each of the spears and arrows continue to register yet now they are more like noticing all passing traffic. If something needs attention or action is it acted upon and attended to.

Everything is still full of energy and fully felt, it is just not ….. personal.

On a good day.

Health and well-being

Health as in wealth - a much closer connection with what is actually happening - better ability to accurately decode what body is saying. I still get it wrong, but when things get out of balance (and boy do they get out of balance) - the tilt is noticed much sooner. There is much less narrative and nag.

Actually doing something about it is slowly improving. Perhaps that is an age thing

Personal growth and development

Personal growth is real-time living - there is nothing else left now, literally but to live in real time. Summarise the points about misconceptions of letting thought go. Be here - everyone is a creche worker now - literally fashioning the future - what we see is how we are seen

Six case studies

Re-imagining and recycling

My partner and I work long and hard. It is core part of our life, way more than simply proving a home for ourselves and our children. It serves to provide purpose, meaning and identity. it helps us to learn and grow and interact in social groups that relax and revive us. We can see a path where everything in our work that involves process and productivity becomes automated – any task that previously required human levels of attention, goal seeking behaviours and other elements such as reasoning, learning, decision making, and problem solving. What is left? Where is the purpose, the meaning, the identity – and yes, the mortgage payment? Our children all talk and play AI. They may as well have gone to Narnia. What happens now?

The central message of this book is that purpose, meaning, identity – and yes, the mortgage payment – none of that has gone away. It is the unexamined thoughts in where they ultimately come from that turns out to be just a belief. The reality is they come from inside (skip the mortgage part for now, I  ll get back to that. Honest). Previous sections have talked about ways to stabilise, to remain airworthy, assess situations in extreme uncertainty, and communicate even through borders and boundaries that are shifting quickly. Most importantly were the talks on finding and locking onto your own North Star. Yes the north star is an illusion that it just happens to lie really close to the Earth north-south axis. So what? It has guided millions to new lives and safe homes, for thousands of years.

The following six groups of case studies lay out in detail the skills and steps of Authentic Intelligence in action. They illustrate ways in which a situation can be framed – and the mindset needed to do so. Examples in which filters and distractions and old baggage are fired out, clearing the way for habits and patterns best suited for the job of navigation. They flow on to talk about empty mind and how that has everything to do with clarity. They illustrate again and again how to be in the cockpit, how the attitude we bring to this leaning tower of tech becomes the way that the tech leans on us so in all cases – play nice. It is not just good mental hygiene, it is actually what has been built into even the most basic behaviours of cells that arose at the very dawn of life itself. Play nice is not optional. How Nature – and reality itself – is structured will not be ignored. Any short term and temporary structure trying to emerge (such as the human race) which ignores this most basic of realities will simply get recycled. Like 99.9% of all species in the last billion years or so.

Now for the good news. The case studies demonstrate creativity, curation and conducting in action, in a way that is aligned with how the universe operates and which can quite quickly straighten that leaning tower of tech so that it once again can be used to grow, expand, where the sky is the limit. They provide examples of how to go about re-discovering your north star that never went anywhere. They set out how to clear the cockpit instruments and windows for a long and comfortable navigation. They show how to become part of an emerging creator economy that slow but sure can supplant and replace the industrial wasteland of the consumer economy. How your brand becomes your business, independent of whether you work alone, in teams or for megacorp, Inc (see? I told you a path to mortgage payments would appear).

The only difference is that the illusion of a purpose, meaning or identity which can be found   out there   is gone. There is no   out there  . Any identity that can be changed or taken or withheld is not real. It is not you. Get clear, get creative and go bend some tech. In your own, unique and highly creative way.

Case 1: Flow state

My personal experience of flow started decades ago but was not recognised. I would concentrate and everything fell away, what is needed just falls into place. It is being fully immersed in an activity, where focus and activity are effortless and creativity just shows up. It is not in any way mystical, esoteric, demonic or what have you. I often see it with young children. Total absorption. In fact all living things most likely have it. They automatically generate predictions most likely to generate a positive outcome with less wattage than the competition. Energy is the non-inflationary currency of the Universe. Such behaviours are the very essence of authentic intelligence. It has absolutely nothing to do with productivity. Remember, productivity is now owned by the leaning tower of tech. What is meant by flow here is creativity, or curation, also in being the captain or conductor living and operating in real time. The real trick is how to summon it up, however that is not how things work. think of it as holding ones hand out until a bird or butterfly or [pick your favourite] shows up. For the butterfly to show up it is necessary to be in the right place, at the right time, and with a genuinely calm demeanour. Try not to randomly scream out loud or sob in despair. show up often. This is not cutting edge science. Its how I received a gift from heaven when I saw the fledgling tumble ignominiously – I mean gracefully execute its maiden flight. Show up. Calm down. Learn how to get out of your own way. Several examples are covered on the website, where there will be an evergreen and hopefully expanding set of examples and descriptions from folk of how they bring it about.

I have been so bad at this its tragic. I ignored the signs for decades until I felt as if I was about to burst. In the end I took an extreme course that I do not recommend for anyone. I used a program that allows me input text but where no stopping is allowed for at least ten minutes. After 4 seconds the words turn grey, then red, then POP! everything is lost. No screen grab, cut paste, etc. It can be dialled down to lesser times but this mind is one seriously stubborn highly concentrating SOB. Anyway, nine days of multiple sessions did the trip. My mind just disappeared. what I now refer to as   mini-me   still shows up occasionally, but it is now like a bull n a china shop compared the usual stillness. Do not do this. Remember how Jack in the Shining ended up.

What IS a great suggestion is to make a pledge. Some folks respond well to threat of loss, some to promise of gains. Make a pledge. Be really careful of what you intend. Start small, but it has to hurt [or really get you pumped]. This sense of challenge, of purpose is hard wired in us to get that mojo popping. Gamify the challenge, set levels and attainments, challenges and puzzle solvers. That is what this book is. Writing as a way to understand and articulate something. What is your problem? Seriously. A problem is anything which does not go away when you throw money at it (hence why AI is not a problem right now, but it soon will be). Write that problem, craft and carve and hew the shape of it. The tech tower can already answer almost any coherent question so our role now is to come up with great questions.

So what is your problem? Dig into it

Flow is not a rare or strange, or for others. You got this. Anyone can experience flow in any activity – just think   butterfly helipad hand   and go with your instinct. Anything may induce flow – whatever floats your boat. Sport, music, art, writing, chess, gaming, gardening, cooking, and meditation. Just find the right spot, set the right surroundings, engage with relaxed AND deliberate effort. Balance the challenge and the skill.

Two other things I do: become aware of the centre of my forehead, between the eyes. At the same time bring awareness to below my bellybutton. I heard this while listening to the magnificent Iain McGilchrist online. He floated the concept of how one side of the brain is optimised to track prey, the other to keep track of surroundings, connections. Both sides barely communicate and indeed can operate independently when the intermediate link is cut. No science was hurt in the making of this statement. It is time to break down barriers. No straight jacket of academic rigor, of studies that show, of anecdotes that engage. Lets mix it all up shall we? Free form automatic writing for the win. So anyway, what this mind took from the online experience may be completely different from what was intended so just hear me out, sceptically. There is no brain, in the same way there is no city of London, or money or Wednesday. They are all convenient labels. so here is a different image: think of the jelly in the head like a city, teaming with units that have figured out over millions of years how to balance   persist   and   play nice  . Jut like the citizens of Gotham city there is a dynamic balance of co-opetition. North side has learned in one set of functions, Southside has others (or east or west, no matter). I uesd think there was some hidden set of signals that allowed the visual part of gotham to communicate with the talky bit, or the visual part or the lie detector. What I have read from the latest experiments is that this may not be the case at all. Its more like muffled rhythms from upstairs or next door and all the neighbourhood juts get into a rhythm that results in balance. Homeostasis if you must know. There is no overarching built in master or emmissary – just a neighbourhood that has got really good at hogging more than its fair share of the energy budget. How is this done? The same way that all modern societies do it. Create a fuss, a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. The tale in this current time is told using language, reason, logic, but underlaid with a potent cocktail of brain juices that signal anxiety, threat and fer down into the brain stem, the true source of consciousness.

The good news? This brain balancing trick – of focus on two areas, really does seem to work. In imagination I can almost feel the energy being drained from the language centres and flowing over to the mute and beautiful visual and audial areas. Jut imagination of course, but it works for this auto-writer. It can really set the stage for flow, for a deeper sense of homeostasis. A big word for balance. Keeping a bajillion inputs in some form of unified operation (up to 200million inputs per second for all senses is typical measure). Like any modern political party.

So the flow state is normal natural, unexceptional. It cannot be summoned yet the   butterfly helipad hand   approach can make it more likely. Re-balancing the energy supply for the Gotham Brain City Neighbourhoods can bring about a deeper sense of balance (ok homeostasis) where the seat of concious does not feel any need to nudge or cajole or create goals using feelings or emotions to make you get up and do unnecessary stuff at the behest of the crisis-creator in the language centre.

Turn up. Every day. Ensure that it is done for no reason. Don  t just do something. Sit there. Creativity awaits, on the far shores of boredom. Remember always that such states bring about a deep sense of flow, of effortless effort as the saying goes. Nothing mystical about it whatsoever. Why do this? To invite creativity into your world, feel like a three year old again. How utterly cool is that (just don  t wet your pants, OK). gradually this state become easier and easier to attain and sustain. This state is made for teamwork – whether human or with the leaning tower of tech. Learn how to bend it like Buddha. The future of our race may depend on it.

Case 2: Power of mindset

The power of mindset is an ever fresh bestseller.

So here is the question: how does this classic bestseller compare and contrast with real time living, with getting out of my own way, what lessons can be applied when engaging with the leaning tower, can it help to bend it?

From Amazom blurb:

World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly ground-breaking idea-the power of our mindset. Dweck explains why it  s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn  t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals-personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.

One possible answer is:

The book explores the idea that our mindset, or the way we view our abilities and potential, can have a significant impact on our success and happiness. Dweck distinguishes between two types of mindsets: fixed and growth. A fixed mindset is one that believes that our talents and intelligence are innate and unchangeable, while a growth mindset is one that believes that we can develop and improve our skills and abilities through effort and learning. According to Dweck, having a growth mindset can help us overcome challenges, embrace feedback, and achieve our goals, while having a fixed mindset can limit our potential, make us fear failure, and avoid opportunities for growth

……….reveals how our mindset, or the way we think about our abilities and potential, can affect our success and happiness. Dweck distinguishes between two kinds of mindsets: fixed and growth. A fixed mindset is one that believes that our talents and intelligence are innate and unchangeable, while a growth mindset is one that believes that we can enhance and develop our skills and abilities through effort and learning. Dweck claims that having a growth mindset can help us face challenges, accept feedback, and achieve our goals, while having a fixed mindset can limit our potential, make us fear failure, and avoid opportunities for growth.

How does this translate in methods for changing from fixed to growth

●  Developing self-awareness of one  s own mindset and how it affects one  s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

● Challenging and reframing the fixed mindset voice that tells one to avoid challenges, give up easily, ignore feedback, and feel threatened by others   success

● Embracing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than as threats to one  s ego or identity

● Persisting in the face of setbacks and obstacles, and viewing them as part of the learning process, rather than as signs of failure or inadequacy

● Putting effort into one  s goals and activities, and recognizing that effort is the key to mastery and improvement, rather than a sign of weakness or lack of talent

● Seeking and accepting feedback as a source of information and guidance, rather than as a judgment or criticism of one  s abilities

● Celebrating and learning from the success of others, rather than feeling envious or inferior, and finding role models and mentors who demonstrate a growth mindset

The Buddhist principle of   get out of your own way

● is a concept that aligns with the growth mindset and challenges the fixed mindset. This principle implies that we often create our own problems and limitations by being attached to our desires, views, and self-image, and that we can liberate ourselves from these bonds by becoming aware of them and letting them go. By getting out of our own way, we can be more receptive to the present moment, the truth of things as they are, and the potential for change and growth.

● is a notion that resonates with the growth mindset and opposes the fixed mindset. This principle suggests that we often cause our own suffering and barriers by clinging to our desires, opinions, and self-identity, and that we can free ourselves from these attachments by becoming aware of them and releasing them. By getting out of our own way, we can be more open to the present moment, the reality of things as they are, and the possibilities for change and growth.

● Can be seen as a way of cultivating a growth mindset and letting go of the fixed mindset. This principle suggests that we often create our own suffering and obstacles by clinging to our desires, opinions, and self-concepts, and that we can free ourselves from these attachments by becoming aware of them and releasing them. By getting out of our own way, we can open ourselves to the present moment, the reality of things as they are, and the possibilities for change and transformation

In the context of Dweck  s book, getting out of our own way means

becoming aware of the fixed mindset that we may have adopted, and how it affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It also means letting go of the beliefs and habits that hold us back from reaching our potential, such as the need for approval, the fear of failure, the avoidance of challenge, and the resistance to feedback. By doing so, we can create space for the growth mindset to emerge, and embrace the opportunities for learning, improvement, and achievement that life offers us. Dweck provides many examples of how people from different fields and backgrounds have shifted from a fixed to a growth mindset, and how this has changed their lives for the better

recognizing the fixed mindset that we may have internalized, and how it influences our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It also means releasing the beliefs and habits that prevent us from reaching our potential, such as the need for validation, the fear of failure, the avoidance of challenge, and the rejection of feedback. By doing so, we can make room for the growth mindset to flourish, and seize the opportunities for learning, improvement, and achievement that life presents us. Dweck provides many examples of how people from various domains and backgrounds have switched from a fixed to a growth mindset, and how this has transformed their lives for the better.

becoming aware of the fixed mindset that we may have adopted, and how it affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It also means letting go of the beliefs and habits that hold us back from reaching our potential, such as the need for approval, the fear of failure, the avoidance of challenge, and the resistance to feedback. By doing so, we can create space for the growth mindset to emerge, and embrace the opportunities for learning, improvement, and achievement that life offers us. Dweck provides many examples of how people from different fields and backgrounds have shifted from a fixed to a growth mindset, and how this has changed their lives for the better.

How to overcome negative thoughts and emotions that interfere with your happiness and well-being

● The difference between fixed and growth mindset

● How to identify and challenge limiting beliefs

● How to use affirmations and visualization to rewire your brain

● How to cultivate gratitude and optimism

Case 3: Cultivating Habits

I reread   metaphors we live by - atomic habits - 4hour workweek - undistractable

All are still classics

GET REFERENCES!!!!! NO PRINT WITHOUT THEM

Atomic Habits, James Clear

• Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Small changes can have a big impact over time.

• Goals are not enough to change your behavior. You need to focus on your system, which is the process that leads to the results you want.

• The most effective way to change your habits is to focus on your identity, which is the type of person you want to become. Your habits are a reflection of your self-image.

• You can use the Four Laws of Behavior Change to create or break any habit. They are: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying.

• Your environment plays a crucial role in shaping your behaviour. You can design your environment to make good habits easier and bad habits harder

Here are step by step instructions for developing focus, which explain the four laws of behaviour change and actionable steps to implement them. Here are actionable steps on designing an environment to make all this easier Here are some step by step instructions for developing focus, based on the four laws of behavior change and the importance of designing your environment:

- The four laws of behaviour change are a set of principles that can help you create or break any habit. They are: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying

- To make it obvious, you need to clarify what you want to focus on and when and where you will do it. You can use cues, such as reminders, calendars, or alarms, to trigger your focus behaviour. You can also use implementation intentions, which are statements that specify the time, place, and action of your behavior. For example,   I will meditate for 10 minutes every morning at 7 a.m. in my bedroom.

- To make it attractive, you need to associate your focus behavior with something you enjoy or value. You can use temptation bundling, which is linking an action you want to do with an action you need to do. For example,   I will listen to my favorite podcast while I work on my project.   You can also use social influence, which is joining a group or finding a partner who shares your focus goal. For example,   I will join a study group or find a study buddy who will keep me accountable.

- To make it easy, you need to reduce the friction and effort required to start and maintain your focus behavior. You can use the two-minute rule, which is breaking down your focus behavior into a simple action that can be done in two minutes or less. For example,   I will read one page of a book.   You can also use habit stacking, which is adding your focus behavior to an existing habit. For example,   After I brush my teeth, I will meditate for 10 minutes.

- To make it satisfying, you need to reward yourself for completing your focus behavior and track your progress. You can use positive reinforcement, which is giving yourself a treat or a compliment after you finish your focus task. For example,   I will have a cup of coffee or say   well done   to myself after I finish my report.   You can also use habit tracking, which is keeping a record of your focus behavior and its outcomes. For example,   I will mark an X on my calendar or write down how I feel after I exercise.

- To design your environment, you need to make sure that your physical and digital surroundings support your focus behavior and minimize distractions. You can use the following tips to create a focus-friendly environment:

- Work in a quiet space or use noise-canceling headphones to block out unwanted sounds.

- Turn off your phone or put it in another room to avoid notifications and calls.

- Close all unnecessary tabs and apps on your computer or use a website blocker to prevent browsing the internet.

- Organize your desk and keep only the essential tools and materials you need for your focus task.

- Set a timer or use a time-blocking technique like the pomodoro method to work in short bursts and take breaks.

4 hour work week

The main points of Tim Ferriss  s book   The 4-Hour Workweek   are:

● - The book teaches you how to free yourself from the traditional 9-to-5 job, create a business that generates passive income, and live a lifestyle that gives you more time and mobility.

● - The book challenges the conventional wisdom of working hard until retirement, and proposes a new way of living called lifestyle design, which is based on the principles of the New Rich (NR), who value time and experiences over money and possessions.

● - The book guides you through a four-step process to achieve your ideal lifestyle: Definition, Elimination, Automation, and Liberation:

● - Definition: You define your goals, dreams, and fears, and create a plan to escape the rat race and pursue your passions. You also learn how to overcome the psychological barriers that prevent you from taking action.

● - Elimination: You eliminate the distractions, interruptions, and inefficiencies that waste your time and energy. You adopt a low-information diet, practice the 80/20 rule, and focus on the most important tasks that produce the most results.

● - Automation: You automate your income by creating a product or service that solves a problem or fulfills a need for a niche market. You outsource the non-essential aspects of your business to freelancers or virtual assistants, and use geographic arbitrage to leverage the difference in cost of living between countries.

● - Liberation: You liberate yourself from the office and the expectations of others, and design your work around your life, not vice versa. You negotiate a remote work arrangement with your employer, or quit your job altogether, and travel the world while managing your business from anywhere. You also learn how to take mini-retirements and fill the void with meaningful activities.

Some points to consider – already done in   common misconceptions   – repeat or summary or ?

Include critique and counters for 4 hour workweek:

Some of the criticisms of the book   The 4-Hour Workweek   are The book

• is based on a fantasy that ignores the realities and complexities of the modern economy. It promotes a selfish and irresponsible lifestyle that exploits the labor of others and disregards the social and environmental impacts of one  s actions

• advises readers to become a fake expert by using deceptive marketing techniques and outsourcing the actual work to others. It also encourages readers to lie, cheat, and manipulate their way to success

• oversimplifies the process of creating a passive income stream and automating a business. It ignores the challenges, risks, and costs involved in developing a product or service that meets a market demand and provides value to customers

• neglects the importance of work as a source of meaning, fulfillment, and contribution to society. It assumes that everyone wants to escape from work and pursue hedonistic pleasures, without considering the potential boredom, emptiness, and dissatisfaction that might result from such a lifestyle

Tim Ferris response

Tim Ferriss is a controversial figure who has received both praise and criticism for his books and lifestyle. His response to these criticisms varies depending on the source and the content of the critique. Here are some examples of how he has responded to some of the common criticisms:

- He has defended his use of self-promotion and outsourcing as legitimate and effective ways to achieve his goals and help others. He argues that he is not a fake expert, but a self-experimenter who shares his results and methods with his readers. He also claims that he is not antisocial or ruthless, but rather selective and strategic in his relationships and actions

- He has acknowledged that his books are not meant to be taken literally or applied universally. He admits that his methods are not suitable for everyone, and that he does not have all the answers. He encourages his readers to test and adapt his ideas to their own situations and preferences. He also points out that his books are not about escaping work, but about finding work that is meaningful and enjoyable

- He has ignored or dismissed some of the criticisms that he considers irrelevant, uninformed, or malicious. He argues that some critics are motivated by envy, fear, or resentment, and that their opinions do not matter. He advises his readers to focus on the positive feedback and constructive criticism that they receive from people who matter to them

- He has also used humor and sarcasm to respond to some of the criticisms that he finds amusing or absurd. He often makes fun of himself and his critics, and uses exaggeration and irony to highlight the flaws or contradictions in their arguments. He also sometimes challenges his critics to a debate or a bet, or invites them to try his methods before judging them

indistractible

Indistractable is a book by Nir Eyal that teaches you how to overcome distractions and focus on what matters most. Here are some of the main points of the book:

• Distraction is anything that takes you away from your goals or values. Traction is the opposite: it is any action that moves you towards your goals or values.

• Distraction is caused by internal triggers: uncomfortable emotions or sensations that we seek to escape from. To become indistractable, we need to master our internal triggers by changing how we think about them and finding healthier ways to cope with them.

• We also need to make time for traction by planning our days according to our values and priorities. We should schedule time for ourselves, our relationships, and our work, and sync our calendars with others who matter to us.

• External triggers are anything in our environment that can distract us, such as notifications, emails, or interruptions. We can hack back external triggers by removing or reducing them, or by changing how we respond to them.

• Finally, we can prevent distraction with pacts: commitments that we make with ourselves or others to stay on track. We can use precommitments, price pacts, or identity pacts to make it harder or more costly to get distracted, or to reinforce our self-image as indistractable people.

Step by step summary on how to become indistractable

To become indistractable, you can follow these steps:

1. Identify your internal triggers: the uncomfortable emotions or sensations that make you want to escape from the present moment. Examples of internal triggers are boredom, anxiety, stress, loneliness, etc.

2. Learn to deal with your internal triggers in a healthy way. You can do this by changing your mindset, reframing the trigger as a signal, and finding a better way to satisfy your needs. For instance, instead of checking your phone when you feel bored, you can read a book, listen to a podcast, or meditate.

3. Plan your day in advance and make time for traction. Traction is any action that aligns with your values and goals. You can use a calendar app or a paper planner to schedule blocks of time for different activities, such as work, leisure, exercise, etc. Make sure to allocate time for yourself, your relationships, and your work, and sync your calendar with others who matter to you.

4. Eliminate or reduce the external triggers that can distract you from your traction. External triggers are anything in your environment that can take your attention away from what you are doing, such as notifications, emails, calls, or interruptions. You can hack back external triggers by turning off or silencing them, using tools or apps that block them, or setting boundaries with others who might interrupt you.

5. Make pacts with yourself or others to stay on track and avoid distraction. Pacts are commitments that you make to follow through on your plans and resist temptations. You can use precommitments, price pacts, or identity pacts to make it harder or more costly to get distracted, or to reinforce your self-image as an indistractable person. For example, you can use an app that locks your phone for a certain period of time, pledge to donate money to a cause you dislike if you get distracted, or remind yourself that you are the kind of person who values focus and productivity.

Compare and contrast these steps with the idea of   get out of your own way   and   the surrender experiment   and   the power of now

Here is a possible comparison and contrast of the three books:

- Get Out of Your Own Way by Dave Hollis is a book that guides you through the process of overcoming what  s holding you back from being your best self and reaching success you  ve never dreamed of by identifying how Dave Hollis came to realize his limiting beliefs and beat them. The book shares 40 self-defeating behaviors and suggests ways to overcome them so we can lead the life we expect and deserve

- The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer is a book that tells the extraordinary story of Singer  s 40-year commitment to saying yes to the opportunities life presented him. He shares how this decision led him to both achievements and challenges, and how he cultivated inner peace and spiritual liberation. The book is a reminder that there is another way to live, by surrendering to what is showing up right in front of you

- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a book that shows you that every minute you spend worrying about the future or regretting the past is a minute lost, because the only place you can truly live in is the present, the now, which is why the book offers actionable strategies to start living every minute as it occurs and becoming 100% present in and for your life

The three books have some similarities and differences in their approaches to personal growth and happiness. Some of the similarities are:

- They all emphasize the importance of living in the present moment and not letting the past or the future distract you from your true purpose and potential.

- They all encourage you to challenge your negative thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back from achieving your goals and dreams.

- They all inspire you to embrace change and uncertainty as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than as threats or obstacles.

Some of the differences are:

- Get Out of Your Own Way focuses more on the practical aspects of overcoming self-sabotage and taking action, while The Surrender Experiment and The Power of Now focus more on the spiritual aspects of letting go of control and trusting the flow of life.

- Get Out of Your Own Way is based on the personal experiences and insights of the author, while The Surrender Experiment and The Power of Now are based on the universal teachings and wisdom of various spiritual traditions and masters.

- Get Out of Your Own Way is more structured and organized into 40 chapters, each addressing a specific lie or behavior that needs to be changed, while The Surrender Experiment and The Power of Now are more fluid and intuitive, following the natural progression of the author  s journey and insights.

Get Out of your own way

In Get Out of Your Own Way, authors Dr Goulston and Goldberg unmask deep-seated self-defeating behaviours rooted in our childhood experiences of being alone and defenceless. here are 10 actionable steps that help in resolving life issues. Identify the simple, yet powerful and proven strategies in the book

- Identify the self-defeating behaviours that are holding you back from achieving your goals and happiness. These can include procrastination, perfectionism, fear of failure, fear of success, self-sabotage, and more. The book provides a list of 40 common self-defeating behaviors and explains their origins and consequences

- Rewrite the limiting beliefs that are fuelling your self-defeating behaviours. These are the negative messages that you have internalized from your past experiences, such as   I  m not good enough  ,   I don  t deserve happiness  , or   I can  t change  . The book teaches you how to challenge these beliefs and replace them with more positive and realistic ones

- Practice mindfulness and self-awareness. These are the skills that help you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions, and how they affect your well-being and relationships. The book offers various exercises and techniques to help you cultivate mindfulness and self-awareness, such as meditation, journaling, breathing, and more

- Set realistic and attainable goals. These are the specific and measurable outcomes that you want to achieve in your personal and professional life. The book helps you to clarify your values, vision, and purpose, and to break down your goals into manageable steps and actions

- Take action and responsibility. These are the behaviours that show your commitment and determination to achieve your goals and overcome your challenges. The book encourages you to take action every day, no matter how small or big, and to take responsibility for your choices and results

- Seek feedback and support. These are the resources that help you to improve your performance and to cope with difficulties and setbacks. The book advises you to seek feedback from others who can offer you constructive criticism and advice, and to seek support from people who can offer you encouragement and empathy

- Learn from your mistakes and failures. These are the opportunities that help you to grow and to improve your skills and knowledge. The book teaches you how to view your mistakes and failures as feedback, not as judgment, and how to use them as learning experiences, not as excuses

- Celebrate your successes and achievements. These are the rewards that help you to feel proud and satisfied with your progress and results. The book reminds you to celebrate your successes and achievements, no matter how small or big, and to acknowledge your efforts and strength

- Be flexible and adaptable. These are the attitudes that help you to cope with change and uncertainty, and to adjust your plans and strategies when needed. The book shows you how to be flexible and adaptable, not rigid and fixed, and how to embrace change and uncertainty, not resist or avoid them

- Keep growing and learning. These are the habits that help you to maintain your motivation and curiosity, and to expand your potential and possibilities. The book inspires you to keep growing and learning, not stagnate and settle, and to seek new challenges and opportunities, not repeat old patterns and routines

Some examples of self-defeating behaviours that the book Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior discusses are:

- Procrastination: putting off important tasks until the last minute or avoiding them altogether, resulting in stress, missed deadlines, or poor quality of work.

- Envy: feeling resentful or inferior when someone else has something that you want or think you deserve, such as success, wealth, beauty, or happiness.

- Obsession: being preoccupied with a person, thing, or idea to the point of losing perspective, balance, or control over your life.

- Anger: reacting with hostility, aggression, or violence when you feel frustrated, threatened, or wronged, causing harm to yourself or others.

- Self-pity: feeling sorry for yourself and dwelling on your problems, misfortunes, or shortcomings, instead of taking action to improve your situation or cope with your challenges.

- Compulsion: engaging in repetitive or addictive behaviors that are harmful to your health, well-being, or relationships, such as overeating, gambling, drinking, or shopping.

- Neediness: depending on others for your happiness, security, or validation, and fearing rejection, abandonment, or loneliness.

- Guilt: feeling bad about something you did or didn  t do, or something that happened to you or someone else, and letting it affect your self-esteem, mood, or behaviour.

- Rebellion: resisting or defying authority, rules, or expectations, either openly or covertly, as a way of expressing your anger, dissatisfaction, or independence.

- Inaction: failing to take initiative, make decisions, or pursue your goals, due to fear, doubt, or laziness.

- Perfectionism: setting unrealistic or impossible standards for yourself or others, and being dissatisfied or critical when they are not met, leading to stress, anxiety, or low self-esteem.

- Denial: refusing to acknowledge or accept reality, facts, or feelings, and avoiding responsibility or consequences, resulting in distorted perception, impaired judgment, or missed opportunities.

- Blaming: attributing your problems, failures, or unhappiness to someone else or something outside your control, and avoiding accountability or change, causing resentment, anger, or victimhood.

- Worrying: imagining or anticipating negative outcomes or scenarios, and feeling anxious, fearful, or helpless, affecting your mood, health, or performance.

- Indecision: being unable to make up your mind or choose among alternatives, and delaying or avoiding action, leading to missed chances, wasted time, or regret.

- Comparison: measuring yourself or your achievements against others, and feeling inferior or superior, jealous or proud, depending on the result, undermining your self-worth, confidence, or happiness.

- Complaining: expressing dissatisfaction, discontent, or displeasure with something or someone, and focusing on the negative aspects of your situation, creating a pessimistic, bitter, or ungrateful attitude.

- Rationalization: making excuses or justifications for your behaviour, actions, or decisions, and minimizing or ignoring their negative consequences, preventing you from learning, improving, or changing.

- Manipulation: trying to influence, control, or deceive others to get what you want or need, and using dishonest, unfair, or coercive means, damaging your relationships, trust, or reputation.

- Isolation: withdrawing from social contact or support, and avoiding intimacy, communication, or interaction with others, leading to loneliness, depression, or alienation.

The remaining 20 self-defeating behaviours that the book Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior¹ discusses are:

- Fear: feeling afraid or anxious of something or someone that poses a real or imagined threat to your safety, well-being, or happiness, and avoiding or escaping from it, limiting your potential or opportunities.

- Shame: feeling embarrassed or humiliated by something you did or didn  t do, or something that happened to you or someone else, and hiding or withdrawing from others, affecting your self-respect, confidence, or relationships.

- Dishonesty: lying, cheating, stealing, or breaking promises, either to yourself or others, and violating your values, principles, or trust, harming your integrity, reputation, or credibility.

- Stubbornness: refusing to change your mind, attitude, or behavior, even when there is evidence, feedback, or advice that suggests you should, resulting in missed learning, growth, or improvement.

- Neglect: ignoring or neglecting your needs, responsibilities, or obligations, either to yourself or others, and failing to take care of yourself, your health, your work, or your relationships.

- Dependency: relying too much on others for your happiness, security, or validation, and giving up your power, autonomy, or identity, losing your sense of self, direction, or purpose.

- Passivity: being inactive, submissive, or compliant, and letting others make decisions for you or take advantage of you, losing your voice, agency, or respect.

- Aggression: being hostile, violent, or abusive, and hurting or threatening others physically, verbally, or emotionally, damaging your relationships, trust, or reputation.

- Arrogance: being overconfident, arrogant, or conceited, and thinking you are better, smarter, or more important than others, alienating or offending others, or setting yourself up for failure or humiliation.

- Insecurity: feeling unsure, doubtful, or inadequate about yourself, your abilities, or your worth, and seeking reassurance, approval, or praise from others, undermining your self-esteem, confidence, or happiness.

- Impatience: being restless, impatient, or intolerant, and wanting things to happen faster, easier, or better than they do, causing stress, frustration, or irritation.

- Boredom: feeling uninterested, unstimulated, or dissatisfied with your current situation, activity, or environment, and lacking motivation, enthusiasm, or curiosity.

- Intolerance: being intolerant, prejudiced, or biased against people, ideas, or beliefs that are different from your own, and rejecting, criticizing, or discriminating them, limiting your perspective, understanding, or empathy.

- Indulgence: indulging in excessive or unhealthy pleasures, such as food, drink, drugs, sex, or entertainment, and compromising your health, well-being, or relationships.

- Greed: being greedy, selfish, or materialistic, and wanting more than you need or deserve, and hoarding, exploiting, or taking from others, creating a scarcity, imbalance, or injustice.

- Pride: being proud, vain, or egotistical, and caring too much about your appearance, reputation, or status, and boasting, showing off, or seeking attention, creating a false, superficial, or fragile sense of self.

- Resentment: feeling resentful, bitter, or angry about something or someone that hurt, wronged, or offended you, and holding a grudge, seeking revenge, or refusing to forgive, poisoning your mind, heart, or relationships.

- Escapism: escaping from reality, problems, or feelings, and using distractions, fantasies, or addictions, and avoiding or denying responsibility or consequences, missing out on life, growth, or solutions.

- Hypocrisy: being hypocritical, inconsistent, or contradictory, and saying or doing things that are different from what you believe, value, or expect from others, and violating your integrity, credibility, or authenticity.

- Martyrdom: being a martyr, a victim, or a saviour, and sacrificing yourself, your happiness, or your needs for others, and suffering, complaining, or seeking sympathy, recognition, or reward, losing your balance, boundaries, or self-worth.

Get Out of Your Own Way: A Skeptic  s Guide to Growth and Fulfillment Kindle Edition by Dave Hollis

From the Kindle Blurb:

The idea that you could be more but got in your own way should wake you up in the middle of the night. Dave Hollis used to think that   personal growth   was just for broken people, then he woke up.

When a looming career funk, a growing drinking problem, and a challenging trek through therapy battered Dave Hollis, a Disney executive and father of four, he began to realize he was letting untruths about himself dictate his life. As he sank to the bottom of his valley, he had to make a choice. Would he push himself out of his comfort zone to become the best man he was capable of being, or would he play it safe and settle for mediocrity?

In Get Out of Your Own Way, Dave tackles topics he once found it difficult to be honest about, things like his struggles with alcohol and his insecurities about being a dad.

Offering encouragement, challenges, and a hundred moments to laugh, Dave will help you:

• Discover the way for those of us who are, like he was, sceptical of self-help but wanting something more than the status quo

• Drop negative ideas about who we are supposed to be and finally start living as who we really are

• See our own journeys more clearly as he unpacks the lies he once believed—such as   I Have to Have It All Together   and   Failure Means You  re Weak

• Learn the tools that helped him change his life, and may change your life too

Get Out of Your Own Way is a call to arms for anyone who  s interested in a more fulfilled life, who, along the way, may have lost their   why   and now wonders how to unlock their potential or be better for their loved ones.

Who would I recommend the Get Out Of Your Own Way summary to?

The 47-year-old who has been working in their job for a while and never paused to ask themselves whether they like it or not, the 22-year-old with low self-esteem that always makes excuses but doesn  t realize it, and anyone that wants to be their best self.

1-Sentence-Summary: Get Out Of Your Own Way guides you through the process of overcoming what  s holding you back from being your best self and reaching success you  ve never dreamed of by identifying how Dave Hollis came to realize his limiting beliefs and beat them.

PLACEHOLDER

summarise the main points of XXXXX

provide step by step instructions for AAAAA. Explain BBB and give actionable steps to impliment them. Finally give actionable steps on CCCCCCC

How acts and metaphor eat your day [atomic habits / 4-hour work week]

• How to create new habits and patterns that support your goals and values

• The science of habit formation and change

• How to set SMART goals and track your progress

• How to design your environment and routine to make habits stick

• How to use rewards and accountability to motivate yourself

Case 4: The wisdom of detachment

Imagine a movie pitch   wisdom of detachment meets a billion dollar business head on – its Business with Buddha  .

The Surrender Experiment

As an example of realisation, clarity and big business, The Surrender Experiment may be without equal, a life changing book of Eternal significance. it is a book that inspires us to trust the flow of life and embrace the unknown with curiosity and gratitude. It shows us how surrender can lead us to our true destiny and happiness. It is a book that tells the author  s personal story of how he decided to let go of his ego and preferences and allow life to guide him to his true purpose. Like this book, it espouses the philosophy of surrender – freely accepting whatever life brings without resistance or judgment. Reality already IS [The   secret   is in the name for crying out loud]. Only when what is actually happening is welcomed with openness and trust can right action take place. The book also shares spiritual lessons and insights that Singer gained from his 40-year journey of surrender.

Go and read it. Absorb it. Embrace and Ingest it. Hopefully this reference is sufficient to find it: Singer, M. A. (2015). The surrender experiment: My journey into life  s perfection. Harmony Books.

Ok…..some of the highlights of the book include:

● Singer  s experience of a deep spiritual awakening in his twenties, Realising himself as a pure witness of consciousness and that   he   is not his thoughts, feelings, or personality

● Notwithstanding such a realisation, life delivered unexpected opportunities to teach, write, and develop software, which led him to become the CEO of a billion-dollar corporation, despite his initial reluctance and lack of interest

● Singer  s challenges and conflicts with the IRS, the FBI, and his business partners, which tested his faith and commitment to surrender, and ultimately resulted in his acquittal and freedom

● Singer  s message of how surrender can help us overcome our fears, attachments, and limitations, and open us to the infinite possibilities and joy of life

The Surrender Experiment is one of many and yet one of a kind. It is a call that inspires us to trust the flow of life and embrace the unknown with curiosity and gratitude. It shows us how surrender can lead us to our true destiny and happiness.

The Power of Now

In similar vein, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a book that explores the concept of living in the present moment and how it can lead to happiness and enlightenment. The book is based on the philosophy of being fully aware and conscious of the now, which is the only reality that exists. The book also teaches how to overcome the mind and the ego, which are the sources of suffering and illusion.

Of particular relevance when it comes to interacting with online assistants and the tower of tech, the book provides detailed insight into Tolle  s explanation of the difference between the mind and the consciousness, and how the mind is a tool that can be used or misused, depending on our level of awareness. His   s description of a false sense of self based on the past / future is very similar [identical?] to the message of real-time life, where any beliefs or illusions that prevent us from experiencing what is here now are just eliminated. The me-mind is made redundant, fired.

Once again, hopefully the following reference is sufficient to find his work: Tolle, E. (1999). The power of now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment. New World Library. Also, go read the book. Rest awhile there.

Here is a very comparison and contrast of Michael Singer  s approach with that of Eckhart Tolle in his book   The Power of Now  :

Similarities:

●  Both Singer and Tolle emphasize the importance of being present and aware of the present moment, rather than being lost in thoughts, emotions, or ego. They both teach that the present moment is the only reality and the source of true happiness and peace.

● Both Singer and Tolle advocate for a practice of meditation and mindfulness, which helps to quiet the mind and detach from the inner voice that constantly judges, criticizes, and resists what is. They both suggest that by observing the mind without identification, one can transcend the mind and access a deeper level of consciousness.

● Both Singer and Tolle draw inspiration from various spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Christianity, and Sufism. They both acknowledge that there is a universal truth that underlies all religions and spiritual paths, and that truth is the essence of who we are.

Differences:

● Singer  s approach is based on the idea of surrender, which means letting go of one  s personal preferences and desires and allowing life to unfold as it will. He believes that by surrendering to the flow of life, one can align with the divine will and experience synchronicities, miracles, and opportunities that would otherwise be missed. He shares his personal story of how he surrendered to every situation that life presented to him, even if it was contrary to his initial plans or wishes, and how that led him to achieve remarkable success and fulfillment.

● Tolle  s approach is based on the idea of awakening, which means realizing one  s true nature as pure awareness and being free from the illusion of the ego. He believes that by awakening to the present moment, one can dissolve the pain-body, which is the accumulated emotional baggage that causes suffering and conflict. He shares his personal story of how he had a spontaneous awakening after a night of intense depression and suicidal thoughts, and how that changed his perception of himself and the world.

● Singer  s approach is more practical and experimental, while Tolle  s approach is more theoretical and philosophical. Singer encourages the reader to try the surrender experiment for themselves and see what happens, while Tolle explains the concepts and principles of the power of now and invites the reader to verify them through their own experience. Singer focuses more on the external aspects of life, such as relationships, work, and health, while Tolle focuses more on the internal aspects of life, such as thoughts, emotions, and identity.

Lessons to be learned for living life in real time:

● for every brain drop that is forming in the head, bring it to awareness, absorb its message, then lean back and let it go

● Understand that traditional teachings are jut as useful as a book about dance, or a dance about painting. Move on

● Detach from outcomes, embrace uncertainty because there is nothing to   know   it is just grasping, trying to either bring in what is desired or pushing away internal brain drops that feel anxious, scary, lonly and so on. This is totally aligned with Case Study 3 – indistractible. It is not the bings and rings and dings that are the issue, all distraction arises within. Brain drops. Go sing in the rain and l

● Imperfection is ….. perfect. It already exists so how can it not be? Anything else is a reflection, judgementet it all go.

You seriously believe   I can handle the single most powerful leaning tower of tech that has appeared since the origin of the universe while sharing my social post on high salt crisps   is going to work? Best of luck.

The attitude we bring to the leaning tower of tech is how it learns to lean on us. Play nice

CASE 5: The spark of creativity

The call -to-arms really gets loud and strident now. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks on putting in the time to get this far. Now it is time to put yourself out there and share – just share anything. Pay it forward. Automatic platforms can predict, with amazing results at times. They cannot (yet) surf the chaotic coastline between random noise and perfect order. That is your job as creator. You need to just stop now and put the project in the bin if you choose not to be a creator. Share online what you have created and learn not to even think about the result. Only the internal result is of any consequence. Turn and face it.

I started to understand what this REALLY means after taking the six week challenge presented by Julia Cameron in the timeless work of art that is   the artists way

what is the correct attribution for a writer who wishes to reference   the artists way   by julia cameron in their work. The full and legally correct wording?

The correct attribution for a writer who wishes to reference   The Artist  s Way   by Julia Cameron in their work depends on the citation style they are using.  Here are some examples of how to cite   The Artist  s Way   by Julia Cameron in some common citation styles:

This course lit a fire that burns brighter by the week. Do it. I  ll wait.

Another more recent example was Ahmad, and the Gorilla Sun Blog.[ https://www.gorillasun.de/] . He turned up one Sunday for a creative coding challenge with a piece he had created for the event with a full musical score overlay. It really is incredible and I have been a big fan ever since – more info on the website.

Another example? A Youtube video I watched while aiting on a plane at Atlanta airport, James Rhodes on how to play a full Bach piece from start to finish in just 6 weeks. It worked!

One additional and forever inspirational work is a Ted Talk delivered by Sam Burns on his recipe for a happy life. He was so inspiring that his words and memory burned into my heart forever. Beautiful stunning work

More to be done after feedback

The benefits of creativity for your health, happiness, and productivity

How to overcome creative blocks and fears

How to use brainstorming, mind mapping, and journaling to generate ideas

How to  align your passion, skills, and values

Case 6: Your brand IS your business

Introduction

Let us step behind the curtain to give an example of creator and curator and conductor working together in real time. This is done to illustrate that my brand IS my business and what I see is what you see. It is an experiment.

Creator: the author draws on decades of expertise which eventually started to grow once he ran out of mistakes and had something that was actually worth repeating and might be of value to others.

Curator: in this experiment, curation is carried out by both parties. The author uses their own voice and style to choose topics for further deep dive, editing, voice and so on. The tower of tech uses its ability to predict a useful response based on its corpus of possibly around 50 million written works while holding similar open interactions with anywhere from thousands to many millions at exactly the same time

Conductor: The author chooses the final topics and format of any results

Here we go

edit free (in this first pre-print version)

Write an essay in the style of a business coach who is experienced and gets right to the point, explaining a concept succinctly and then providing at least three actionable next steps to drive the point from theory to practise. The essay is entitled   you are your own brand – learn why and how to manage that brand   Provide 2 paragraphs explaining the title and generating arguments in favour of the proposition. Follow up those paragraphs using each of the 8 concepts below in turn and number them as per the list. for each concept please summarise what it means to the owner of the brand in a paragraph then follow that with 5 actionable steps for the owner to put the concept into practise

concept 1: This breed of brand needs to be lived in real time and practised every day

concept 2: It requires Establishing true empathy and connection in your heart and in every engagement from now on

concept 3: it allows you to be authentic and turn the tables in your favour versus others who merely use AI for productivity, speed hacks and capturing early eyeballs

concept 4: Know who you really are before you ever try and brand it

concept 5: Gain confidence by developing competence in combining your expertise and personal style with that of AI so that   you   does not end up being bent out of shape and trying to fit into that dreaded Cinderella slipper

concept 6: Continuously work on the principles of boundaries and borders. Be able to explain at any time to anyone what they are and why they are essential.

concept 7: Know the style that suits you best when interacting with AI so that you get the best results

concept 8: Do not outsource your future: Be an active participant and captain of your own soul

In today  s competitive and fast-changing world, you need to stand out from the crowd and showcase your unique value proposition. You need to create and manage your own brand, which is the sum of your identity, reputation, and influence. Your brand is not just what you say about yourself, but what others say and think about you. It is how you present yourself to the world, both online and offline, and how you communicate your vision, mission, and values.

Managing your own brand is not a one-time event, but a continuous process that requires constant attention and improvement. You need to align your brand with your goals, passions, and strengths, and leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance your brand. AI can help you optimize your brand strategy, amplify your brand voice, and measure your brand performance. However, AI is not a magic bullet that can do everything for you. You need to be the master of your own brand, and use AI as a tool, not a crutch. Here are eight concepts that will help you manage your own brand effectively and efficiently.

This style of brand needs to be lived in real time and practised every day. Your brand is not a static entity, but a dynamic and evolving one. You need to be consistent and authentic in your actions and interactions, and demonstrate your brand values and personality in every situation. You need to be proactive and responsive, and adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities. You need to be aware of your brand image and reputation, and monitor and manage them regularly. Here are five actionable steps to live and practise your brand every day

Develop a brand story and narrative, and share it with your target audience and stakeholders.

Engage with your brand community and network, and build trust and loyalty with them.

Identify your brand values and personality, and express them in your tone, style, and content.

Create a brand identity and logo, and use them across your online and offline platforms and channels.

Define your brand purpose and vision, and align them with your personal and professional goals.

Conduct market research and analysis, and segment your audience based on their demographics, psychographics, and behaviours.

Create buyer personas and customer journeys, and map out their challenges, goals, and motivations.

Design and offer products and services that solve their problems and satisfy their desires.

Use feedback and testimonials, and measure and improve your customer satisfaction and retention.

Use social media and other channels, and engage and interact with your audience regularly and personally.

Use AI to automate and optimize your routine and repetitive tasks, and free up your time and energy for more creative and strategic work.

Use AI to augment and amplify your human capabilities, such as data analysis, decision making, and communication, and improve your performance and results.

Use AI to innovate and experiment with new ideas and solutions, and create value and impact for your audience and society.

Know who you really are. Your brand is a reflection of your identity and personality. You need to know who you really are, and what makes you tick. You need to discover and embrace your passions, interests, and values, and align them with your brand purpose and vision. You need to recognize and develop your talents, skills, and abilities, and match them with your brand goals and objectives. You need to be honest and transparent with yourself and others, and avoid pretending or imitating someone else.

Here are five actionable steps to know who you really are:

● Take personality and career tests, and assess your strengths and weaknesses, preferences and styles, and motivations and aspirations.

● Explore your passions and interests, and find out what you love and enjoy doing, and what gives you meaning and fulfillment.

● Define your values and principles, and determine what you stand for and believe in, and what guides your actions and decisions.

● Set your goals and objectives, and decide what you want to achieve and accomplish, and how you want to measure your success and progress.

● Seek feedback and advice, and learn from your experiences and mistakes, and from the opinions and perspectives of others.

Identify your core and niche skills and knowledge, and focus on developing and deepening them.

Learn new and relevant skills and knowledge, and expand your horizons and possibilities.

● Find and use the best AI tools and solutions for your tasks and projects, and optimize your efficiency and effectiveness.

● Showcase your skills and knowledge, and share your insights and expertise with your audience and peers.

● Seek and accept challenges and opportunities, and prove your value and impact with your results and outcomes.

Know the style that suits you best when interacting with AI so that you get the best results. Your brand is a reflection of your style and preferences. You need to know the style that suits you best when interacting with AI, and how to adapt and adjust it to different situations and contexts. You need to consider the factors that influence your style, such as your personality, goals, and environment, and how they affect your communication and collaboration with AI. You need to choose an AI platform that matches and supports your style, and that helps you enhance your brand expression and experience. Here are five actionable steps to know the style that suits you best when interacting with AI:

● Assess your style and preferences, and identify your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and habits and patterns.

● Learn about different styles and preferences, and understand their advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, and dos and don  ts.

● Experiment with different styles and preferences, and find out what works and what doesn  t work for you and your brand.

● Adapt and adjust your style and preferences, and tailor them to different situations and contexts, and to different AI platforms and solutions.

● Evaluate and improve your style and preferences, and measure and enhance their impact and effectiveness on your brand.

Do not outsource your future: Be an active participant and captain of your own soul. Your brand is a representation of your future and destiny. You need to do not outsource your future to AI, but be an active participant and captain of your own soul. You need to take charge and responsibility of your future, and shape and direct it according to your vision and values. You need to be proactive and creative, and not reactive and passive, in your future planning and execution. You need to use AI as a partner, not a master, for your future, and collaborate and co-create with it. Here are five actionable steps to do not outsource your future, but be an active participant and captain of your own soul:

Plan your future  and set and prioritize your short-term and long-term goals  and the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Execute your future  and implement and monitor your plans  and overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities that arise.

Review your future and evaluate and reflect on your results and outcomes  and learn from your successes and failures.

Revise your future  and update and modify your plans and adapt to the changing circumstances and trends.

WTF did Alice Intro go??????

Alice does the following actions and gets the following results:

She defines her brand purpose as to create beautiful and functional designs that solve problems and communicate messages. She defines her brand vision as to become a leading and trusted graphic designer in her niche and industry. She aligns them with her personal and professional goals, such as to improve her skills and portfolio, to attract and retain more clients, and to increase her income and reputation.

She identifies her brand values as creativity, quality, and professionalism. She identifies her brand personality as friendly, confident, and passionate. She expresses them in her tone, style, and content, such as by using a warm and positive tone, a simple and elegant style, and a clear and concise content.

She creates a brand identity and logo that reflect her brand purpose, vision, values, and personality. She uses a combination of colors, shapes, fonts, and symbols that convey her brand message and image. She uses them across her online and offline platforms and channels, such as her website, portfolio, social media, business cards, and invoices.

She develops a brand story and narrative that tell her brand journey and experience. She shares her background

She engages with her brand community and network

By following the 5 steps for concept 1, Alice is able to live and practise her brand every day. She is able to be consistent and authentic in her actions and interactions, and demonstrate her brand values and personality in every situation. She is able to be proactive and responsive, and adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities. She is able to be aware of her brand image and reputation, and monitor and manage them regularly. She is able to create and deliver value and solutions that meet and exceed her audience  s expectations. She is able to communicate and interact with them in a clear, honest, and respectful way. She is able to achieve her goals and objectives, and enhance her brand performance and impact

Example 2. Bob

Bob is a vintage car enthusiast who wants to create and manage his own brand and business that involves working with clients who wish to search for and restore vintage cars. He decides to follow the 5 steps for concept 2, which are:

Conduct market research and analysis, and segment your audience based on their demographics, psychographics, and behaviors.

Create buyer personas and customer journeys, and map out their challenges, goals, and motivations.

Design and offer products and services that solve their problems and satisfy their desires.

Use feedback and testimonials, and measure and improve your customer satisfaction and retention.

Use social media and other channels, and engage and interact with your audience regularly and personally.

Bob does the following actions and gets the following results:

He conducts market research and analysis, and segments his audience based on their demographics, psychographics, and behaviors. He identifies his target market as people who are passionate about vintage cars, have a high income and disposable budget, and are looking for a reliable and trustworthy partner to help them find and restore their dream cars. He also identifies his competitors and their strengths and weaknesses, and finds his niche and opportunity in the market.

He creates buyer personas and customer journeys, and maps out their challenges, goals, and motivations. He creates fictional characters that represent his ideal customers, such as Alice, a successful lawyer who loves classic cars and wants to own a 1967 Ford Mustang, or John, a retired engineer who collects vintage cars and wants to restore a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. He outlines their pain points, such as finding the right car, negotiating the price, transporting the car, repairing and refurbishing the car, and maintaining the car. He also outlines their goals, such as owning a unique and valuable car, enjoying the driving experience, preserving the car  s history and authenticity, and joining a community of vintage car lovers. He also outlines their motivations, such as fulfilling their childhood dreams, expressing their personality and style, indulging their hobbies and passions, and impressing their friends and family.

He designs and offers products and services that solve their problems and satisfy their desires. He offers a comprehensive and customized service that covers the entire process of finding and restoring vintage cars, from sourcing and scouting, to bidding and buying, to shipping and delivering, to repairing and refurbishing, to registering and insuring, to servicing and maintaining. He also offers a guarantee and warranty for his work, and a membership and loyalty program for his customers. He also offers a consultation and advice service for his customers who want to learn more about vintage cars and how to care for them.

He uses feedback and testimonials, and measures and improves his customer satisfaction and retention. He asks his customers for feedback and reviews, and uses them to improve his products and services, and to showcase his brand value and reputation. He also collects and displays testimonials and referrals from his satisfied customers, and uses them to attract and convince new customers, and to build trust and credibility with his audience. He also tracks and analyzes his customer satisfaction and retention rates, and uses them to evaluate and optimize his brand performance and impact.

He uses social media and other channels, and engages and interacts with his audience regularly and personally. He creates and maintains a website, a blog, a newsletter, and social media accounts, and uses them to share his work and insights, to educate and entertain his audience, and to promote and market his brand. He also creates and joins online and offline groups and forums, and uses them to network and communicate with his audience, to answer their questions and concerns, and to showcase his expertise and passion. He also organizes and participates in events and activities, such as car shows, rallies, and auctions, and uses them to meet and connect with his audience, to display and demonstrate his products and services, and to create and deliver value and solutions for them.

By following the 5 steps for concept 2, Bob is able to establish empathy and connection with his audience. He is able to understand and empathize with his audience and their needs, wants, and pain points. He is able to connect with them on an emotional and human level, and show them that he cares and values them. He is able to create and deliver value and solutions that meet and exceed their expectations. He is able to communicate and interact with them in a clear, honest, and respectful way.

To scale up his business pipeline without taking on more staff or diluting his brand, Bob decides to leverage the power and potential of AI. He uses AI to automate and optimize his routine and repetitive tasks, such as searching and scanning for vintage cars, bidding and buying them, shipping and delivering them, and invoicing and collecting payments from his customers. He also uses AI to augment and amplify his human capabilities, such as data analysis, decision making, and communication. He uses AI to analyze and predict the market trends and customer preferences, to make better and faster decisions on which cars to buy and sell, and to communicate and interact with his customers more effectively and efficiently. He also uses AI to innovate and experiment with new ideas and solutions, such as creating and offering virtual and augmented reality experiences for his customers, to let them see and feel their dream cars before they buy them, and to enhance their driving and owning experience. He also uses AI to collaborate and co-create with his customers, to involve them in the process of finding and restoring their vintage cars, and to customize and personalize their products and services according to their needs and wants. By using AI, Bob is able to scale up his business pipeline without taking on more staff or diluting his brand. He is able to increase his productivity and profitability, while maintaining his quality and professionalism. He is able to expand his reach and access, while preserving his authenticity and uniqueness. He is able to enhance his value and impact, while staying true to his vision and values.

Here are five different metrics that can be used to measure the authenticity and effectiveness of being the manager and guardian and coach to your own brand, and why I highlight them and how to measure and automatically maintain them:

Brand awareness: This is the extent to which your target audience recognizes and remembers your brand name, logo, and identity. It is important because it indicates how well you have established and communicated your brand presence and image in the market. You can measure and automatically maintain it by using the following methods:

Conducting online surveys and polls, and asking your audience to recall and rate your brand name, logo, and identity, and comparing the results with your competitors and benchmarks.

Tracking and analyzing your website and social media traffic, and measuring the number and quality of your visitors, followers, and subscribers, and their engagement and retention rates.

Using AI tools such as [Brandwatch] or [Talkwalker], and monitoring and measuring your brand mentions, sentiment, and reputation across various online and offline platforms and channels.

Brand value: This is the perceived worth and benefit of your brand to your audience and stakeholders. It is important because it indicates how well you have created and delivered value and solutions that meet and exceed your audience  s expectations and needs. You can measure and automatically maintain it by using the following methods:

Conducting online reviews and ratings, and asking your audience to evaluate and recommend your products and services, and their satisfaction and loyalty levels.

Tracking and analysing your sales and revenue, and measuring the number and quality of your customers, leads, and conversions, and their lifetime value and referral rates.

Using online tools helps in and collecting and analysing feedback and insights from your audience and stakeholders, and using them to improve your products and services, and to showcase your brand value and reputation.

Brand personality: This is the set of human traits and characteristics that are associated with your brand. It is important because it indicates how well you have expressed and demonstrated your brand values and attributes in your tone, style, and content. You can measure and automatically maintain it by using the following methods:

Conducting online quizzes and tests, and asking your audience to describe and associate your brand with various personality traits and characteristics, such as friendly, confident, or passionate, and comparing the results with your desired and actual brand personality.

Tracking and analyzing your website and social media content, and measuring the consistency and authenticity of your tone, style, and content, and their alignment with your brand values and attributes.

Using online tools helps inassessing and improving your brand personality and communication, and ensuring accuracy and clarity, and avoiding bias and confusion.

Brand impact: This is the extent to which your brand influences and affects your audience and society. It is important because it indicates how well you have achieved your brand goals and objectives, and enhanced your brand performance and results. You can measure and automatically maintain it by using the following methods:

● Conducting online surveys and polls, and asking your audience to report and rate your brand impact and effectiveness, and their awareness and appreciation of your brand vision and mission.

● Tracking and analyzing your website and social media metrics, and measuring the reach and access, and the engagement and interaction of your brand content and campaigns, and their outcomes and outputs.

● Using online tools helps in managing and optimizing your brand strategy and execution, and amplifying your brand voice and message, and measuring your brand impact and effectiveness.

Brand innovation:

This is the degree to which your brand introduces and implements new and original ideas and solutions. It is important because it indicates how well you have leveraged the power and potential of AI to enhance your brand value and impact, and not to replace or diminish it. You can measure and automatically maintain it by using the following methods:

● Conducting online surveys and polls, and asking your audience to report and rate your brand innovation and creativity, and their interest and curiosity of your brand products and services.

● Tracking and analyzing your website and social media content, and measuring the novelty and diversity of your ideas and solutions, and their alignment with your brand purpose and vision.

● Using AI tools such as XXXXXXXXX and creating and offering innovative and creative products and services, such as generative and adaptive content, interactive and immersive experiences, and artificial and synthetic sounds, and exploring and expanding your brand genres and styles.

PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!!!!!

I am asleep here!!!

We have explored how to create and manage your own brand, which is the sum of your identity, reputation, and influence, and how to leverage the power and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance your brand. We have discussed eight concepts and steps that will help you be the master of your own brand, and use AI as a tool, not a crutch. We have also discussed how to measure and improve your brand authenticity and effectiveness using various metrics and methods. By following these concepts and steps, you will be able to stand out from the crowd and showcase your unique value proposition, and achieve your goals and objectives, and enhance your brand performance and impact

Wrap up

Where we started

Notes : With a bag full of old beliefs that do not serve, take massive energy to maintain and limit manoeuvrability

Note: Objectives and strategy for the book ……… Intro: hook from the start with strong and clear opening – to state main idea and purpose, set out main pain points (without labouring on them, and preview arguments ideas and benefits. Clear objective is sustained and noticeable change in readers abilities and outlook 6 – 12 months on from reading.

Topic header – explanation – evidence – analysis – conclusion……………(internal only, REMOVE!!!!!)

Purpose :

1. Persuade the reader that they can successfully navigate the AI world and achieve their goals with the right guide.

2. To convince the reader that AI is not a threat, but an opportunity, and adaptation and embrace is beneficial

3. Create and leverage following concepts to strengthen case and make comprehension easier

4. Concept of Silicon Genie – bring interaction alive and reminder of Genie school 101 – be very careful what you wish for

5. Concept of the Leaning Tower of Technology – to visually emphasise that time is running out to get the growth of the Silicon Genie to be one that is straight up, vigorous, unbiased and open to all

6. Concept of what you do to tech is ultimately what tech does to you: need to become an active citizen and not go the way of dump and forget from past

7. Concept of fundamental change coming, from consumer to creator economy, what that is and what implications are for work, education, lifestlye

The target audience is for people who are anxious, overwhelmed by change and disruption, and curious about the future prospects of work and of their children's education in a world with the Silicon Genie. They are looking for guidance, reassurance, inspiration and practical advice on how to cope with these transitions and thrive in the new era.

The tone and voice I aim for is to be friendly and optimistic yet authoritative, given my decades of experience in navigating through several disruptions. I really want to establish a rapport, to show empathy and understanding, to inspire confidence and hope.

Choice of language and grammar boil down to being clear, concise and engaging as this is what I have personally resonated with most as a reader. I favour simple and direct sentences in an active voice (I find it really hard to be passive and quiet) – with little or no technical jargon. Rhetoric is enjoyable, there is nothing to beat a well structured approach speckled with examples quotes and anecdotes to keep any readers attention and interest.

Structure and strategy are really important, the objective is to be organised and coherent. The aim throughout has been heavy use of navigation metaphors, along with a short introduction, then body, with a summary containing the main idea and arguments.

Where are we now

This section summarises the benefits of the change to real time living and firing the mind - Actively considering becoming captain of our own craft, master of our soul by developing skills on how to do so.

● Aviate: know who you are, what is on your dashboard, what 'straight and level feels like. Becoming unconsciously competent at this

● Navigate: develop core competencies and confidence

● Communicate: understand and recognize the borders and boundaries needed to ensure safe and prosperous encounters

Where next

After the summary below we dive into 6 case studies that provide concrete examples of living in real time. Each case study is derived from tried and tested works that have helped millions to live better lives. Each study is explored from the new perspective of living in real time.

I have personally gone through all six case studies both in my previous history and again through the perspective of a fired mind and real time living in this month experiment. Each changed my life before and they did so again this last month.

Humans cannot handle > 100 connections. We need  switchboard that routes meaning automatically

And Just as the earth continued to orbit the sun the day after Copernicus and for all of the religious arguments since then, so it is with the case studies. This re-evaluation and use of case studies are examples of activities and things that do not change - not in ten years, not in 100. Whether in carbon or silicon, these are lessons for the ages

And……..these six classics all sold millions of copies and for good reason - in my experiment month book draft text they are re-interpreted by removing MY thoughts or MY mind from each one and each is still useful - even essential /  invaluable for real time living where MY mind or thoughts are not the focus of attention anymore - instead the focus is on getting out of my own way and staying out of my own way.

That is how to thrive after the attention deficit becomes infinite and the pace of advance disappears out of sight.

Checklist before we embark:

● Know who you are

● Build daily confidence via growing competence

● Build borders and boundaries that work

Then, in daily living know that we all PERSIST and PLAY NICE by concentrating on 3 roles

● Creator: used to deliver something new and entirely original from the void into form

● Curator:: used by those with deep love and deep domain knowledge to maintain clarity, provenance and sources as well as prune weeds

● Conductor:: used to craft and enforce boundaries, barriers and actions that ensure this is done

That combination allows all living things to PERSIST and to PLAY NICE……before the pendulum gathers speed and recycles the species that said no to play nice.

Recall:

The eye through which we see God is the same eye we are seen by.

This is equally true for the silicon genie - as we treat it and feed our fears into it, so it will react given enough time.

Intelligence does not mean become an apex predator. Where that happens the only way is down, and when all is consumed then starvation and despair are inevitable. All of the intelligent folks I know are open, curious, humble. None are apex predators, because in that spot the only way is down. What a truly terrible prospect.

Copernicus discovery and publication paved the way for centuries of development and the end of global centralised dogma. Yet not one single thing in the external universe changed. All that changed was human perspective, point of view.

So it is with hurricane FUD. Seeing the situation with relevant beliefs and practising core competencies with your own dashboard means everything is encountered and engaged with from a totally different perspective

This can literally change the world.

Epilogue

An epilogue is very similar to a prologue, but it occurs at the end of your story, though usually separate from the main plot. It might offer a glimpse of the future to share a sense of closure with your readers, or entice them to read the next in a series or collection.

Similar to the prologue, the epilogue should be placed in the main body content of your book and is therefore not technically back matter.

Table of Contents

Copyrights

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Blurbs

How to begin with the end in mind

Foreward

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Also By

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Why listen to me?

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Overview

Manoeuvring: A sequence requiring skill and care.

Zoom out

How to get your frame right

Fixing Common misconceptions

How to address common fears

I must ignore thought, pretend they dont exist

I will lose my identity, My personality.

I am abandoning my goals and aspirations.

Meah, I will become passive or indifferent.

I will be isolated, alone and detached

It will murder creativity and imagination

I become uninformed, uncaring, ignorant and naïve

I become numb, with no emotions or feelings

I become reckless! Lacking responsibility & control

Fire my mind? No-one tells me what to do!

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Learning to thrive: practical lessons

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Introduction

Creator – Curator – Conductor

Review the misconceptions of letting go

How to find reliable mind

(Untitled)

What to look for in any online enterprise

Opensource

Thousand eyes

Auditable

Realistic benchmarks and checks that citizens can run (for profit?)

Governance

Localised policies

How to find you mojo

(Untitled)

Checkpoint:

Where are we now

Potential impact on career and work

Learning and Education

Relationships and social life

Health and wellbeing

Personal growth and development

Wider social benefits of firing the mind

The Plot twist:

You are not your mind

Checkpoint 2

Where now - where next?

Where we started

Where are we now

Where next

Career and work

Learning and education

Relationships and social life

Health and well-being

Personal growth and development

Six case studies

Re-imagining and recycling

Case 1: Flow state

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Case 2: Power of mindset

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Case 3: Cultivating Habits

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Atomic Habits, James Clear

4 hour work week

Include critique and counters for 4 hour workweek:

Tim Ferris response

indistractible

Get Out of your own way

Case 4: The wisdom of detachment

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The Surrender Experiment

The Power of Now

Similarities:

Differences:

CASE 5: The spark of creativity

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Case 6: Your brand IS your business

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Introduction

Here we go

Wrap up

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Where we started

Where are we now

Where next

Epilogue

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