PS

A Pronoid's Journal

[Eric Jorgenson 📚 ☀️ @EricJorgenson]

https://t.co/VWCAA9S9k3

[Sosa | Mental Strategist @MetaMorpehus]

Highly important you learn to love the sweet sensation of stress.

Teach your nervous system to relax in panic.

Dr Claire Weekes’ floating technique is ridiculously effective here, alongside general body-awareness practice: qi gong, meditation but only when practised in the stressful moment.

As a result this rewires the association to fear.

So from now on, every time you feel the urge to flee, you are naturally reminded it’s an opportunity to create more success, more confidence, more growth.

Eventually fear reassociates entirely and becomes an anchor of pleasure.

[PS @PS_26_]

People can be divided into two categories.

There are those who impose their will onto the world, and those who let the world impose its will onto them.

The first group is much smaller than the second.

[PS @PS_26_]

Optimism has saved my life

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

WARNING: Longer post (but worth reading or bookmarking for later).

Your life has seasons.

Each one is unique. Characterized by its own distinct desires, struggles, opportunities, and identity.

But one reflection I've had recently is just how easy it is to completely disassociate with the present season.

To give all your time and energy toward a longing for some nostalgic memory of a prior season or an anticipation for some beautiful state of a future season.

You look back at the past and all you see is sunshine. Because it all worked out. You forget (or glaze over) the struggle you endured. You're here today. You made it. You're alive. You're doing fine.

You look forward at the future and dream on what could be. You'll have so much more. More freedom. More purpose. More health. More deep connection. More everything.

The past is beautiful and the future feels limitless. So, logically, you slowly start to treat everything about the present as the bridge. A dash connecting your past and your future. A gap to be crossed as quickly as possible.

Everything you do today is in anticipation of some eventual end state.

I'm doing this now, so that I can have that later.

Unfortunately, the danger of that dissociation with the present is significant. You may spend your entire life living for a future that has a decidedly mirage-like property. You inch closer, but when it's right in front of you, it disappears and reappears on the horizon.

You may spend your entire life skipping through the present, deferring your presence, your joy, and your very humanity to a future that never comes.

In a classic French fable, a young boy is gifted with a magic ball of golden thread. He's told that if he simply pulls on the thread, time will leap forward. The catch, of course, is that once it's pulled, it can never be put back.

The young boy takes advantage of the newfound powers. Each time he's faced with a boring day at school, a frustrating set of chores, or a scolding from his parents, he pulls the thread, skipping through to the good parts.

As an adult, he continues, leaping through mundane struggles in his marriage, the friction of having a newborn, and the boredom at work. He finds himself pulling on the thread more and more, avoiding even the most minor inconveniences of his life.

But when he wakes up one day and sees an old man looking back at him in the mirror, he's filled with regret. He realizes in that moment that as he chose to skip through the boredom, struggles, and friction, so too did he miss the real texture of being alive.

How often do we all do the same? How easily do we default into this disassociation? Disconnecting from the present in anticipation of some future.

A mentor recently asked me this:

"Where are you going and why are you in such a rush?"

It hit me hard.

And to be honest, I haven't stopped replaying those words since he said them.

Why are you in such a rush?

The world wants you to rush into everything. Rushed decisions. Rushed conversations. Rushed relationships. Rushed timelines.

In doing so, you slowly relinquish your agency. You give up your claim on your own life. Surrender authorship to a pen that was never even yours.

In a world that wants you to rush, the ultimate act of rebellion is presence.

Be in the season you're in. Don't romanticize the past, don't fantasize the future. Be here. Be now. Be in this. All of its texture, depth, and struggle. All of its joy, tension, and pain. Sit with the uncertainty. Become friends with it. Fall in love with it.

Because every single thing you do today is something your younger self dreamed of and something your older self will wish they could go back and do.

The good old days are happening, right now.

And the next time you find yourself skipping through the present, remember these words:

Where are you going and why are you in such a rush?

[Chamath Palihapitiya @chamath]

https://t.co/vPrPSUjTJG

[Andrej Karpathy @karpathy]

This is the the quote I've been citing a lot recently.

[Ricky Ho @rickyho_1989]

Hey everyone, I have received permission from my employer to publish this research.

It is a lengthy investment thesis on what I believe will be the next chapter of AI. After months of research, we are turning bullish on the hyperscalers and explain why we believe the market is underestimating where the economics of AI are ultimately heading.

The rest is covered in the X article below. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and challenges.

[DAN KOE @thedankoe]

Skills that have nothing to do with money but are worth dedicating an immense amount of practice to:

- Charisma
- Metacognition
- Critical thinking
- Sitting with discomfort
- Articulating what you believe and why
- Changing your beliefs when presented with new information

Almost nobody actually practices these and it shows.

[Sosa | Mental Strategist @MetaMorpehus]

I published a letter on how to be the person who always focuses on the greatest possible outcome so you wake each morning with certainty, sleep deeper at night knowing you've won, and see challenge as as a game.

Read here: https://t.co/0Iyo0GZNrX

[PS @PS_26_]

I truly believe that most of life's alpha is in your ability to build relationships with others.

[Gregory Blotnick @gregoryblotnick]

https://t.co/Puc74admai

[DAN KOE @thedankoe]

https://t.co/7l7Jef99QZ

[jo johnson @josbjohnson]

I wrote down exactly who I want to be and what I want my life to look like. then I asked what does he do. how does he start his day. what does he eat. when does he sleep. how does he handle the hard conversations. what does his work look like. I wrote all of it down. then I just started doing it. you don't have to feel like him first. you act like him until you are him.

[Orange Book 🍊📖 @orangebook]

A meaningful and ambitious goal will naturally fix all your bad habits and bring out a healthier lifestyle, because you know that you are not gonna achieve your objectives without being the highest-energy and mentally sharpest version of yourself.

[Sosa | Mental Strategist @MetaMorpehus]

Train your mind to replay memories of past success whenever you experience doubt and naturally you become reassured of all the ways you can do it again.

[High Yield Harry @HighyieldHarry]

Intern season kicks off tomorrow for parts of Wall Street, so want to spend a moment refreshing my annual advice for Students.

1) Avoid AI brain drain and social media brainrot like your career depends on it. Because it really does. I wasn't saying this advice in 2022, but with the rise of AI, it is either a tool that propels you or a crutch that cripples your ability to do the basics. Overreliance and the inability to think critically & build models on ur own (just to make sure you can) will kneecap you. You need to know the ins & outs and know how to reach original opinions before letting AI boost you.

2) Speed, Acting with Urgency, and Responsiveness is how you differentiate: I've interviewed a lot of Interns and the key differentiation is the most successful ones are able to act with urgency vs. taking their sweet time. Overcommunicate by saying "Will do”, “sounds good” , or “On it” constantly so we know the message has been recognized. In our interview processes, we test for making sure interns can respond to an email in a normal amount of a time. A shocking amount of them fail at this and are removed from our processes.

3) Don't make the same mistake twice:  Easier said than done, but the people evaluating you are keeping tabs on whether you’re smart/teachable. They’ve been trained by this philosophy and are judging you by the same standards. If you make the same mistake twice, then they may perceive that you may not have the ability to retain information, learn from experience, etc.

4) Don't ask questions when it's been answered in an email, a CIM, a powerpoint, etc: You will be given a lot of resources or have something explained to you in an email. You shouldn't ask a question that's already covered. Any question you have should be an expansion or clarification point NOT something already clearly stated. Frankly, if someone makes me have to repeat something that's already in an email or a recent message, then I'm going to get annoyed. As an Associate, the equivalent is asking a Banker or Sponsor a question that's already in the CIM.

5) Don't take a week long vacation during a ten-week internship. You can always vacation before or after your internship. You are trying out for a sports team – you haven’t made the team yet, but you’re getting the chance to make the big leagues. Would you leave the team in the middle of preseason before the roster is finalized? Of course not.

6) Dress the part and look professional: Don't overdress (wearing gucci as an intern), but also don't come in with wrinkled shirts. Make sure your haircut is professional and clean cut.

7) Save a Copy of a File so you don't destroy a Master Document

8) This isn't School - you need a 100% score: I stole this from a video Steve Schwarzman did where he welcomed Blackstone's 2019 Analyst Class in an 8 minute video. I would actually say you don't need "a 100" on the first round of a deck or model. But when we're talking about the finished product, or real world things like wiring money to people, you absolutely need a 100. I think the lesson more so is there are situations where the answer/output is either right or it's wrong - there's no "A-".

9) Don't worry about Work From Home quite yet - make sure you're learning and coming in the office if someone else important is. Also AI is a real danger so you probably have to accept the return to a 5-day in the office world.

10) Proofread constantly: Try different strategies to proofread - this can include reading from beginning to end, end to beginning, speaking out loud, and reading in different formats (like printing the materials out). If allowed, AI is obviously an amazing proofreading tool. I would argue typos shouldn't really exist in workplace setting given you can have AI check it.

11) Write everything important down and keep a notepad on you.

12) Predict demands: This is a good way to stay busy and show you can take initiative. Just don't overstep. Your perceived intelligence and ability to learn comes from your ability to predict demands.

13) Network with everyone, leave no stone unturned, respect everyone: Converse with others, be friendly, say hello, and be looking to learn from different types of people. Be nice to admins and the middle and back office. Don't get "front office" ego, there is no ego here, you are all part of the same team.

14) Show this is where you want to work (even if it's not true): If there's rumors you're using the internship as a stepping stone, you will be toast - give it your best efforts and have a positive attitude about the work!

15) Be careful about how much you drink during happy hours. Use your best judgment.

16) Don't beat yourself over mistakes or if you don't get an offer. It's just a job, not your life. You have a long career ahead of you. Learn from experience.

17) Follow my resources to learn more about finance: I'm dedicated to helping financial professionals, through my compensation and insights platform @Buyside_Hub and my newsletters @WallStRollup and @HYHNewsletter - I've got your back. Links for those below.

[Chase Harris @chaseharris98]

The secret is to surround yourself with people who inspire you. Those who speak life and energy into you. People with passions and goals. You won’t get very far if those around you slam on the brakes every time you hit the gas

[Giuliano @Giuliano_Mana]

https://t.co/iHM9coelsq

[Polymath Investor @polymathinvest1]

A few months back, I published this guide on how to remember everything you read.
Re-sharing it here for anyone who finds these protocols useful.

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