October's favourites

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Here are the things that I enjoyed this month - October '23 edition.

1. 📰 Article - Thinking tools.

The article discusses thinking tools derived from various professions and their applicability beyond their original contexts. These tools include artist creativity, economist incentives, engineer modeling, and more. The author emphasizes that these tools can be adapted to different life situations, leading to innovative problem-solving and better decision-making. The article underscores the value of diverse thinking approaches and encourages individuals to apply these tools creatively in various aspects of life to achieve breakthroughs and improved understanding. Although these tools may seem cliché because they sound obvious in their typical context, I strongly recommend reading the article and, most of all, applying these methods in everyday life.

2. 📚 Book - Mistborn - The Final Empire.

The Final Empire explores a captivating, rich fantasy world where the main characters possess Allomantic powers. These abilities are derived from ingesting and "burning" various types of metals and their alloys. The story unfolds in a world shrouded in mist, where ash constantly falls from the sky, and it is ruled by a figure known as the Lord Ruler. This realm is sharply divided into two factions: the impoverished slaves of the Skaa and the noble-born class. The central characters include Vin, a formidable female heroine, Kelsier and his team, Elend, and many other endearing characters. The narrative maintains a brisk pace, making the book highly engaging. Initially, I found it challenging to keep track of the characters and their roles, but as the story progresses, everything coalesces into a cohesive tale. I enjoyed the audiobook version, which I listened to while running and falling asleep. I especially recommend the Polish audiobook version for its excellent narration. I look forward to exploring more of Brandon Sanderson's works in the future.

3. 🎬 Movie - A man called Otto.

It is a delightful, heartwarming, and witty family film featuring Tom Hanks in the lead role as Otto. The story revolves around a man who has lost his wife and is grappling with a sense of purposelessness. Despite several attempts to end his life, fate intervenes each time. However, when new neighbors move in, Otto gradually rediscovers the joy in life. Together, they embark on various adventures and share meaningful stories, highlighting the profound significance of friendship. Very good option for dark cold autumn evenings.

4. 💰 Purchase - Surfshark VPN.

A straightforward decision, a VPN provider, grants me access to streaming titles from around the world. Now, I can enjoy content from all countries. My children are happy, I am happy :-)

5. 🤓 Self-development - Intermediate Python course from Sages.

I took an intermediate Python course from Sages, taught by Matt Harasymczuk. It served a solid portion of knowledge, tricks, and best practices. Quite expensive, but totally worth it.

6. ▶️ Youtube channel - Floris Gierman.

It's mostly about running and healthy routines around it. Covers especially marathons and those longer, challenging distances. You'll find some intriguing interviews, along with plenty of tips for keeping your training both healthy and effective. The real gem? Flo has a podcast 🎙️ called "The Extramilest Show" (also featured in this channel) with interviews in the audio format, perfect for tuning in during your own runs. Cool stuff!!

7. ❝ ❞ Quote.

The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.
- Stephen R. Covey

I have recently had a serious manifestation of this at my work. It seems that no one listens in order to come to some kind of agreement or consensus or conclusion, but to pass the blame and shift responsibility. Sic!

Things that I accomplished:

• Started tennis classes - got really hyped about it. Hope to continue playing for a very long time.

• Running progress: 8 trainings; 64.5 km in total (not too much). Should aim for 100 km a month on average. Regular training was interrupted by a rotavirus epidemic in the household :/ Did additional core training with a kettlebell.