The book Enlightenment Now (one of Bill Gate's favorite books) really shifted my view of the world. It basically makes the case that everything about the human condition is improving and will continue to improve, despite what we see in the news. Turned me into an optimist.

The book 10% Happier got me (and subsequently several of my friends) into meditation, which was also huge. Indirectly changed my outlook on life. 

 

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, read it in 7th grade, and has remained one of my favorites. Up until that point, it was the most mature book I'd read, the familial dysfunction, the social problems faced by the greasers, and in the end the love they had for one another was something that resonated with me deeply at the time. That book helped me realize some of the intricacies and complications people and social groups have between them and the fact that not everything is so black and white, I wasn't very aware many of those things before I read that, it holds a special place with me.

 

I was sitting at an IMAX theater in London in 2004 and Agassi and Graf sat down with their kids in the row right in front of me. Was pretty cool.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I took one course in Valencia, Spain called "Picasso." We analyzed (in Spanish) all the quirks of the artist, his periods, and analysis of his signatures on each painting. It definitely led me to an appreciation for artistic signatures in general and later getting my ancient Chinese signature (name) chiseled into a marble stamp in 2005 and then inked on my upper spine in 2010 in red. 

I've learned a lot since taking that class. Artistic signatures interest me. I have used the red ancient Chinese stamp to sign some of my art pieces. I typically have a few different types of signatures on art pieces, depending on the piece. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Was never an art (painted) fan until I visited the davinci room at the Uffizi in Florence. Most amazing works of art I've ever seen. Made me realize why people dish out so much for paintings. Same when I saw some works of Basquiat. I've always appreciated music / books / movies so thought I'd share a more unconventional moment of appreciation

 

Couldn´t name all, but I saw Gauguins works in Munich last year. Before Tahiti, he was your run-of-the-mill country impressionist, nice and harmless. After Tahiti, his paitings exploded with life, with raw feeling - like he had see something profound about humanity and was desperately trying to project it onto the canvas. Effin unreal, man.

...and the Truth shall set you free
 
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