Kakonomics - Intentionally Mediocre

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet 

• reduces the risk of heart disease
• is associated with a lower level of the "bad" cholesterol
• is associated with a reduced incidence of cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. 

• Eating of primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
• Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month
• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week
• Enjoying meals with family and friends
• Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)
• Getting plenty of exercise.

In 1500 BC, the ancient Egyptians devised ways to make soap-like components using alkaline salts and oil. This was further enhanced by the Neo-Babylonians, by adding ashes, cypress extracts, and sesame oil.

The Latin word for soap ‘Sapo’ is mentioned in an ancient encyclopedia (penned in circa 77 AD) by a Roman Naturalist Pliny the Elder. The author talked about how the product was used more by the Gaulish and Germanic men rather than Romans (which preferred to scrap their skins clean by using essential oils and white sand).

A Greek physician Galen writes about soap and its use in the Roman empire in 2nd century AD.

Music is a very powerful tool during quarantine. People in Italy, Spain, and the wider world are using music to bring their communities together.

When you're making music, you submit your mind and body to its regulation. When you're doing the Macarena with your neighbors, you're contributing to the larger goal of the group and inspire global solidarity.

Since the time of ancient Greece, medicine claimed that maintaining a positive mind can help treat physical disease.

• During the Renaissance, patients were encouraged to compose and study art and play music.
• When plague approached England, Henry VIII chose his organ player as one of the five men he quarantined with.

Music asks that we laugh, and sing, and dance, and seems to be a real antidote to fear, just as the Renaissance doctors claimed.

• It is based on large amounts of fruit and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and especially olive oil.
• Fish and seafood depends on how close to the sea you live.
• Chicken, eggs and small amounts of dairy, such as cheese and yoghurt, are there in moderation.
• The diet includes a small amount of wine with meals
• It is quite a high-carbohydrate diet (pasta, bread and potatoes).
• Red meat and sweets would rarely be consumed.
• It is accompanied by quite a lot of physical activity. 

• It emphasises values of hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, and a way of life guided by respect for diversity.
• Shared family meals help people eat well and avoid excess, while the TV dinner habit is linked to obesity.
• It involves a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation, processing, cooking and particularly the sharing and consumption of food.

Many people are stuck in “survival mode.” Too many people settle for mediocrity because they think they must “survive” instead of “thrive.”

Never let the fear of poverty hold you back from your dreams.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Most people die at 25 and are buried at 75." This metaphorical death comes when people figure they can't make it happen, so they end up quitting in advance.

Fear of old age can also be harmful when a person has to go through a major career transition. In the end, age is far less important than your belief in yourself.

People try desperately to hang on to antiquated ways of doing business because of a false sense of security. They believe that they can maintain their old ideas indefinitely, even if all evidence shows the contrary.

Questioning everything could help you to spot problems and create a culture of understanding and action.

What does this business look like in five years?  What are our customers worrying about today? What will concern them tomorrow? Where are we failing to communicate? Are we capitalizing on all our strengths? What opportunities are we missing?

Procrastination is generally looked down upon and thought of as laziness, but it is your body telling you that you need to back off and think about what you are doing. 

You should try and figure out why you are procrastinating, as it can be a symptom of something broken in your life.

We all multitask at some point or the other, some of us more than others. Our attention and intelligence are deviated and substracted during multi-tasking.

Single-tasking is better than multi-tasking, as focusing completely on one thing at any given time is optimal. Even better is to move into silence and nothingness by doing zero-tasking. The more we zero-task (another name for mindfulness or meditation), the more we progress into creativity and excellence.