In my twenties, I was focused on the expense side of the equation of net worth. So I saved everything I could. I was making really good money after I got out of the Air Force and I lived in a guy’s room for $400/month instead of renting my own apartment. All to save money. I went too far, and it affected how much I enjoyed my life. Saving, and working towards financial independence, is obviously important. But not at the expense of your happiness. I used to fret about money and constantly feel guilty about spending. But then I realized there are two sides to the equation. There is the expense side, of course. But there is also the revenue side. I realized I could increase the amount of money I made through investments and entrepreneurship. The net worth would still be there, but not by scrimping and saving every penny I could get my hands on. My mindset completely shifted. My guilt went away and, not to be too dramatic, I was liberated by the new mindset. I wish I could go back and tell my 24-year-old self this…
Month: February 2022
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Should you be an entrepreneur?
Only if you HAVE to be an entrepreneur. Starting a company and growing it takes years of dedicate, patience, commitment, passion, and energy. It will take everything you have and then some. If it isn’t your mission in life to be successful, you won’t be and you shouldn’t even start. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to be an entrepreneur. As glamourous as it may seem, it’s so difficult with incredible highs… and lows. Most entrepreneurs–even the most successful ones–will tell you that had they known how hard it would be they probably would not do it again.
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Be kind but not weak
Learn to be strong but not rudeBe kind but not weakBe bold but not a bullyBe thoughtful but not lazyDream but don’t be a dreamerBe proud but not arrogantBe humble but not timidBe humor without follyBe witty but not silly-Jim RohnI studied Jim Rohn for a couple of years. His seminars changed my thinking. -
“Don’t worry Mommy, everyone makes mistakes.”
Layla, cheering up Mommy after she made a mistake…
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The Importance of Communicating Well
Your success will depend entirely on your ability to communicate well. I don’t think that’s an overstatement. If you can write well and speak clearly — able to effectively communicate the thoughts in your head so the other person understands exactly what you are trying to say — you are on your way to effective leadership, compelling thoughts, and convincing people to see your perspective. Conversely, if you can’t communicate well, your success will be limited. As a first step, invest the time in learning to write effectively, even 2-3 sentence-long emails. If you write effectively, your speech will also become more coherent and compelling.
A bonus of learning to communicate effectively is you also learn to THINK better. If you can’t explain it well enough, you don’t understand it well enough. So learning to communicate it also helps you learn to think through it.
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Play the Long Game
This applies in business but also in your personal life.
You are going to live a long life. This is hard to comprehend when you are younger. But everything you put your body through is going to add up over time and multiply when you are older. I have seen a lot of people not treat their body well in the early years (e.g., alcohol, or performance enhancing supplements ) and regret it in their later years. Realize you will live a long life and treat your body and brain accordingly.
When it comes to business, you want to play the long game. Keep the end in mind. Forget about the short-term slights or revenge that you really want to take, and play a few moves out in your head. How is this going to play out? What will happen next? And after that? And is that what you want/intend. Make rational, long-term moves. Don’t do the easy, convenient, or feel-good thing today if it’s going to hurt you in the long term.
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Gratitude
So much good comes to you from gratitude. Shift your focus to one of appreciation and gratitude. Make your experience one of thankfulness and joy. This can be really hard at first, but like building a muscle it becomes easier and faster over time.
You should intentionally expose yourself to the other side of rough neighborhoods and other people. You can’t really be grateful for what you have until you know how special it is. Exposing yourself will immediately give you tremendous respect and gratitude for what you have.
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Suffering
The Dalai Lama teaches that suffering is an unavoidable part of life, but it’s how we respond that matters, viewing it as a chance to develop compassion, wisdom, and inner strength, not a reason for despair, emphasizing that everyone seeks happiness, and this shared desire connects us despite differences. He distinguishes between avoidable suffering (our actions, emotions) and unavoidable suffering (aging, death, natural events), urging us to accept reality, transform negative experiences, and cultivate mental peace, as worrying is pointless if a situation can’t be changed or can be changed.
Suffering is so important for so many reasons.
Suffering is pain * resistance. Learning and growth come from suffering. Therefore, lean into suffering and you will find your meaning.
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Knowledge is Attainable
Knowledge is attainable. If you are willing to put in the time to learn, you can become an expert in just about anything. Books is your best way to start. Elon Musk has a famous quote on this… whenever anyone asks him how, with no engineering background, he learned to build space rockets, this is his three-word answer: “I read books.”
I learned this lesson early. My dad, a MIT physicist, used to have no mercy on me as a kid when we played chess. He would destroy me every game. I got so mad once that I decided I was going to spend the entire summer between my freshman and sophomore year studying the game. I read every book I could get my hands on. I remember my dad would come home from work with countless pages made by his copier at work scanned from chess books. Well, by the end of the summer the tables had turned and it was me who was mercilessly beating him at chess. After that summer, he didn’t want to play chess much any more. And I learned a lesson that has been serving me ever since: You can get really good at stuff just by reading books.
(change this image to playing chess with Dad)
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Marriage
Marry the right person – this one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.Also realize that you are marrying that person’s family. I didn’t realize how important this is and really lucked out that your mom’s family is AWESOME. If they weren’t, it would have been really tough given how much time we all spend together.