Atomic Habits
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Take Society as a Suggestion
Structure, framework, rules are good and necessary for society. But most people don’t realize that most of this is optional and you can opt out.
It’s like someone who was born at sea on a sailboat, and spent the first 15 years of her life on the water. Imagine what this person would be like. Imagine the completely different norms, values, rules, and expectations she would have. The current situation you are in determines your perspective and framework for living your life. But it’s not the only possible framework and you have to decide for yourself what life you want to live.
Dare to be different.
Don’t be a sheep.
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Growing In Life
If you cannot be corrected without being offended, then you’ll never truly grow in life. – Professor Richard Feynman
Professor Feynman is someone you should definitely get to know. I highly recommend his book Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.
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You can do anything…
But you can’t do everything. This is a lesson I constantly have to remind myself of because I am always tempted to push into the next project. You have the gifts to get anything done you want to get done… but only if you focus…
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What is courage?
Courage: being terrified but still going ahead and doing what needs to be done.
“The one who feels no fear is a fool. And the one who let’s fear rule him is a coward.” –Piers Anthony
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. -Dune
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Practice Makes Perfect: Wrong
The expression people throw around is “practice makes perfect.” This is wrong because if you aren’t practicing perfectly then you are only reinforcing bad habits and wasting your time. The truth is, and your mindset should be, PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
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Your Focus
Focus on what you can control. There is no point in worrying about what is out of your control, like whether the economy is in a recession. Instead, take measure of what you can personally affect and take action to make your life better.
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Strong, Smart, Brave
I hope you are…
Strong enough to stand on your own
Smart enough to know when you need help
Brave enough to know when to ask for it -
Your Choices Determine Your Future
Your life and what you get out of it is not determined by what you want. It is determined by the choices you make.
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Regrets
“Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.”
You can use your regrets as fuel. If you didn’t do your best with something, or you regret the way you handled the situation, you can fix it and turn it all around.
When graduating from high school, we were seated by GPA. Highest GPAs were sitting in the front, and all of my friends were in the front row. I was sitting about 1/3 back in the audience. I was so disappointed with myself that I resolved to do my very best academically in college. I used this regret from high school to fuel my performance in college.
When you find yourself regretting something, turn your attention to the future. Don’t get mad about what happened in the past, which you can’t change. Instead, figure out what you can do to turn that regret into pride as you fix your mistakes and do it right the next time around.
Also: “Don’t cheat yourself by not giving it your all.” -Rich Leonard