Prove Me Wrong: All Of Life Is A Game Of Luck
You were born with a functional brain.You were born outside of a warzone.You were born as a human being with opposable thumbs.You were born right here, in this century.You were born with the desire to improve yourself and the world.You were born with enough resources to get the traction to start making things happen in your life.You were born with the opportunities to learn social skills.You were born with the opportunities to work for a living.I could keep going, but I think you get the point.You're lucky. I'm lucky. Most of us are lucky.All those thoughts in your head that tell you the opposite aren't considering the whole context.And without getting into the long explanation of the subtle, nuanced interaction between DNA and environment . . . I think we can all appreciate how much luck we had before we even started.
2 Minute Action
Reframe your thoughts for the next 2 minutes.
- What ways have you been successful?
- What gifts have you been given?
- What opportunities do you have?
Reflect on this and it will turn it into positivity and optimism.That optimism will quickly turn it into your fuel for the day.Go get 'em.
How To Survive In The Information Age
We have a TON of information at our fingertips.
Some of it is true.Some of it is not.Some of it appears true but after some training, we can see it's false.Some of it isn't true or false.Some of it was once true and isn't anymore.Some of it requires a lot of time to understand.Some of it requires a lot of intelligence to understand.
Here's the punchline:
We've got a ton of "information" to filter through.The hard part isn't finding data, it's analyzing it.It's what we choose to believe.And if you haven't developed a good information filter, you'll be overwhelmed by the firehose through which it comes.What's important is constantly refreshing your version of reality based on the most up-to-date and the most ruthlessly investigated information.Else, your business becomes less useful, your expertise becomes obsolete, and the quality of your output degrades.That's right. Refreshing your version of reality.Piece of cake, right?
2 Minute Action
Here are 5 questions you can ask yourself to get closer to understanding how to improve your information filter and keep learning.
- What's something you once believed to be true but don't anymore?
- What experiences or people helped change your mind?
- When was the last time you were so surprised because you learned something new?
- What kind of people were around you when you had these experiences?
- Why were you there in the first place?
Take a look at these answers and you might see something emerge--maybe a pattern.Now that you have some insight, it's up to you to put yourself in a position where you're more likely to be lucky.
3 Quick Ways To Start Succeeding (That You Haven't Heard Before)
Things you've already heard before:
- Work hard.
- Work on the right stuff.
- Spend every dollar like it's your last.
- Start today.
Things you haven't heard before:
- Mimic characteristics of people who tend to get lucky and make them your mentors.
- Find a therapist who understands CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) and hire them to help you understand your decision-making behavior.
- Develop and re-develop your life's mission as you go. It's an important part of getting there.