At our core we are animals

At our core we are animals. When things are abundant, it's easy to get along. When times become lean, however, our biological tendency towards self-preservation takes over. Scarcity — real or imagined — triggers our unconscious mind to take over and react without reasoning. And when we react without reasoning we are no better than other animals. In fact, in these moments, we're told we are "behaving like an animal.

Books are one of the best investments you can make

Whether you’re reading about a boy who lives under the stairs or the life wisdom of an expert in a field, you will never regret buying a good book or a bad book.

If you do your work in a vacuum...

If you do your work in a vacuum, and no one knows about it, did it actually happen? There’s a tendency to think that if you work hard, your results will speak for themselves, but that’s not always true. If nobody is aware of your impact, those results will go overlooked.

Our culture has become soft

Our culture has become soft. Out of a fear of offending others, people are scared to direct others even when the situation calls for it. No matter how styrofoam our culture has become, human nature doesn’t change. People need leaders. Good leaders take charge when the people around them need them to. Otherwise, groups descend into inaction.

Time is growing short

Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think.

When you enter a negotiation...

When you enter a negotiation, you have to remember that this relationship is one that will likely be ongoing for many years. As easy as it is to get caught up in making demands and changing your mind, you also have to be aware of the impression you're making and the expectations you're setting. Being careful not to burn any bridges by negotiating in a confusing or unfair way is important to all parties.

Understand the pressures and perceptions

Requests and compromises don't exist in a vacuum. Behind the scenes of any negotiation are countless relationships, expectations, and emotions. There are multiple stakeholders in a negotiation, beyond just the person on the other side of the table. It's worth your time to understand the pressures they are under, as well as the pressures they will face if they compromise with you.

Pick your battles and prioritize your requests

Pick your battles and prioritize your requests. Your priorities aren't always the same as someone else's, so finding a zone of possible agreement means pushing for what you really want and letting go of the things you can live without. This makes it much easier to align and find common ground.

It can be easy to get caught up

It can be easy to get caught up in trying to do everything perfectly, but the quest for perfection often has diminishing returns. By stepping away from "perfect" and thinking in terms of "good enough", you can lower your stress and focus your energy on what's most important.

Follow the rules

Take any game in the world. What makes those games truly enjoyable are the constraints we set. If you don't follow the rules, the game would lose its charm. The same is with life. But at the same time don't let the rules stop you from living your life.

Today, not tomorrow

What you avoid today is harder to do tomorrow. Today’s choices become tomorrow’s position. If you put off things today, they don’t magically disappear tomorrow. They just get added to the list of things you want to do. Don’t wait till tomorrow. Tomorrow is where dreams go to die.

Our brain hides things from us

The human brain has evolved to hide from us those things we are not paying attention to. In other words, we often have a cognitive blind spot: We don’t know what we’re missing because our brain can completely ignore things that are not its priority at the moment— even if they are right in front of our eyes.

Our world has exploded

Our world has exploded. Information is abundant. I didn’t think we could process it all but Levitin argues that we can, at a cost. We have a limited number of decisions. After all, there are only so many we can make in a day without compromising quality. Once we’ve hit that limit it doesn’t matter how important they are.

Learning how to think really means...

Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master. This, like many clichés, so lame and unexciting on the surface, actually expresses a great and terrible truth.

Take calculated risks

To effect change, you must take calculated, thoughtful, and well-planned risks. This requires you to overcome your fears and have faith in your abilities. Know your limitations, but believe in yourself enough to try.

One of the dangers of being on a team is...

One of the dangers of being on a team is falling into a role that is ill-fitting or uncomfortable. When you’re new to a group, think hard about what you're good at and what you love, versus what you hate doing. Consider what brings you joy and ignites your passion, and ask yourself how that contrasts with the people around you. Make a conscious decision about how you want to fit into that dynamic.

Where you are now is due to...

Where you are now is due to all the decisions you’ve made up until here. Nobody else can make decisions for you. Just you. Nobody else is to blame. Just you. Taking accountability is the first step to fixing it.

In today's society, a degree alone is meaningless

In today's society, a degree alone is meaningless in most industries. You need to have real-life skills to back it up. How are you setting yourself apart? Your value doesn’t come from how hard you work, but from how irreplaceable you are.

When you begin a new role...

When you begin a new role, you're full of optimism. You're starting something brand new, with a fresh set of eyes, and you're eager to learn. You see possibilities ahead. You’re a blank slate. And those are all wonderful things. However, starting a new role can also be littered with stumbling blocks, and if you’re not careful, you may get tripped up.

Short-term actions eventually become long-term weights

What seems like the fast way at the moment is the long way in the end. In an effort to go faster and outsmart the process we turn to shortcuts, cut corners, and engage in short-term behavior. While it might seem like we're going faster, these tiny debts accumulate into an anchor. Short-term actions eventually become long-term weights.

There are many realms of our lives and work

There are many realms of our lives and work where we can learn to be sharper in the questions that we ask. When I say “sharp,” I'm not talking about being rude or dismissive; I'm talking about being precise and targeted with your questions so that the answers you receive give you the information you're actually seeking.

Why do so many people give it up?

Everyone writes in a way; that is, each person has a "story," a personal narrative that is constantly being replayed, revised, taken apart, and put together again. The significant points in this narrative change as a person ages, what may have been a tragedy at twenty is seen as comedy or nostalgia at forty. All children write. (And paint, and sing.) I suppose the real question is why do so many people give it up?

You have a vital role to play

You have a vital role to play in the unfolding destiny of the world. You should take care of, help, and be good to yourself the same way you take care of, help, and be good to someone you love. Treat yourself as if you were someone that you are responsible for helping.

If old memories still make you cry

If old memories still make you cry, write them down carefully and completely. If you're obsessed with memories of the past (most of them negative), there are a lot of you stuck in the past. Many people have parts of them that are stuck in some traumatic experience. The world presents itself as a series of puzzles. Some of which you’re capable of solving and some of which you’re not. If you want to change the world, you start with yourself and work outward.

Listen to them hard enough so that...

Listen to them hard enough so that they will share it with you. The sympathetic responses during a genuine conversation indicate that the teller is valued and that the story being told is important, serious, deserving of consideration, and understandable.

Do not do things that you hate

Watch yourself. If you see that you’re doing things that make you hate yourself, consider the cost of continuing.

When someone is giving you feedback...

When someone is giving you feedback, they’re doing you a favor. Even if you’re upset to hear about your mistakes, and even if you think they are wrong and you shouldn’t change your behavior, they’re giving you the gift of information you didn’t have before.

It’s up to you to save you

Replace your excuses with a consistent work ethic. Remove your fear of failure and trust the process. Replace your scarcity mindset with an abundance mindset.

Reading is the first step

Reading a book ≠ knowing it

Knowing it ≠ implementing it

Doing > Knowing > Reading 

However, Reading is the first step in this process so don’t miss it.

People gravitate toward those...

If you exude negative energy toward those around you, others will turn away. People gravitate toward those who are positive and move away from those who are negative, even if they don’t consciously realize it. You repel opportunities with negativity. Likewise, you can attract them with positivity.