Ask for things

Ask for things. Ask for things that seem unreasonable to ensure your intuitions about what's reasonable are accurate (of course, try not to be a jerk in the process). If you're only asking for things you get, you're not aiming high enough.

It’s tough to be very lazy

It’s tough to be very lazy. It takes a lot of imagination to do nothing and you have to be sufficiently self-confident not to have a bad conscience. You have to have a taste for life, so that every minute is complete in itself and so you don’t have to keep saying ‘I’ve done this or that.’ You need strong nerves to do nothing. Being lazy also means that other people’s opinions don’t matter. Nor does the idea of always having to prove yourself.

Yours or Someone Else?

Very few people really have their own opinion. Very often, their opinion is just the opinion of someone else. Perfectly prepared, warmed up, and served medium well. I'm not above this, and I'd argue not many people are. All our opinions are shaped by other people's opinions. It's how this all works. The question is just, how many opinions do I require to shape mine?

The courage to ask

What if the only thing standing between you and the life you want is the courage to ask? Identify one thing you truly wish for an opportunity, connection, or resource—and ask for it today, even if you're afraid of hearing “no.”

The past is a teacher

Don't let your worst moments become your story. The past is a teacher, not a judge. Your next move matters more than your last mistake.

You control your inputs

You control your inputs, but you're ultimately judged for your outcomes. Inputs that fail to produce desired outcomes should be adjusted, not repeated. The trick is in the time horizons. In the short term, it's perfectly reasonable for inputs and outcomes to be dislocated- meaning you won't always see a direct reward for your efforts. But in the long term, inputs and outcomes should converge. If they don't, you may need to adjust your inputs.

Happiness releases you from self

You’re never so centered on yourself as when you’re depressed. You’re never more ready to forget yourself than when you're happy. Happiness releases you from self. It is suffering and pain and misery and depression that tie you to the self. Look how conscious you are of your tooth when you have a toothache. When you don’t have a toothache, you’re not even aware you have a tooth, or that you have a head, for that matter, when you don’t have a headache.