Greetings!
This is my first post in a long while. I had open-heart surgery last year in addition to finishing a master’s degree, so my focus shifted to recovery and introspection.
I will share some insights from my recovery journey and introspection in the coming months. I thank everyone who follows my blog and I apologize for not posting anything for a while.
With that out the way…
BY AGE 30, YOU SHOULD BE WISE ENOUGH TO REALIZE THE FOLLOWING:
1. A person making 10x more than you working a 9 to 5 job is doing so because they realize that it is better to aspire to be a person of value rather than chasing money or success. The valuable person doesn’t chase money or success, those things are the byproducts of the value they bring.
2. Distraction is the greatest killer of success. It stunts and destroys your brain. Lots of things can become distractions. Some distractions are necessary for recreation. A distraction becomes a problem when it takes over your life in subtle, unexpected, and unconscious ways. Don’t let distractions become impediments to your progress.
3. You shouldn’t take criticism from people you’d never go to for advice. Additionally, Never take advice from people who aren’t getting the results you want to experience.
4. No one is coming to save you from your problems. Your life is 100% your responsibility. Responsibility and blame are two different things. Blame identifies problems and assigns fault. Responsibility takes ownership of problems and finds and implements solutions.
5. You don’t need self-help books, life coaches, or (fake) gurus, all you need is self-discipline and realistic goals.
6. College isn’t just about obtaining a degree. It’s about learning something; it’s about mastering the art of thinking and doing so critically.
7. No one should care about you more than you. Stop being shy, go out and create your own luck by taking calculated risks. As Michael Jordan once opined, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
8. If you meet someone smarter than you, work with them, don’t compete. Learn the art of subtlety, because the lack of it turns competitors into enemies and enemies into fanatics (shout out to the late “Dallas” actor Jim Davis).
9. Smoking adds no benefit to your life. This habit will only slow your thinking, lower your focus, and ruin your long-term health.
10. Addiction to comfort is the worst addiction. Seeking comfort and pleasure as a primary goal is a good way to ensure you have neither in lasting abundance. This leads to depression. Learn what your hedonic set point is and adjust it accordingly.
11. Don’t tell people more than they need to know, respect your own privacy.
12. Never let alcohol take control over your life. Nothing is worse than losing control over your senses and acting foolish at the wrong time and around the wrong people. Most people truly can’t control their consumption of alcohol, so abstinence is probably the best thing you can do for yourself.
13. Keep your standards high and don’t settle for something because it’s available. Remember, nothing worth having ever comes easily or cheaply. This applies to people, material possessions, and experiences.
14. The family you create is more important than the family you were born into. That doesn’t mean the family you were born into is unimportant, but the family you create is part of your own legacy that will outlive you.
15. Train yourself to take nothing personally and save yourself from 99.99% of mental problems. Well-received constructive criticism is the best self-improvement program.
-The Rational Ram
The Rational Ram 