2 things.
1. Some things cannot be taught, they must be experienced.
The most valuable lessons I have learned along my life’s journey have been based off of personal experiences I’ve had. Like that one time my mother lectured me about the importance of avoiding the fire in the candle, and as soon as she turned her eyes away, I dipped my finger right into the fire. Let’s just say, I never touched the candle fire again. Or that one time when in university when I spent my entire night hanging out with friends, and I missed an important exam the next morning. I can go on to share many things I’ve learned from experience - personal, business, relationships, life.
Whenever you take a course, listen to a podcast, or read a book, you gain valuable knowledge. But the real value is in applying that knowledge. Most people are either lazy or afraid to apply the knowledge that they gather. So, they’d rather keep tweaking their ideas over and over again until they talk themselves out of why it won’t work. It happens all the time. Starts off with a great idea, you tweak it once, twice, three times, then you poke holes in it to play devil’s advocate about how people may perceive it, and then you start doing a SWOT analysis, and then you tweak some more, and you just keep tweaking until you do nothing about it. I, on the other hand…I have an idea, and I’m out the door immediately. I’ve found that once my idea reaches multiple ears and minds, it may never see the light of day: Analysis Paralysis sets in. So, I’d rather think something, and DO It…. experience it, and learn from that experience - Good, Bad, Ugly. It’s probably greater risk, but I have found it to work for me. After all, experience is the best teacher.
2. Take your own advice.
Have you ever received advice from someone you know isn’t implementing it? Or, you know that friend who posts these great quotes on their WhatsApp stories, but you know they never take their own advice. They’ll say, “be kind to others,” but they’re super mean to everyone. Yeah…those people. Don’t be them. Take your own advice. Whenever you catch yourself doing something that’s contrary to the advice that you give others, pull back and set yourself back on track. The fact that you can identify that you’re not taking your own advice, is a great step forward. We have to be intentional about these things, not because we want to maintain our integrity to others, but because we want to trust ourselves. If you can’t be honest to you, you cannot be honest…period.
What I’m Reading:
“Jay Shetty, social media superstar, and host of “On Purpose” Podcast, distills the timeless wisdom he learned as a monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less anxious, more meaningful life. In this inspiring, empowering book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Combining ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits, and access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. He transforms abstract lessons into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, improve relationships, and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can—and should—think like a monk.”
Quote for the week:
“Never let hard lessons harden your heart; the hard lessons of life are meant to make you better, not bitter.”
- Roy T. Bennett
Your words are salt. Thank you
Your words are salt. Thank you