10 Quotes You’ll Never Forget
Wisdom from ancient and modern times blended into one
You don’t need many words to change the course of your life.
Here are a few that changed mine.
1. “The first rule of a happy life is low expectations.” — Charlie Munger
On the surface, living with low expectations seems a tad depressing.
But there is a logical method to this way of thinking.
If you constantly set your expectations through the roof, it’s a one-way street to misery.
Things won’t turn out the way you want them to, and you’ll forever be disappointed.
Set the bar lower and you’ll be disappointed far less often.
It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the drive to become better or expectations of yourself.
It means approaching life with a greater sense of acceptance.
Lower expectations. Higher peace.
2. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Constantly comparing yourself to everyone else is a gateway to dissatisfaction.
There will always be people smarter than you, richer than you, and better at something than you.
If you spend all your time comparing yourself to others, you’ll never achieve anything.
So play by your own inner scorecard.
Compare yourself to who you were yesterday instead.
That’s the only comparison that actually moves your life forward.
3. “Remembering that the whole class has to exist will make you more tolerant of its members.” — Marcus Aurelius
The older I get, the more convinced I am that people are our full-time occupation.
Certain people won’t like you, and you won’t like them.
Either way, you must accept people as they are and remain tolerant of them.
People are part of life’s deal.
4. “The important thing is not what one is born with, but what use one makes of that equipment.” — Alfred Adler
Your gender, race, parents, upbringing, and past experiences aren’t the defining factors of what happens to you in life.
What matters is how well you use the unique tools life has given you.
Play the hand you were dealt in life.
5. “Why should you feel anger at the world? As if the world would notice.” — Marcus Aurelius
The world doesn’t give two shits about your anger.
I know because I was that angry person.
Anger is one of the biggest wastes of time and energy there is.
It does nobody any good.
All it does is cloud your judgement, make you feel worse, and waste everyone else’s time.
Your anger doesn’t change the world.
6. “How long are you going to wait until you demand the best for yourself?” — Epictetus
This question forces you to be open and honest with yourself.
Deep down, you’ll always know when you’ve demanded the best for yourself and when you haven’t.
It’s one of those questions that gives you the chance to call yourself out on your own bullshit.
Stop waiting to demand better from yourself.
7. “The one thing all fools have in common is that they’re always getting ready to start.” — Seneca
You’re scared to start something new.
You know it’s true.
But never starting is the most foolish thing of all.
Yes, when you begin, you’ll be terrible.
And yes, you’ll probably look like a fool doing it.
But it’s better to be a fool who’s trying than a fool who never started.
Starting badly beats never starting.
8. “The only true test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life.” — Naval Ravikant
You can be the most intelligent and well put-together person on the planet.
But if you never end up living a life you’re happy, proud, and content with, you’re not as smart as you think.
The real goal is to live the life you want — now.
Intelligence means designing a life you actually want.
9. “Your personal brand is defined by your weirdness.” — George Mack
You are your own brand.
Being 100% yourself makes you far more appealing to an audience and is the thing that sets you apart from the crowd.
Always be you.
Unapologetically you.
Your weirdness is your advantage.
10. “Spending money to show people how much money you have is the fastest way to have less money.” — Morgan Housel
Everyone wants to be admired and respected by their peers.
So they spend a fortune trying to look rich and buy expensive possessions in the hope of drawing admiration.
The irony is that nobody is admiring you.
They hardly notice you.
They’re admiring your possessions instead.
And needless to say, the more money you spend, the less money you’ll have.
Trying to look rich is how people stay poor.
See you next time,
Tom