Blog

IQ, aka how smart you are, once used to be the biggest determinant of success. 

Then came the EQ.
Empathizing with people made us better leaders and effective communicators.

The world evolved and everything around us is now designed to attract our attention. 

Thus, making it priceless for the ability to devote our 100% attention without being distracted. 

It’s not the IQ; it’s not the EQ; it’s not their combination either. 

The ability to focus is the most significant determinant of success.

Each time we say no to someone, we think we are saying no to our capability of helping.
We think we are saying no to our ability to solve problems.

The reality, however, is that we are saying no to someone else because we want to be respectful of what’s important for us.

Each time we say no, we say yes to things that matter.

There is always a reason behind how we feel. 

If the reason for that feeling is someone else, why blame ourselves?
It will pass. 

If we are the reason, why blame someone else?
It’s time to fix it.

The key is to find the source.

Our feelings are self-imposed.
If we can create them, we can end them too.

We keep running after work experience.
We think it will make us better at what we do.

But experience comes with its own baggage — a blind belief that what we know is what is right.

However, it is the maturity of realizing that we are constantly learning, that things are constantly changing, and what we know today might not work tomorrow.

A truly experienced person knows when to use and when to challenge that experience. 

“I am doing this job only for financial stability. It does not make me happy”.

Our heart lies somewhere else.
Yet, we continue to put a lot of pressure on our job. 

We expect it to not only provide us with financial stability but also with work satisfaction.

Ultimately, we would like to achieve that balance. 

But while we are on that journey, why not find that satisfaction by working on our passion? 

It can be an internship, a part-time job, a side business – anything at all that gives us a sense of fulfillment and makes us happy.

If financial stability is the only reason why we are doing our job, it’s our responsibility to find that happiness by making time for things we truly enjoy.

We wake up and feel this intense need to work out because somehow, we are feeling inspired today. 

So, we go and work out rigorously.
But one rigorous day at the gym can hardly change us or make us healthy.

We think of inspiration as an occasional dose of injection that makes magic happen. 

But a single dose of injection can hardly change us into the person we wish to be.

Why not sign up for regular doses?

Inspiration requires discipline.
It is a decision to consistently do something that inspires us until it transforms us.

Two mantras of life I live by, that I downloaded to my team yesterday:

Never complain: Never. Ever. Even if it is the worst day of your life to date. It robs us of our power and tricks us into believing that we don’t have any.

Trust: Trust people for what they say. Living life with that sense of awe and wonder, to never let doubt creep in. If someone else’s lies comfort them, what’s the point for us to be discomforted by that?

Two extremes.
Never and always. 

When you take care of never complaining and always trusting, the balance that forms in between takes care of everything else.

Compounding is less about mathematics.
It’s more about our temperament.

Do we get anxious when things don’t work out immediately?

Are we patient with life?

Do we believe in small things working out big miracles because of consistency?

The kind of person we are would end up deciding the kind of investor we become. 

Money doesn’t change us. It just magnifies who we are.

Imposter Syndrome isn’t reserved for a few. 

Almost everyone suffers from it, multiple times during their lifetime. 

Thus, coming up with a process is the way to deal with it:

Helpful vs best. You cannot be the best in world yet whatever you do and know, use it to help people

There will always be someone better than you. That automatically takes off a lot of load.

Try not to be the imposter that you were. Being a little better than yesterday is the best progress. You’re giving yourself time.

For anything that is recurring, process is power. 

Asking for help is a powerful thing. It shows we are ready to go beyond ourselves. 

However, keeping it open-ended and expecting “any” help is shutting all doors for help. 

Stuck in your career? Do you want help with referrals or want mentorship?

Having a feud with parents? Do you need help with solving it or do you need help with how to figure out living on your own?

Feeling hopeless? Do you need hope or do you need someone just to listen to you?

When we are specific in seeking out help, we make it easier for the other person to help us. And for ourselves to be helped.