This post is part of the đź“– The Almanack of Naval Ravikant series.


Today, I am still reading CHOOSING TO FREE YOURSELF section of the HAPPINESS chapter from the book, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness written by Author, Jack Butcher.

TL;DR! đź’¬

Getting rich is not just about luck; happiness is not just a trait we are born with. These aspirations may seem out of reach, but building wealth and being happy are skills we can learn.

So what are these skills, and how do we learn them? What are the principles that should guide our efforts? What does progress really look like?

The Book The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness is a collection of Naval’s wisdom and experience from the last ten years, shared as a curation of his most insightful interviews and poignant reflections.


Yesterday, I finished reading Choosing to Grow Yourself section from the HAPPINESS chapter.

Part II

HAPPINESS

CHOOSING TO FREE YOURSELF

The hardest thing is not doing what you want — it’s knowing what you want.

Be aware there are no “adults.” Everyone makes it up as they go along. You have to find your own path, picking, choosing, and discarding as you see fit. Figure it out yourself, and do it.

Freedom from Expectations

If you hurt other people because they have expectations of you, that’s their problem. If they have an agreement with you, it’s your problem.

But, if they have an expectation of you, that’s completely their problem. It has nothing to do with you.

They’re going to have lots of expectations out of life. The sooner you can dash their expectations, the better.

Courage isn’t charging into a machine gun nest. Courage is not caring what other people think.

Value your time. It’s more important than your money. It’s more important than your friends. It is more important than anything.

If you’re not spending your time doing what you want, and you’re not earning, and you’re not learning—what the heck are you doing?

Don’t spend your time making other people happy. Other people being happy is their problem. It’s not your problem.

If you are happy, it makes other people happy.

If you’re happy, other people will ask you how you became happy, and they might learn from it, but you are not responsible for making other people happy.

FREEDOM FROM ANGER

What is anger?

Anger is a precursor to violence.

Observe when you’re angry—anger is a loss of control over the situation.

Anger is a contract you make with yourself to be in physical and mental, and emotional turmoil until reality changes. 

Anger is its own punishment. An angry person trying to push your head below water is drowning at the same time.

Freedom from Employment

People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom. 

Once you’ve truly controlled your own fate, for better or for worse, you’ll never let anyone else tell you what to do.

Freedom from Uncontrolled Thinking

A big habit I’m working on is trying to turn off my “monkey mind.” When we’re children, we’re pretty blank slates.

The mind should be a servant and a tool, not a master. Our monkey mind should not control and drive us.

Key Takeaways

  • Value your time. It is all you have. It’s more important than your money. It’s more important than your friends. It is more important than anything. Your time is all you have. Do not waste your time.

  • A taste of freedom can make you unemployable.

That’s it for today. Tomorrow, we will read Philosophy section from the HAPPINESS chapter from this great book.

Buy or Not to Buy? 🚨
If you want to read JUST one book this year, then make this book that ONE book. A must-read book to achieve compounding effects over your health, wealth and happiness. Buy a copy for everyone in your family and friends.


The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

Author(s): Eric Jorgenson

Short Blurb: Getting rich is not just about luck; happiness is not just a trait we are born with. These … Read more
Buy from Amazon

Part 30 of 33 in the đź“– The Almanack of Naval Ravikant book series.

Series Start | The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness - Day 29 | The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness - Day 31



Amazon Associates Disclaimer! đź’¬
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I make a tiny commission if you buy using one of the links above at no additional cost to you. I use the money to buy another book 📖 to review or grab a beer 🍺 Super duper thanks 🙌