Once the ego inflates it will only come back to earth through some jarring failure.
People around you, constantly under the pull of their emotions, change their ideas by the day or by the hour, depending on their mood. You must never assume that what people say or do in a particular moment is a statement of their permanent desires.
Do not grow to fond of your ideas or too certain of their truth.
Do not leave your reputation to chance or gossip; it is your life's artwork, and you must craft it, hone it, and display it with the care of an artist.
If you are afraid to learn from your mistakes, you will more than likely keep repeating them.
Never waste valuable time, or mental peace of mind, on the affairs of others—that is too high a price to pay.
Our levels of desire, patience, persistence, and confidence end up playing a much larger role in success than sheer reasoning powers.
Let go of the past.
Focus on your greater goal, your destiny.
Skeptical, cynical attitudes can actually cut us off from so many interesting questions, and from reality itself.
Never trust the version that people give of themselves — it is utterly unreliable.
The greatest danger we face is the mind going soft.
Never whine, never complain, never try to justify yourself.
Over the centuries, people have placed a wall around mastery. They have called it genius and have thought of it as inaccessible…But that wall is imaginary. This is the real secret: the brain that we possess…was designed to lead us to mastery.
Never make this mistake of thinking that you elevate yourself by humiliating people.
Train yourself to take nothing personally.
Do not waste time on things you cannot change or influence.
To learn requires a sense of humility.
Gandhi was a deceptively clever strategist whose frail, even saintly appearance constantly misled his adversaries into underestimating him.
Your fears are a kind of prison that confines you… The less you fear, the more power you will have and the more fully you will live.
You must always be prepared to place a bet on yourself, on your future, by heading in a direction that others seem to fear.
The pain and boredom we experience in the initial stage of learning a skill toughens our minds.
LAW #45: Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once.
Value learning over money.
If you enter an action with less than total confidence, you set up obstacles in your own path.
Acting with speed will garner you respect, awe, and irresistible momentum.
The fools in life want things fast and easy — money, success, attention.
It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
You will encounter thousands of various individuals in your life, and the ability to see them as they are will prove invaluable.
Any kind of encounter with adversity or limitation, at any age, can serve as the crucible for forging the attitude of fearlessness.
Even the worst shit that happens to you can be converted into gold if you are clever enough.
Like a hustler, you must find your freedom through the fluidity of your thoughts and your constant inventiveness.
This could be your last throw of the dice: make it count.
The need for certainty is the greatest disease the mind faces.
Understand: You should be radiating confidence, not arrogance or disdain.
Withstand the setbacks and failures, the days of drudgery, and the hard work that are always a part of any creative action.
Real pleasure comes from overcoming challenges, feeling confidence in your abilities, and experiencing the power this brings.
The ultimate power in life is to be completely self-reliant, completely yourself.
When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work – it only raises questions.
Trying so hard to please people can actually end up pushing them away – it is hard to respect someone who has such an ingratiating attitude.
The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus.
We admire the bold and prefer to be around them because their self-confidence infects us.
Change may be alarming, but it is also refreshing – even exhilarating.
The quiet mind is richer than a crown.
Eventually, the time that was not spent on learning skills will catch up with you, and the fall will be painful.
Conflict is inevitable; you will never have total peace.
Trust yourself more and others less.
Learn to judge your moves by their long-term effects on people.
People are drawn to those who expect a lot out of life, whereas they tend to disrespect those who are fearful and undemanding.
