The Top 7 Lessons I Learned from 500 Books.
Reading books is important because it develops our thoughts, gives us endless knowledge and lessons to read while keeping our minds active. Reading books can help us learn, understand, and makes us smarter. Not to mention the knowledge, vocabulary expansion, and thinking skills we develop, so read a good book today!
The very first personal development book I read was “To Understand & Be Understood.” That was about 16 years ago, and from then, I’ve been a crazy reader. I’ve read hundreds of books in the last 16 years, and I think it might be useful if I share with you the top 7 lessons I learned from those books.
Number 01. Focus on what you can change
I started my life on a pretty rough road. I grew up in an obscure village, being raised by a poor farmer and suffering terrible sickness.
I was destined to be average, but when I was around 18 years old, I learned from a book that I’ll do better with my life if I focus on what I can change and not on what happens around me.
I decided to stop criticizing the government. Yes, I know the government of my country is wrong but what can I do about that? I stop complaining about my poverty, sickness, or the economy. I focused on whatever I can do to improve my life and got busy doing just that. I can’t change the government’s policy, but I can learn how money works, so I did that. I couldn’t improve the economy, but I can learn how to build a business, so I did that.
I couldn’t change anything about my parents’ poverty, but I can strive for financial independence. I couldn’t change the fact that I was born with a terrible genotype, but I can improve my health, so I form the habit of eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and water. Most people in our world today focus on what they can’t change, and that’s the problem.
You can’t change what you can’t change, and the more you focus on what you can’t change, the more excuses and complaints you’ll have and the less zeal you’ll have to pursue what is essential to your success in life.
Number 02. Positive thinking isn’t a cliché
Most people think that there’s a magic that happens when you are optimistic about life. No. let me show you how it happens; people who are the confident belief that they can change their lives and because they have this belief, they try more things than others, and because they work more jobs, they make more mistakes.
Since mistakes make you smarter, they become more intelligent, and then when you become more knowledgeable, you become more successful. It’s that simple. For instance, because I’m a positive thinker, I’ve tried many crazy things none of my friends or family members has ever attempted, because I had taken such risks, I had also made more mistakes and become smarter, and when you are more intelligent than most people, it’s natural that you succeed more than them.
So, be optimistic about your future, and you’ll get more out of it.
Number 03. Humans are irrational
You, me, everyone. We hate to admit this, but studies after studies show that we’re emotional beings.
We don’t think as deep as we want to make ourselves believe, and if you understand this, you’ll be more conscious when you make decisions because the more rational your choices are, the better your life will be. Think about the things we purchase. Think about the partners we married.
Think about the most important decisions of our lives, and you’ll see how irrational we are. If you know you’re irrational, then you’ll think before you buy those new phones, clothes, or shoes. Do you need the advertisers are just deceiving them, or you?
Number 04. Your friends make you
My life changed around the year 2005 when I read somewhere that the closet people to me determine my future. I stopped hanging out with negative and pessimistic people, and that was one of the best decisions of my life.
You don’t have experience. The only life you have is the life you get from others around you. Whether you accept it or not, you imitate and follow people or the time.
Unconsciously, you’re going in the direction of your closet friends, and that should make you worry about who you hang around. Some people will say, “Thank God, I have no friend.” Well, that is as worse as having bad friends because, then, you’ll be influenced by your social media fields and the media. Your friends make you so choose your friends carefully.
Number 05. You get what you look for
Since I was a boy, everywhere I go, I always hear people complaining about how bad my country is. As an adult, I decided to look for the opportunities in my country, and I found too many, not quickly, but definitely.
You see whatever you search for in life. Look for good people, and you’ll find them. Believe everyone is terrible and you’ll see enough bad people convince you that you’re right. Look for how bad your country is, and you’ll see a million pieces of evidence.
Look for the opportunities, and you’ll find many.
Number 06. Difficult decisions lead to a comfortable life
People who make difficult decisions end up having a comfortable life, while people who make easy choices end up having a challenging experience.
It’s that simple! You can’t escape pains in life. If you run away from the strains of discipline, you’ll get into the sufferings of regrets.
Number 07. We sell every day
Every human job is selling a position. The earlier anyone realizes this, the better it will be. If you know that your primary task is selling, you’ll learn how to do it better.
